The Sri Chinmoy Googong Challenge

This race is sanctioned by Triathlon ACT as a member of Triathlon Australia, and is conducted in accordance with Triathlon Australia race rules, with the exception of those rules covering drafting on the bike course and the carrying of mobile phones, whihc are required on the mountain bike and cross-country run courses. Drafting is permitted in these events.

The race rules which pertain to this race is set out on the Triathlon Australia website.

There are 3 Team Divisions for each race. The Divisions are: All-Male, All-Female and Mixed.

Teams may have 2 or 3 members.  It is intended that one runner will complete both the first and second run legs.  Teams may have 4 members – though will not be eligible for awards.

Athletes may use any form of craft for the paddle legs, provided the craft is occupied and powered by the athlete alone, employing one single- or double-bladed paddle. Life jackets must be worn at all times while in the craft.

There will be no handicap system to distinguish between faster and slower craft.   It is the athletes' prerogative to choose whichever form of craft he or she feels most comfortable with.   It is permitted to use different craft for different legs of the race, though it is not permitted to swap craft in the course of a leg.

There are a limited number of craft available for hire through various outlets in Canberra.   It will be a case of first in, best dressed!   We recommend you try the following, and mention that you are seeking a craft to use in this race:

1) Join the Burley Griffin Canoe Club.   Then you will have first option on hiring one of their craft, which are suitable for more experienced paddlers.   Phone (02) 6288-6799.

2) Contact Rohan at Row 'n' Ride (link is external), ph: 6228-1264.

3) Contact Wetspot Water Sports (link is external), 13/68 Wollongong St, Fyshwick.   Phone is (02) 6239-1323.

In the paddle leg, helpers or team mates may assist the athlete to bring the paddle craft into and out of the water.

In the mountain bike leg, athletes may use any bike of their choice and may not swap bikes in the course of a leg, ie the same bike must be used for the entire leg.

For all pre-entered Teams and Solo Athletes, compulsory registration will commence at 9 am at the Googong Foreshores Car Park, off Old Cooma Rd, 10 kms south of Queanbeyan.

If you have made any changes to the membership or composition of your team, these will need to be entered into the database at Registration. At Registration you will collect race numbers, receive information on any last-minute course alterations and meet with some of your competitors.

Please note that all competitors will be asked to sign the participant waiver before commencing their respective leg or legs of the race.

Copies of the waiver will be available at Registration and at each transition area.

Any competitor who commences a leg without first signing the participant waiver will be subject to immediate and automatic disqualification, and will be no longer deemed a participant in the event.

Please play your part to ensure a safe and enjoyable event for all.

The race will be attended by members of the Queanbeyan State Emergency Service and Sports Medicine Australia.   SES will have radios at critical points on each course. Trained personnel will be on hand to treat injuries, with 4-wheel drives on stand-by in case of emergencies.   Radio-equipped boats will patrol Googong Reservoir.

The most important component of ensuring a safe event is common sense, particularly on the mountain bike courses. Carefully check your brakes and tyres the day before the race. Please exercise care while negotiating all descents, especially if you are unfamiliar with the course, as some sections particularly on the mountain bike course for the Long Course are really steep and rocky. The time lost through sensible caution is nothing compared to the time lost through a trip to the hospital.

Beware of snakes. We have encountered several snakes in preparations for this event, especially around Googong Dam. In case of snakebite, remain where you are and alert the next athlete to seek immediate help.

These are endurance events, where a spirit of mutual assistance will benefit all. No amount of planning can adequately protect long courses over open water and through bushland, and many sections are without medical personnel or marshals for several kilometres. If you encounter another athlete in difficulty, please stop to ascertain their condition and lend assistance where possible, and be sure to report the situation to the next marshal you see.   Thank you for your kind assistance and spirit of oneness.

For safety purposes, to enable the rapid reporting of any accidents or injuries on course, athletes are required to carry a mobile phone on the mountain bike and cross-country run courses of each event.  All athletes will be required to program the Race HQ phone number into their phones at Registration.  Please note that mobile phones are not permitted to be used during the race as a music or communications device other than in such an emergency.

