Pigman Triathlon + Duathlon + Aquabike + Open Water Swim

Outside Palo, Pleasant Creek Lake reveals unexpectedly transparent water framed by rock-lined shores. Swimmers gather here for the Pigman Triathlon + Duathlon + Aquabike + Open Water Swim, an open water swimming race held in the freshwater lake of Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area in Palo, Iowa. Pleasant Creek Lake covers 410 acres of water and was built in the 1960s for outdoor recreational purposes. It was also engineered as Pleasant Creek Reservoir to serve as an emergency backup supply of cooling water for the nearby Duane Arnold Energy Center during seasons of low flow in the Cedar River. Situated on a 500-acre site on the west bank of the river, about 4 km from the race area, the energy plant utilized twenty-four mechanical draft cooling towers that drew water from the river to act as a heat sink.

The energy center proved remarkably resilient, remaining fully operational throughout the devastating 2008 Iowa Flood while other facilities along the Cedar River were forced offline. In August 2020, winds of 130 miles per hour during the Midwest derecho destroyed the plant's cooling towers. The reservoir itself stands apart as a serene, protected body of water whose water quality and clarity are bolstered by rock-lined shores.

The Pigman Swim: 1,500 meters at Pleasant Creek beach

The competition is part of the Iowa Triathlon Series and holds deep roots as the longest-running race of its kind in the region, with long-course roots dating back to 1998. Its distinct moniker pays direct homage to Iowa’s international fame for pork production and pig farming. Within the wider multi-sport festival, the standalone Open Water Swim challenges athletes to a 1,500-meter course starting from the park's beach. Swimmers take their positions along the shoreline in the early morning, with the open water wave getting underway. The swim course is laid out as a rectangular circuit measuring 0.5 kilometres, where participants swim clockwise and keep all turn buoys on their right side.

Rather than an aggressive group charge into the shallows, the race organizes non-elite athletes through a steady time-trial start format. Competitors cross a chip-timing mat placed directly on the sand and enter the lake one person every three seconds. This metered sequence gives everyone clean water to find an early rhythm, sighting the buoys against the calm morning sky without collision. Conditions on the lake vary with the early summer weather. In 2017, lake dredging and recovering water levels left the entry and exit points marked by thick mud instead of soft sand, adding an earthy test before swimmers reached deep water. That same year, the water registered a tepid 73 degrees, making wetsuits legal for participants. In 2018, the lake temperature sat right on the boundary line of the wetsuit-legal allowance, while typical readings settle pleasantly around 76 degrees.

Around the Pleasant Creek swim: safety boats, ramps and beach rules

Pleasant Creek State Park, the home of the Pigman swim, is 12 miles northwest of Cedar Rapids in eastern Iowa. On the Pigman swim course in Pleasant Creek Lake, boats and safety personnel are on the water at all times. At the Pigman, wetsuits are allowed under USA Triathlon rules when the water of Pleasant Creek Lake is below 78 degrees. Four boat ramps and a kayak launching area give access to the water of Pleasant Creek Lake. At Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area, alcohol, glass containers and pets are not allowed inside the fenced beach area.

The Cedar River valley: eight millennia at Wickiup Hill

About six kilometres from the race venue, on the left bank of the Cedar River, lies the Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center. Archaeological investigations here show that humans have occupied this landscape for approximately 8,000 years. Deep excavations have uncovered ancient campgrounds that date back 5,000 years, revealing how early communities gathered along the sheltered bends of the river. Archaeologists working around Wickiup Hill have identified more than twenty distinct historical sites distributed among river terraces, sand dunes, bluffs, and ridge-tops. About nine kilometres from the race venue, the Chain Lakes Bridge spans 370 feet across the Cedar River. Constructed in 1884 by The Wrought Iron Bridge Company, the bridge is currently situated within a nature preserve managed by the Linn County Conservation Board. About nine kilometres from the recreation area, the historic Shellsburg Bridge crosses Bear Creek in the neighboring community. Measuring 64 feet in length, this bridge was constructed in 1915 near the downtown area of Shellsburg.

Hanging Bog: tufa terraces and river bluffs

About eleven kilometres from the race venue, Hanging Bog State Preserve rests along the steep edge of the Cedar River valley. The preserve features a perennially wet area caused by an impermeable ground layer that forces water to the surface along the hillside. The forest takes its name from tufa terraces found on the lower slopes of the hillsides. The damp woodland community contains over 170 plant species and 23 species of bryophytes.

Pleasant Creek beach and the Palo riverfront today

At Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area, race day centers on an expansive park featuring a broad sandy beach for swimming. Swimming at the recreation area is permitted only at the designated beach area from sunrise to sunset. Along the rock-lined shores, fishing jetties provide extensive shoreline access for anglers. From the banks, visitors can watch paddlers glide across the surface as morning light illuminates the basin. The neighboring town of Palo is located in close proximity to the recreation park and sits right on the edge of the Cedar River. The river has brought severe challenges to the community, including in 2008 when Palo experienced a mandatory evacuation due to flooding from the Cedar River. Today, the river running along the edge of town offers peaceful opportunities for kayaking, fishing, and wildlife viewing. After navigating the open waters of Pleasant Creek Lake, the quiet river reaches provide an ideal setting to round out a swim trip in eastern Iowa.