Triathlon: Sprint Championships 2022-2023

Monday 1^st May 2023

Westonbirt House, Westonbirt, Nr Tetbury, Glos, GL8 8QG

If you do not have a British Triathlon membership you are required to purchase a day licence to compete in this event. This costs £6 and must be purchased in advance of the event.

Click here to purchase a day licence

On arrival, ample free parking is available in the school grounds. Please follow instructions from the parking attendants and then follow the signs to transition/Race HQ. Please take care as you cross from the car park to the race village and only cross in the designated area

Please note there is a short walk from the car park to transition.

All buses on site no later than 09:30. If you will be arriving by bus later than this, please contact the race organiser on [email protected] to arrange.

Registration and venue opens – 07:30 onwards

You will collect your race number and timing chip from registration on the day. After collecting your race pack, please go to one of the bike racks close by and stick your bike number to your seat post and attach the 3 helmet stickers to each side of your helmet. Your timing chip will also be in your race pack. Please put this on to your left ankle as soon as you open your pack.

Start wave times will be available here 

When you arrive at transition your numbers must already be on your bike and your helmet.

When entering transition, please go to your designated location. You space will have a sticker with your race number. There is no cycling allowed in the transition area at any time. After racing, you will only be able to collect your bike from transition if you have your bib number.

You are permitted to enter transition 1 hour before your race start. Please watch out for other competitors who are racing and make sure you give them plenty of room.

Please familiarise yourself with transition before racing. A map of the transition layout is below.

Any mats crossed prior to race start will be ignored but you cannot lose the chip if it is on your ankle.

The timing chips will ensure that your finish results (as well as splits and lap times) are collected by DB Max Sports Timing.

Remember, no timing chip, no results.

Timing chips must be deposited in a designated bin in the finish funnel immediately at the end of your race. You must return your timing chip as soon as you finish (even if you do not complete your race). Lost and unreturned timing chips will be invoiced at £55 each so please remember to hand it back.

There is no pre-race briefing on the day. Video briefing will be sent before the event and must be watched in full prior to race day.

The BUCS Sprint Triathlon will comprise of:

• 400m Swim
• 22k Open Road Bike
• 5k Closed Road Run

The BUCS Mixed Relay will comprise of:

• 150m Swim
• 7.5km Open Road Bike
• 1.67k Closed Road Run

X 4

Sprint Triathlon course description:

A 400m swim (25m length swimming pool) followed by 22k Open Road Bike Course - the course is made up of just 4 left turns on quiet but wide country roads (route map). 5k Closed Roads Run, 3 x lap of the grounds, on a mix of tarmac and trail/grass through the estate (route map).

Sprint Swim – 400 metres, 16 lengths
When you arrive on poolside you will need to get yourself in the correct lane and put the correct swim hat on (this information will be on your registration envelope which you must take to poolside).

When you have completed your swim you will exit the pool.

As there is a long run from the swim exit to transition (550m) a mini transition will be set up outside the swimming pool where you can leave trainers or similar

Bike Route

Competitors will start from Westonbirt House and head up the main drive. Please take care whilst running to the mount line and get on your bike as directed by the marshals. Please also be aware of the cattle grids up the drive and ride carefully over them without stopping. Also please remember that the main drive will be being used by race traffic and take extra care.

Once out on the route please be advised that you are riding on live roads and will need to follow the laws of the road at all times. There is also a compulsory foot down and stop junction on the route just before 12 miles on the turn on to A433. Foot-down and stop means you must come to a complete stop before turning and you will be disqualified if you do not comply with this rule. It is your responsibility to get yourself onto the A433 safely. The junction will be signposted and marshalled. A map of the location is below.

Please note that you will not be permitted any outside assistance at any times, so take anything you think you may need in the event of a mechanical. You will also have to provide your own hydration for the bike leg. In the event of a break down or first aid incident that needs attention please call 07929 059 796. Please ensure this number is in your phone before going out on to the route.

Bike Route Rules

There are certain rules you must follow when on the bike route.

• You must not draft during the event (see diagram and rules on drafting in the referee’s rules below).
• Helmets MUST be worn at all times whilst you are in contact with your bike, including in transition.
• Your transition area must be kept tidy at all times and you must rack in the area allocated to you.
• At no time are you allowed to drop litter.

Run Route

The run route is 3 laps of the grounds at Westonbirt House. It is your responsibility to count your own run laps. On your third and final lap you finish by running up the funnel to the finish gantry at the end of the lap. A map of the run route is below; to view it in detail, please click on the map with your computer connected to the internet.

Finish

When you are approaching the finish of your event, please take the left hand funnel to follow the rope to the finish line and finish under the arch.

A 150m swim (25m length swimming pool) followed by a 7.5km Open Road Bike Course - 1 lap course of all left turns of 7.5km (route map). A 1.67k, Closed Road Run 1 lap course of the grounds (route map).

The mixed relay will start approx. 30 minutes after the last competitor has finished the Sprint Triathlon. There will be a split transition for the event with transition 1 outside the swimming pool for the start of your bike ride and transition 2, the finish of your bike rude outside the main house. Bikes will need to be taken and racked at transition 1 and trainers will be left in transition 2.

Swim

The swim will start with competitor 1 on poolside. Competitors will start at 10 to 20 second intervals and will complete a total of 150 metres. This will be done in a zig zag fashion up and down 1 lane, before moving over to the next lane. When completing the swim, competitors will walk outside to their bikes to start the bike section of the route. Standard transition rules apply in all transitions as mentioned above.

Cycle

The cycle is a 8k course of all left turns. At the end of the lap competitors will head down the main drive at Westonbirt House to transition 2.

Run

The run starts from transition 2 and heads out hard left out of transition and follows the course in reverse to that of the sprint triathlon. The run finished back at transition 1 where the timing chip will be handed over to competitor 2 for them to start.

When competitor 1 is out racing, competitor 2 will be able to rack their bike in transition. All other bikes are to be kept outside transition (there will be an area to rack bikes outside transition).

When competitor 1 completes their swim/bike/run, they will hand their chip over to the next competitor who will be waiting at their bike. The next competitor will walk on to poolside and start, then following the same distance and routes, this process will continue until competitor 4.

Spectators are permitted at this event. We do ask that spectators do not go to the pool to watch and remain on the field where they can see transition, the start of the bike, the run and also the finish.

We could not hold the event without the help of all the marshals. Please thank them where possible. We keep our marshals fed and watered and you will also receive a free entry to a future DB Max event. If you are interested in marshalling, please email [email protected].

Charles Whiton Photography will be on site taking photos from the day. Please feel free to smile for the camera and make sure your race bib is clearly visible. You will be able to view your photos on your individual results page once the photographer has uploaded them to his site. The bib recognition means you can access your own photos quickly and easily.

The rules and regulations can be found here.

To withdraw from the event, please contact your Institution Administrator who should inform the event lead.

Please see Appendix 1 for the BUCS Points available at this event.

For the team results, extracted from the individual race results, the fastest 3 competitors per institution shall have their times (not placings) combined, with the best team being that with the lowest combined time. Only 1 team per institution will be counted.

No BUCS Points are available for the Mixed Relay as it the first year of the competition.