Each team athlete must check-in with officials at the transition 15 minutes prior to his or her anticipated start-time. The team-member completing the previous leg must complete his or her course and be recorded by officials before tagging the next member, who is then free to depart.

There will be full aid station supplies at each transition point. These will include water, sports drink, fruit, sweets, First Aid kit, vaseline, sunscreen (all of which are available to competitors only), and either public toilets or Port-a-loo.

Access to transition compounds is restricted to race officials, media and team members involved in the changeover.

Every athlete must carry a reasonable supply of water and fluids on every run, mountain bike and paddle leg, either in a back-mounted hydration system or in drink containers held in belt-straps or clothing.

There will be a full aid station at both transition points, offering fruit, sweets, sports bars, water and sports drink, sun block and vaseline, as well as rudimentary bike repair equipment.   Mountain bikers are advised to carry a full repair kit and 2 spare tubes.

This course passes through environmentally sensitive areas.

Please be aware that these events take place in a public as well as a natural domain. We do not have exclusive use of any of these areas, all of which are used by many people on weekends.

No swimming is permitted at Googong Reservoir, as it is used for Canberra's water supply, and all the surrounding land is a nature reserve.

The run courses occupy tracks which are designed for walkers, not runners. We are the walkers' guests. Please give way and show courtesy to all walkers using these tracks.

All mountain bike courses are on 4WD tracks through Googong Foreshores Nature Reserve. Keep to the left at all times and respect other users of these tracks.

Please do not litter any where on the course. Carry your litter with you and dispose of it in the bins provided at each transition or at the finish. Our aim is for each race to leave no footprint, for each course to remain immaculate.

Googong Reservoir can be subject to windy and choppy conditions at any time of day, any time of year.

In the event of high winds, especially if accompanied by cold weather, the organisers reserve the right to cancel or amend the paddle leg.

The management of Googong Foreshores reserves the right to cancel any or all of the legs through Googong Foreshores in the event of a total fire ban, extreme heat, cold or potentially dangerous weather conditions.

If any leg or legs are cancelled or amended either in the lead-up or on the day of a race, organisers will endeavour to stage an alternative leg or legs, subject to prevailing conditions.   Organisers reserve the right whether directed by authorities or not, to shorten, alter or cancel any leg or legs of the race within reason, and without warning.

In the event that the race is called off completely prior to the start, the race will be postponed to a later date.   Only if the race is postponed, entrants may elect to transfer their entry to the revised date or place their entry on hold.   Entries 'on hold' will be valid until used once for the same event within 3 years successive to the date of the original entry.

Once the race has commenced, the race entry will be deemed to have been 'used' and is not redeemable, even if the event is called off before its scheduled finish.

Race numbers are recorded at number checkpoints and transition compounds throughout the race. Anyone whose number is not recorded within a reasonable time will become the object of a search (and, if necessary, rescue) mission.

For this reason, any individual or team member choosing to withdraw from the event must inform either an official course marshal or a race official at a transition compound.

In the event of a team member being unable to complete his or her leg, another team member may complete that leg on his or her behalf, provided race officials are informed of the details and circumstances before the replacement team member proceeds. The resulting split time for that leg will not be credited to any team member, and the team will not be eligible for awards. Otherwise, the team may choose to leave that leg uncompleted and another team member may start the next leg, commencing from the advertised cut-off time of the previous leg. In this case, the team will be allowed to proceed, and other team members' split times will be recorded, but the team will be recorded as a DNF, ineligible for awards.

Short Course Solo Athletes

Male Overall - 1:27:43, Ian Kennerley, 2010
Male Over 50 Overall – 1:51:49, Craig Kentwell, 2009
Female Overall - 2:05:52, Jessica Robson, 2011
Female Over 50 Overall – 2:22:41, Tess Williams, 2009

 
Long Course Solo Athletes

Male Overall - 3:27:16, Adrian Keogh, 2005
Male Over 50 Overall - 4:02:21, Paul Bruce, 2007
Female Overall - 3:55:29, Julie Quinn, 2005

Short Course Teams Overall Time

Short Course Teams Fastest Splits

 
Long Course Teams Overall Time

Long Course Teams Fastest Splits