Malibu Triathlon Will Take Place As Planned After Last-Minute City Council Vote

MALIBU, CA — The Malibu Triathlon will take place as planned this weekend after the City Council gave the final OK for the event, which was threatened with cancelation due to permitting issues centered around a flooded underpass and an endangered fish species.

The council voted 4-0 early Tuesday morning to grant the permit for the Sept. 30 - Oct. 1 event. Organizers' permit application had previously been denied this month by city staff; their appeal of that permit rejection was also rejected by the Planning Commission.

"We would like to thank Malibu City Council for working with us to ensure this weekend’s 38th edition of the Malibu Triathlon can proceed as planned. We are fully focused on delivering an enjoyable and life changing experience for so many athletes while also generating significant funds for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). We are proud to announce that we have already reached the $1 million fundraising mark for CHLA in 2023. This is an incredible achievement of which we are very proud and we hope to raise even more funds in the days, weeks and years to come," organizers said in a statement Tuesday.

The event's traditional racecourse utilizes the Busch Drive undercrossing at Zuma Beach, which has been flooded due to last winter's heavy rains. In the past, organizers have built temporary ramps over water accumulation. But that won't be allowed this year after the tidewater goby — protected under the Endangered Species Act — has made a habitat in the flooded underpass, organizers said.

Organizers reconfigured the route, but city officials said the application came too late to meet the required 32-day public notice.

Race officials appealed that permit rejection at the Planning Commission, which voted 2-2 for the appeal earlier this month (one member was absent). That meant the appeal was rejected.

Race organizers appealed to the City Council, which took up the issue at its Monday night meeting, which stretched into the early hours of Tuesday morning before a vote was taken.

In the end, council members recognized the notification issues, but said the triathlon is a highly publicized annual event.

According to the race website, the event annually raises nearly $1 million for pediatric cancer research at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. It also annually attracts a list of celebrity participants, with past competitors including Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Garner, Matthew McConaughey, Ed Helms, Zac Efron, Robin Williams, Teri Hatcher and Mario Lopez.

City News Service contributed to this report.