swim
Swim Start
You should arrive at the Swim Assembly area a minimum of 20 minutes before your wave start time. It will take approximately 10 minutes to walk from Transition to the Swim Assembly. Please note wetsuits are compulsory unless water temperature exceeds 24.9C.
Once you are within the Swim Assembly Area you will collect your swim cap and receive your event briefing. Please follow all instructions and signage. Your event will be conducted in a time trial format except for British Championship events which will go off as a mass start under the instruction of the race referee. Participants not in British Championship waves will be pulsed out one by one. You will start swimming once you have descended the pontoon ramp into the water. Timing chips will register individual start times.
For the British Championship events, it will be a deep water start between 2 swim buoys.
Please take your time entering the water via the pontoon ramp. Should you need a short time to acclimatise to the water temperature before you start swimming, please move slightly to the left to allow other swimmers to pass from behind.
The route will be marked by buoys. Kayakers will be on hand to guide each participant. Once in the water, you should identify tall landmarks that can keep you on course and help avoid weaving and swimming further than you need to!
Swim exit
The swim exit pontoon dips into the water so you can swim onto it before standing up. Lifeguards will be on hand to help you out if required. Once you have exited the water, you will need to cover 400m on foot uphill back to Transition.
The route back to Transition is narrow. Please run on the left to give space for overtaking on the right-hand side.
the lake
The water is tested against British Triathlon water quality standards; however, we would still advise you to be in good health and try to avoid swallowing the lake water. Some swimmers may be more susceptible to infection through immune suppression. We also recommend sanitizing your hands after the swim.
In open water swims there are no walls to push off every 25m, so practice swimming the event distance accordingly prior to event day.
NB: Wetsuits are COMPULSORY for all participants unless water temperatures exceed 24.9C. Water temperatures will be monitored on the morning of the event and if it is deemed too hot to wear your wetsuit due to the temperature, we will inform participants at registration and participants should leave their wetsuits in transition.
Participants will also have the opportunity to reduce their distance in the Sprint to 400m if you are particularly nervous about swimming without a wetsuit.
swim safety
For many, the swim is the most daunting part of the event, but don’t worry! Our water safety team will be there to guide you and help if required. The team, provided by Swim Safety Ltd, consists of fully qualified lifeguards as well as bank-based lifeguards on the pontoons. If you do get into difficulty, lie on your back and raise your arm in the air, a kayak will come to you and if necessary, arrange a safety boat to take you to the water’s edge.
swim strokes
Most people use front crawl or breaststroke. If you wish to do backstroke, please let a member of the swim start team know at the briefing area.
run 1 (duathlon)
For participants in the Duathlon, you will run 4 laps (Full Duathlon) or 2 laps (Half Duathlon). At the end of your final lap, you will take a U turn over the run bridge and into transition. Signs on the approach to the run bridge will remind you of the number of laps and your instruction to U turn at this point.
Bike
TRANSITION TO BIKE (T1)
Make sure you know your route through Transition when switching between disciplines as well as where you racked your bike. Getting lost in Transition will add seconds to your finish time that you have been training for months to reduce!
rules and regulations
The event is governed by British Triathlon Federation Referees. Visit British Triathlon for all rules and regulations.
Please note, if you are taking part in the British Champs/Qualifiers, your race rules will differ. Please view these here.
Key rules are:
Bicycles and equipment must be placed in the same position at the start and finish of the cycle leg.
No cycling is allowed in the Transition area at any time. There will be a clearly marked mount and dismount line at ‘Bike Out’ and ‘Bike In’.
You must secure your helmet strap before removing your bike from the rack and it must not be undone until your bike is replaced on the rack after finishing the bike course. You will be given a time penalty if you do not comply with this rule.
No headphones may be worn during any phase of the event and will result in either a penalty or disqualification.
Mobile phones are not permitted to be used during your race, please ensure you do not use these within Transition.
Nudity is not permitted within the Transition area.
Appropriate event attire must be worn for the duration of the event. For more information, please see the ‘Event Attire’ section in the A-Z of information.
Any littering on any part of the course and in a penalty.
Time penalties will be issued at the finish line.
The COurse
Make sure you know the route! It is your responsibility to navigate the course successfully and safely, and to count your own laps.
The bike course can get very slippery when wet, please take extra care. Do not mount your bike until you go over the mount line fully.
blocking
Always keep to the left-hand side of the course and do not create a blocking incident. Blocking is where a competitor who is behind cannot pass due to the leading competitor being poorly placed on the course.
