On November 15, the Mirada Lagoon Is Only the Starting Line

At 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, November 15, the transition area opens at Mirada Lagoon, 31461 Mirada Blvd. The first wave goes off at 7:20. From then until late morning, the course runs through the rest of the community, not only the water.

The race is the Game On! Mirada Lagoon Triathlon, and some event calendars call it brand-new. It isn't. According to the MetroLagoons announcement released October 13, this is the second year Mirada Lagoon has hosted the race. The first one in 2025 drew about 250 racers and was billed as Florida's first freshwater lagoon triathlon. The same announcement says the running and biking routes "traverse Mirada's residential community and surrounding areas." If you live here, that line matters more than anything else in the race packet.

The Swim Is the Shortest Part of the Day

The swim covers less than a mile of any course. The sprint triathlon is a 0.25-mile swim, a 10-mile bike and a 3.1-mile run. The international distance doubles all three: a 0.5-mile swim, a 20-mile bike and a 6.2-mile run. A sprint racer spends a quarter mile in the 15-acre lagoon and more than 13 miles on pavement.

The official course maps on TriSignup explain why the streets stay busy for so long. Both courses are laps. The bike course is one 10-mile lap for sprint racers and two laps for international racers. The run is one 3.1-mile lap for the sprint and two for the international. A stretch of road on the loop will see riders go by, then see the international field come back around, then see runners. Bikes and runners can come past the same spot for most of the morning.

Not every racer swims, either. The duathlon options swap the swim for a 1-mile run, so those athletes are on the roads from the start. The aquabike skips the run and covers the full 20-mile bike course. With seven registration options, including 2- and 3-person relays, the field crosses the course in staggered waves, not as one pack.

Race Weekend, Hour by Hour

Most of the posted schedule falls on Sunday, but the activity at the lagoon starts the day before.

The race FAQ tells athletes to arrive at least an hour before the first wave. With a 7:20 start, that puts racer and family traffic heading toward the lagoon by about 6:20 a.m., and many will come earlier for the 5:30 opening. The race is rain or shine. In severe weather, organizers can delay the start 30 to 45 minutes, change the course or switch the format. Any delay pushes every later time back with it. Race-morning updates go to registered athletes by email and appear on the Game On! Race Events Facebook page, which you can view without a Facebook account.

What Last Year's Morning Looked Like

The 2026 materials don't name the streets on the course. The best guide to how the morning feels is the 2025 race, which ran on Sunday, November 16. The night before, the Wesley Chapel Community Website posted a traffic advisory for residents across Dade City, San Antonio and northern Wesley Chapel, especially around Mirada. It said intermittent closures were expected from 7 a.m. to noon. The same article said portions of the bike and run courses would extend onto nearby roads and cause temporary traffic shifts all morning. Its advice for drivers was specific:

"Anyone traveling through the area on Sunday morning may want to leave a few minutes early, especially near the main entrance to Mirada and the surrounding corridors used for the bike route. Law enforcement and event crews will be on scene to guide drivers."

The advisory also told residents to expect more foot traffic, more parked cars and more activity throughout the community. That was the 2025 pattern, not a confirmed 2026 traffic plan. The 2026 race returns to the same venue with the same menu of sprint and international triathlon, duathlon and aquabike events. The 7 a.m. to noon window and the main entrance are reasonable things to plan around until the organizers post this year's details.

Three Ways to Spend the Morning

What you get out of November 15 depends on whether you want to work around the race, watch it or race it.

1. Work around it. Plan Sunday morning errands, church drives and airport runs for before 7 a.m. or after noon, based on last year's closure window. If you have to leave during the race, give yourself extra time near the main entrance, where the 2025 advisory said delays were most likely.
2. Watch it. Spectators can buy a $5 spectator ticket that includes access to the lagoon amenities. The finish and the swim are at the lagoon. Because the international field rides and runs the loops twice, anyone watching from along the route sees the same racers pass more than once.
3. Race it. Registration is open on TriSignup. Sprint triathlon and sprint duathlon cost $149, the international triathlon, duathlon and aquabike cost $179, and relays cost $199 for the sprint and $229 for the international. Prices go up after 11:59 p.m. EST on Thursday, November 12. You can register on race day, but only online and at a higher price. You'll need a USA Triathlon annual or one-day membership, and you'll need to bring your own bike and helmet.

For racers, the deadline that matters is Thursday, November 12, two weeks after this post goes up. Packet pickup on Saturday the 14th is also easy for residents who can walk or drive a few minutes to the lagoon. If family is coming in to race or cheer, the race's travel page lists Saddlebrook Resort as its preferred hotel partner, with rates starting at $204 a night.

The race is presented by San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union. Club Pilates Epperson is the Pace Setter Sponsor, and Florida Roof Restoration is the Expo Sponsor.

After the Race, the Season Moves Down SR 52

The triathlon is the first of several late-fall events that start at the lagoon and then spread out along SR 52 toward Dade City and Shady Hills. Several of the later ones also happen on the road.

• Lagoonside Market, Sunday, Nov. 29. The lagoon hosts the Lagoonside Market on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. A public event listing says it's free and features more than 40 local businesses, live music, food and drinks. Event listings give different start times, so check the MetroLagoons Lagoonside Market page before you go.
• Celebration of Lights, from Friday, Nov. 27. The light display at The Concourse in Shady Hills is mainly a drive-through event. According to the Celebration of Lights site, it opens November 27 and runs the weekends of December 4–6, 11–13 and 18–20, plus bonus nights December 21–22. December 23, 26 and 27 are drive-through-only nights, and the site lists hours as 6 to 9 p.m. General admission is $25 per vehicle on the ticket page. On select nights, a Winter Wonderland adds Santa, food and vendors, and a miniature holiday train at $4 per rider. Tickets go on sale Sunday, November 1.
• Dade City Christmas Parade, Friday, Dec. 4, 7 p.m. The Pioneer Florida Museum calendar lists the route along 7th Street from MLK Boulevard to Church Street, with an America250 theme and free admission for spectators.
• Dade City's 42nd Annual Christmas Stroll, Saturday, Dec. 12, 5 to 9 p.m. VISIT FLORIDA lists the stroll in historic downtown Dade City, at Meridian Street and 7th Street.

A resident could start November 15 at the lagoon's transition area and finish the season on 7th Street in downtown Dade City. Except for the Lagoonside Market, every event on this list happens outdoors on the street: a race loop through the community, a drive-through light route and a downtown parade route.

Race mornings and drive-through holiday routes show which streets matter most in your daily routine, and those same streets matter to a buyer. If you're thinking about how a Mirada home fits your next few years, or just want to know how your section of the community is doing, Platinum Property Collective can walk you through it street by street. Schedule a Free Consultation, and we'll keep it local.