Dorney Lake Triathlon
Sunday 28th August 2022
Address: Dorney Lake, Windsor
We highly recommend using What3Words to find the exact locations of:
The main entrance Gate – ///pounds.same.fears
Event Village – ///neat.places.clay
Parking: Free parking is available at Dorney Lake and will be signposted as you enter the venue.
Start Times:
07:00am: Standard Triathlon Wave 1 – All Male & Females Under 35
07:15am: Standard Triathlon Wave 2 – All Male & Females Over 35
08:45am: Sprint Triathlon Wave 1 – All Male & Females Under 35
09:00am: Sprint Triathlon Wave 2 – All Male & Females Over 35
Registration
Registration opens at 5:30am (leave plenty of time to get from the car park to registration).
We ask that after registering, you set up your transition area following the marshals instructions. It is vital that we know exactly who is attending this event so you must not give your race number to any other person if you can’t attend for any reason.
It is important that you register for the correct wave.
(All ages are as at 31/12/2022)
You will be required to give the name you used to sign up to the event online. If you are a BTF member you will also need to present your membership card. In exchange, you will be given a white envelope with your race number on it.
This will include:
• 2 race numbers. A number must be worn visibly on your front for the run and on your back during the bike. The numbers can be pinned to a top or if using a race belt a single number can be rotated from the front to the back.
• 2 numbered labels (one for the front of your helmet and one for the top tube of your bike).
• You will also receive a timing chip with an ankle strap (This must be strapped to your LEFT ankle) and a Swim hat corresponding with your wave start.
Additional safety pins will be available at registration if required. You will be asked to write your race number on the back of your left hand with a large black marker. This is an important safety activity in case of an emergency situation in the swim.
Transition Area
Due to the size of the event there will be two separate transition areas. The transition for the Standard Tri will be on the forecourt of the boathouse. The Transition for the Sprint Tri will be on the grass next to the Olympic bridge. Only athletes and race officials are allowed in the transition area.
To enter the transition area you must be wearing your helmet securely, and the stickers in your registration pack must be on your bike and helmet.
After the race you will need to show your race number and this will be matched to the sticker on your bike by a marshal, before you are allowed to remove your bike from transition.
If this is your first multi-sport race, then it is good practice to familiarise yourself with the ways in and out of the transition area by walking through transition. There will be marshals in the transition area to help if you are not familiar with setting up arrangements for your bike, helmet, shoes etc.
Please note that only equipment required for the event is to be placed in transition, next to your bike. No boxes or large bags are allowed to be left by athletes’ bikes in transition.
Baggage
There will be no official baggage area for this event but you will be able to leave a small bag at the edge of the transition area. The organisers will accept no responsibility for lost property so please do not bring any valuables.
The racking will be numbered, you must rack your bike at the location corresponding to your race number. Racking of the bike needs to be by the saddle, so that the majority of the bike faces towards you (front wheel facing you with the kit by the front wheel). This method of racking is also required on return from the bike leg. All bikes must be racked by 10 minutes before your wave start.
Race Briefing
The race briefing is all online, there will be no on-the-day briefing.
The Race briefing video is available HERE
It is mandatory to have watched the race briefing before you take part as there will be no briefing on the day.
Race Rules
Normal British Triathlon rules apply.
The event is a draft-illegal event. The bicycle draft zone will be 10 metres long measured from the leading edge of the front wheel. A competitor may enter the draft zone of another competitor, but must be seen to be progressing through that zone. A maximum of 20 seconds will be allowed to pass through the zone of another competitor. Race officials will be looking out for anyone drafting and you must abide by their instruction if they deem that you are subject to a penalty.
More info available below:
British Triathlon – Drafting Rules Explained
Competition Rules – British Triathlon
Event Layout:
Wetsuits
You will be told at registration on race morning if wetsuits are optional, compulsory or banned. Note that neoprene gloves are not allowed and neoprene booties are only allowed if the water temperature makes wetsuits mandatory.
Section 4.2 of the Brit Tri rules provides the relevant water temperatures at which decisions are made. british-triathlon-competition-rules-2022.pdf (britishtriathlon.org)
Please do not email in advance of the event as the water temperature needs to be taken on the morning of the race to determine this and it can fluctuate significantly depending on weather conditions and the ambient air temperature the night before the race. If you have a wetsuit, then it is recommended that you bring it with you and you will be prepared for any situation.
Prestart
After setting up your transition, its time to warm up and prepare for the start.
Be aware that if you are in wave 2 or the Standard distance, there may be others from earlier waves passing through transition. Please be alert and make sure that you don’t impede any athletes who are in the middle of their race.
Swimmers will be asked to stand by their bikes in the transition area 10 mins before the start time. You will then be brought down to the swim start and asked to enter the water. You will start in the water between the end of two jettys. To enter the water you can choose between walking down the jetty and lowering yourself in to the water (do not dive), or walking in to the water from the shore.
Swim Start
You will be asked to move back behind the end of the jetty and started in the water by a start official on the jetty. If you are nervous about the swim, it is recommended that you avoid the melee of the front of the start and position yourself at the back.
There will be three wave starts as follows:
1. Sprint Triathlon & Aquabike – All Females: 07:00am
2. Standard Triathlon & Aquabike – All Competitors- 07:15am
3. Sprint Triathlon & Aquabike – All Men and Relays: 08:15am
Swim
Both distances will complete one lap.