DRAFTING
If you are taking part in the Age Group Qualifiers, the below does not apply to you. However, we ask that all participants in the draft legal waves cycle with appropriate care and caution.
No drafting is allowed, i.e. taking shelter behind or beside another competitor during the cycling leg of the event. The draft zone of one competitor must not overlap the draft zone of another competitor. For more details, see the BTF website here.
drafting and not drafting
See images below!
The ‘bicycle draft zone’ will be 10 metres long, measured from the leading edge of the front wheel. The draft zone of one competitor must not overlap the draft zone of another competitor.
Competitors may enter the draft zone of another competitor for the purpose of overtaking but must be seen to be progressing through that zone.
A maximum of 20 seconds is allowed to pass through the draft zone of another competitor.
When a competitor is passed by other competitors, it is his/her responsibility to move out of the draft zone of the overtaking competitor within 5 seconds. Failure to do so may result in an official caution or time penalty.
A competitor is passed when another competitor’s front wheel is ahead of his/her front wheel.
If a competitor is frequently passed by, or seen to be frequently passing the same competitor, this will be seen as working with or drafting off that competitor and will be subject to the same penalty as drafting.
Motorcycle and static British Triathlon Federation Referees will patrol the course to enforce the no drafting rule.
Return to transition (T2)
Once you return to Transition after completing the bike course, please make sure you return your bike to the same position it was in at the start of the event. Do not remove your helmet until you have re-racked your bike. Not doing either of the above will result in a penalty.
There will be British Triathlon Federation Referees in Transition and on the course to monitor all competitors.
run
Make sure you know the route! It is your responsibility to navigate the course successfully and safely, and to count your own laps.
You should run on the left at all times (with the exception of when overtaking when you can move to the right, overtake and then rejoin the left-hand side). Be aware of other competitors trying to pass you and take care when passing other competitors.
No mobile phone, smart devices or headphones are permitted during the course of the event.
On the run route, there is a footbridge. Please take extra care when running over this footbridge.
There will be a water station on the run route. This station will be stocked with drinks to help keep you fuelled and hydrated. Bins will be provided and for safety reasons we ask participants not to litter. If you require extra water, please carry your own bottle with you.
Once you have crossed the finish line, you must return your timing chip. Once you have done this, please head straight back to Transition to collect your belongings. Repatriation with your spectator can take place in the Event Village once you have removed all of your belongings from Transition. The Event Village is adjacent to the finish.
For those in the British Triathlon Championship races, time penalties will be served at the penalty box which is at the end of each lap by the crossroads near the finish line.
Penalties will be displayed on a penalty notice board and anyone failing to stop for a penalty will be disqualified at the end of the event.
Team relay
team relay race rules
Swim Course
The swimmer must wear the timing chip on their ankle and should do so under their wetsuit. When they exit the water, they make their way to where the bike is racked in Transition, here the swimmer must pass the timing chip to the cyclist for them to fasten it to their ankle BEFORE leaving transition.
bike
The cyclist must wear the big race number on their back. The cyclist must wait at their bike, which must be racked until they have been handed the timing chip by the swimmer and secured the chip to their left ankle. The competitor on the bike should be ready to go, with helmet on, ready for the swimmer to come in. Upon completing the bike course, the cyclist must make their way back to their original position in Transition, re-rack their bike. Once they have re-racked their bike the cyclist must pass the timing chip over to the runner.
run
The runner must wear the big race number on their front. They must wait by their racking location until the cyclist has re-racked their bike, and they have been handed the timing chip by the cyclist and secured the chip to their ankle. There will be a TEAM RELAY MEETING POINT 100m from the finish line should teams wish to finish the run together, which will be clearly signed.
removal of equipment
You will be able to remove your bike from Transition after the event. The marshals will check the bike number against the wristband number before it is released. Please make sure that you take the correct wetsuit with you as most are black and look similar.
medical advice
Our event medical from Enhanced Care, will be available throughout the weekend. Their main treatment facility will be located at the Finish Line. There will also be various medical posts along the route and response vehicles and ambulances will be able to respond when needed.
If you test positive for Covid-19 or feel unwell with any symptoms of Covid-19 pre-event, please do not attend.
You should discuss any medical problems with your GP before competing in the triathlon. This advice is in addition to anything he or she says. On the back of your event number, please write an emergency contact number of someone who is not taking part.
CARDIAC ASSESSMENT AND SCREENING
If you have a family history of heart disease or sudden death or you have any symptoms of possible heart disease, i.e. chest pain during exercise, sudden shortness of breath, or rapid palpitations, you should see your GP who can arrange for you to have a proper cardiac assessment.