Zuma Beach Triathlon tradition carries on for good causes
By Barbara Burke · Sun Sep 27 2026
Youth, Paralympic, Olympic and everyday athletes swim, bike, and run to raise more than $200,000 for the Challenged Athletes Foundation and Boys & Girls Club of Malibu
Zuma Beach hosted a triathlon competition on Sept. 19 and 20, welcoming athletes of all performance levels, including Olympic, paralympic, youth, and avid athletes to, as one runner stated, “embrace the race, embrace the suck!” as they swam in 72-degree water, ran along the Pacific Coast Highway, and cycled, all for two good causes: the Challenged Athletes Foundation and the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu.
“Yes, I can do whatever I want!” and “Si se puede!” are some of the mantras for those sponsored by the Challenged Athletes Foundation, Bob Babbitt, CAF’s co-founder, explained just as he introduced Morgan Pixley, 13, who was born with a congenital limb difference. Bixley and many others participated in the Zuma Beach Triathlon for kids presented by the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu on Sept. 19. The youth were divided into two categories. For those aged 9 to 11, the challenge included swimming a one-buoy loop of 100 yards, a three-mile bike ride, and a half-mile run, while those aged12 to 14 swam 200 yards, biked 6 miles, and ran 1 mile.
Ebulliently exuding exuberance, Pixley explained that her attitude toward life, any competition, and the triathlon in particular can be simply summed up as, “When you get to feeling like you can’t do something, stop those feelings, and you can control what you want to do and what you can do.”
Pixley was one of many youth para-athletes competing in the Kids’ Triathlon on Sept. 19. Her energy and optimism defines what CAF does. “When other kids with physical challenges see what Morgan and others like her do in these competitions, they become inspired to get out and compete, and it greatly builds their confidence,” Babbitt said.
In the youth competition for those aged 9 to 11, Anthony Houser, 10, placed first with a time of 19:05.45, followed by Hoshi Aono, 11, with a time of 19:20.85 and Damien Johnson, 10, whose time of 19:20.91. Andrew Croskery, 12, placed first in the 12-14 year-old category, clocking a time of 28:46:46, while Gemma Wagener, 13, secured third place with a time of 30:21.58. A parent-child division, designed for the participants aged 9-11, helped the younger competitors havethe opportunity to enjoy participating with some of their favorite adults.
Zuma distance and Olympic distance challenge competitors
On Sept. 20, thousands of athletes, volunteers, and community members descended on Zuma Beach to raise money for the two beneficiary charities and to vie for a medal.
The Zuma Distance requires competitors to complete a half-mile open-water swim, a 16-mile bike ride, and a 4-mile coastal run. The Olympic Distance includes a 1.5 km swim, a 40-kilometer bike ride, and a 10-kilometer run.
A total of 361 competitors crossed the finish line. The Olympic relay results were astounding, with James Lubinski, 48, finishing with a time of 2:08:09.68, Ivan Fernandex, 35, clocking 2:10:04.80, and Steven Gerry, 31, marking a time of 2:17:48.58.
All results in all age groups and other categories are set forth on the Zuma Beach Triathlon results page. Several participants merit recognition, including Jim Lubinski, a former Zuma Beach Triathlon winner, and co-host of the Tower 26 podcast. Fifty-two of the contenders were Palisades Fire victims whom Lubinski coached.
Notably, Ian Maxtone-Graham, a fire survivor, who raced in the relay division with two close friends with whom he worked on "The Simpsons," helped to exude the optimism integral to the Zuma Beach Triathlon.
“If you’re not having fun with this competition, what’s the point?" CAF’s Rudy Garcia-Tolson, a five-time Paralympian and five-time Paralympic medalist in Athens in 2004 commented. “So ... have fun! But if you’re feeling like you can’t go on — dig a little deeper and go harder!”
Local athletes shined as well, including Team Sexy Beaches, which earned first place in the women’s relay for the third year in a row. The team is composed of swimmer Darlene Addison, runner Jessica Mark, and biker Tamara Falvai. “We make a great team and, even though we’re aging, we’re still hanging!” Addison declared. “It was a great day with great people and we raised money for a great cause, CAF! Thanks to Eric Ran of the Malibu Marlins for pushing me in the pool, Malibu Fitness for always supporting me, and my husband, Ryan, for letting me disappear every year to do this race! If you haven’t done a tri yet, this is the one to do!”
The event’s founder and what it takes to host a two-day triathlon at Zuma Beach
Michael Epstein, founder of the Zuma Foundation, has been offering the triathlon since 1987, albeit experiencing a hiatus for a couple of years. He relaunched the race after regaining the Malibu triathlon permit in 2025.
The triathlon partnered with several national and local vendors as sponsors and various exhibitors. Official and presenting sponsors included Pepperdine, which supported race operations. Holafly served as the event’s official e-sim partner and is an entity that provides digital connectivity solutions, LMNT was the official hydration partner that supplied electrolyte drink mixes along the course and at the finish line while the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu served as the kids’ triathlon presenting sponsor.
Race and Gear sponsors included local grocer sponsor Vintage Grocers, Libertana, Stephens Law Group, swim apparel partner Xterra Wetsuits, cycling partner Cannondale, local bike support host Newbury Park Bicycle Shop and apparel partner Pedal Mafia.
The event successfully raised more than $150,000 to benefit the local youth and disaster victim support programs provided by the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu and $55,000 to support adaptive sports initiatives provided by CAF.
“The Boys & Girls Club of Malibu is proud to sponsor the kids race and serve as charity partner for the Triathlon,” said Kasey Earnest, CEO of the organization. “Being part of the Triathlon aligns the BGCM and Zuma Foundation’s missions of providing community events, promoting healthy lifestyles, and inspirational opportunities for youth and families.”