Sprint 750m – turn at the red buoys
Standard 1500m – pass the red buoys and turn at the yellow buoys
After completing the swim, exit the water through the Zone3 arch and enter straight in to transition to find your bike.
Swim course maps are shown below.
Transition
After completing the swim you will head straight in to transition and find the spot where your bike is racked.
Please follow the instructions of marshals who will guide you away from potential areas of congestion (eg near the swim start or the entrance/exit to transition).
When you reach your bike you will remove your swim wetsuit and hat/goggles. Please leave them underneath your own bike area to avoid impeding other athletes.
You must put on your helmet before you touch your bike. Remove your bike from the racking and walk/run your bike to the ‘Bike Out’ exit.
You must not ride or scoot your bike until you have crossed the mount line. This will be clearly marked with flags and a solid line on the floor.
After completing the bike section you must get off your bike before you cross the dismount line. Yet again this will be clearly marked. You must not undo or remove your helmet until your bike is racked back in its original position.
Failure to comply with these rules will result in you being asked to backtrack and complete the action correctly. If you don’t comply with the marshals instructions your race number will be passed to the Technical Official who can issue a penalty or disqualification decision.
Bike
After leaving transition, you can only mount your bike after crossing the mount line. This will be clearly marked with flags and a line on the floor. Anyone mounting early will be asked to stop, go back and mount after the line.
The bike discipline uses a lap on the west side of the lake. Sprint athletes will complete 4 laps, while Standard athletes will complete 8 laps. You are responsible for counting your own laps, the marshals will not be able to help you.
The bike course is closed to traffic but it can still get busy due to the size of the event. The course at Dorney is ideal for both beginners and those more experienced athletes who are looking for a fast time. As a result there will be many different standards on the course at the same time. Please ride on the left hand side of the road and only overtake on the right. After overtaking, please move back to the left.
Communicate clearly with other cyclists when overtaking to keep each other safe.
Slow down and dismount before the dismount line and rerack your bike before touching your helmet. There are no feed stations on the bike section, so carry sufficient water with you.
Please do not drop gel wrappers on the course. As well as littering it can cause a slip hazard on the bike course and an accident for another competitor.
Run
After racking your bike you will be heading off for the final discipline, the run.
The run course is a 5km lap that heads all the way to the end of the lake before turning and heading back to the Boathouse.
The Sprint distance will complete one lap before heading in to the finish alongside the transition area.
The Standard distance will turn and head out again to complete a second lap. There will be a water station aimed at those doing the Standard which will be positioned at the end of the first lap.
Please dispose of any rubbish such as energy gel packets and drink cups in the bins provided around the run course. Do not litter. Anyone who is spotted littering may be subject to disqualification. Dorney Lake is a beautiful Venue, and we need to keep it that way.
Aquabike
For those completing the aquabike, your timing will stop when you enter in to transition after the bike leg. Please then continue to rack your bike and then exit transition via the run exit before making your way straight to the finish arch to pick up your medal and finish line goodies.
Relay Teams
Relay teams will handover the timing chip as a relay baton. The swimmer will need to wear it in the swim. The swimmer does not need to wear a race number. The cyclist should wait for the swimmer at their bike and transfer the chip on to their left ankle for the bike leg The cyclist should wear the number on their back. The runner should wait at the bike racking point for the cyclist to return and be wearing a number on their front. All the team members can meet at the start of the finish funnel and cross the finish line together to receive their medals.
Finish
After completing the run laps you will head down the finish funnel to collect your well-earned medal and finish-line goodies.
Timing
The event will be chip-timed. At registration you will be given a timing chip that must be worn on your left ankle. Avoid covering the chip with material and wetsuit as it reduces the chance of the chip signal being picked up by the timing mats. The race time will start on the ‘gun time’ of your wave.
Weather
The weather forecast for this weekend is looking to be warm, so we’d like to take this opportunity to inform you of the provisions that will be in place at the event.
Results
Results are calculated by EventChipTiming. Your time will be uploaded to their website within seconds of you crossing the finish line. There will be no ticket printer for times at the event but you can find your result immediately at: EventChipTiming.com/results
The chip data requires WIFI access and occasionally we have to load this data in manually after the event if the connection is lost. If you have a query on your chip time, please wait until the evening of the event before raising the query
Prizegiving
The prize giving will take place once the results from both waves for each distance are in.
Bike collection
Once all the bikes for your distance have returned to transition, you will be allowed back in to the transition area to collect your bike. Remember to take your race number with you as it will be required to match to the number on your bike and helmet before you’ll be allowed to leave.
Baggage
There is no official baggage area, but an area at the side of transition will be made available for small bags to be left. Please avoid turning up with large bags/boxes as this can cause an obstruction in the transition area.
Pictures
We will have an official photographer at the event. The pictures of all the races will be made available for you to download via the Dorney Lake Events Facebook page. If any of the participants do not wish to have their photo taken for any reason, please collect a yellow wristband at registration and wear it during the race. If you wish for any of the published photos to be removed, just let us know.
Spectators
Spectators are now encouraged to come to Dorney Lake. Due to parking restrictions, spectators are requested to turn up to the event in the same car as participants wherever possible.
Finally…
We hope that you are looking forward to this fantastic event as much as we are. We can’t wait to welcome you to Dorney for this great Swim, Bike, Run event !