The first medals of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will be doled out on the eclectic confines of Venice Beach, where organizers have unveiled a triathlon course that will send athletes racing from the sand into the Pacific Ocean.

LA28 unveiled initial details of the Olympic and Paralympic triathlon routes on Wednesday, laying out a compact course through Venice that takes in the beachfront bike path, neighboring streets and the Venice Canals before finishing overlooking the coastline.

The women’s individual triathlon on 15 July 2028 will produce the first medals of the Games, one day after the unprecedented dual-venue opening ceremony at the the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The men’s race follows on 16 July, with the mixed relay on 20 July.

In a departure from the usual Olympic setup, the individual races will begin on the beach rather than from a pontoon. It will be only the second beach start in Olympic triathlon history, following the 2016 events at Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach, with athletes sprinting from the sand directly into the Pacific. They will complete a two-lap 1,500m swim – an opening 1,000m circuit followed by a 25m run along the beach and a second 500m swim.

From there, competitors will move to a largely flat 40km cycling course consisting of eight 5km laps along the Venice bike path and surrounding streets, including two technical turnaround points. Riders will pass beneath the neighborhood’s famous Venice sign before returning to the central transition area. Organizers said the course’s forgiving topography is intended to encourage fast racing.

The concluding 10km run will be comprised of four 2.5km laps, again using portions of the bike path and nearby streets and taking competitors over bridges spanning the Venice Canals before a finish overlooking the Pacific.

All three disciplines will revolve around a single transition and finish area where Venice Boulevard meets the sand, a configuration organizers say will allow spectators to see athletes repeatedly during the multi-lap contests.

“With less than two years until we host the Games, we’re excited to share more with athletes, fans and our local communities about the dynamic events they will experience in the Venice Beach Zone,” said Shana Ferguson, LA28’s chief of sport and Games delivery officer.

“This iconic neighborhood will add another meaningful chapter to its storied history as the first LA28 medals of the 2028 Games are awarded here.”

The mixed relay will use a shorter version of the course, with each member of the four-person team completing a 350m swim, 6.6km bike ride and 1.6km run.

Venice will return to the spotlight a month later for the Paralympics. Para triathletes will start from a barge beyond the breakwater rather than the beach, completing a 750m swim followed by a 20km bike leg and 5km run on 18 and 19 August.

The triathlon course adds to Venice’s prominent role in the 2028 Games, with the famously countercultural beachfront neighborhood also hosting the starts of the Olympic marathon and cycling road races and the Paralympic marathon.

Triathlon has a particular connection to southern California. The modern version of the sport emerged in the region during the 1970s before making its Olympic debut at Sydney 2000.

The Venice courses are set to receive a full-scale test next summer when a World Triathlon event will be staged there from 16-18 July, giving organizers an opportunity to assess the routes and operations a year before the Games.