< Back to Triple-Triathlon mainpage
1. Registration and Pre-race Briefing
For all pre-entered Teams and Individuals, compulsory registration will be between 3.30 pm and 5 pm, Saturday 23 November in the Functions Room of the Majura Community Centre, Rosevear Place, Dickson.
If you have made changes to the composition or order of your team, you will need to have these recorded at Registration. You will also collect race numbers and helpers' passes, get numbers written on swimmers' arms, and collect information on any last-minute course alterations.
2. Mixed Teams
To qualify for a Mixed Team award, at least three of the nine legs of the race must be completed by a female team member (ie three females can complete one leg each, one female can complete two legs and another can do one, or one female can complete three legs to meet the minimum requirement.)
Mixed Teams are still welcome to participate if less than three legs are completed by females, in which case they will automatically be entered in the Open Category.
3. Team Replacements
Replacement of team members is allowed, provided the replacement does not alter the category of the team (ie all-female to mixed, or 3-person to 9-person etc). Replacement members must sign the original team entry form at Registration. Also at Registration, names are to be confirmed for each member doing each leg. Changes to this schedule will be permitted on the day, provided transition marshals are informed of the change in advance of the leg concerned.
4. Role and Duties of Helpers
Teams - Teams must provide their own assistance and transport, which must be limited to a maximum of two (2) vehicles. Only members of a team can provide assistance to a team member in the course of the event. All other conditions are the same as apply to the individuals' helpers. Any team member impeding or interfering with the progress of any other competitor or team will incur the disqualification of his or her entire team.
5. Race Start
The race will start in two or three waves, from the swimming beach at the eastern end of Diddams Close, Lake Ginninderra.
Individual competitors will enter the water at 5.30 am.
Teams will depart in 1 or 2 waves, commencing from 6 am. You will be advised of the precise starting time for your wave at Registration on Saturday 23 November. Please assemble at the beach for final check-in fifteen minutes prior to your start time. Final briefing will commence five minutes before start time.
6. Number Checkpoints
7. Withdrawals
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, or have their helper inform either an Emergency Services marshal or a race official at an aid station or 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, but the team will still 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.
8. Transition Compounds
Each team athlete must check-in with officials at the transition 15 minutes prior to their 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. The transitions from the first and second swims to the first and second mountain bikes will also provide hot drinks.
Access to transition compounds is restricted to race officials, individual's helpers (wearing helper's ID), media and team members involved in the changeover.
Transition compounds will be at the following locations:
Swim 1 / MTB 1 - barbecue area, eastern end of Diddams Close, Lake Ginninderra.
MTB 1 / Run 1 - bus stop on Antill St, at the end of Watson.
Run 1 / Swim 2 - beach near boathouse restaurant on Menindee Dr, Grevillea Park, Russell.
Swim 2 / MTB 2 - adjacent to Ferry Terminal on Kuttabul Pl, Acton.
MTB 2 / Run 2 - grassy area beside Badimara St, Waramanga, near the Tuggeranong Parkway cycle path underpass.
Run 2 / Swim 3 – Beach at Tuggeranong Town Park off Anketell St, Greenway.
Swim 3 / MTB 3 - grassy area between KFC and Tuggeranong Arts Centre on Reed St, Tuggeranong.
MTB 3 / Run 3 - grassy area beyond the end of Hartigan St, Garran.
9. Aid Stations
Aside from the transition compounds, there will be one aid station on each mountain bike course offering fruit, sweets, sports bars, water and sports drink refills (but not bidon exchanges), as well as rudimentary bike repair equipment. Individuals are advised to carry two full drink bidons on their bikes, as well as a full repair kit and 2 spare tyres. Anyone completing the entire course without getting at least one flat will be lucky! There are frequent aid stations on the run courses, though the more inaccessible will supply water only. One drink station will be positioned on the all-important second (3.5 km) swim course. All aid stations will be equipped with a radio or mobile phone.
Following is a complete list of aid stations:
(FS = Full Service; W = Water only; WSD = Water and sports drink)
1) swim 1 / MTB 1 transition: eastern end of Diddams Close (FS + hot drinks)
2) MTB 1: summit of Black Mountain, bus layby (FS + repair kit)
3) MTB 1 / run 1 transition: Antill St bus stop, Watson (FS)
4) run 1A: summit of Mt Majura (WSD)
5) run 1B: gate on bush track after leaving road coming down Mt Majura (W)
6) run 1C: horse logs near reservoir before Hackett Hill (WSD)
7) run 1D: turn-off under power lines between Hackett Hill & Mt Ainslie (WSD)
8) run 1E: summit of Mt Ainslie (FS)
9) run 1F: in front of old AGSO, Constitution Ave & Wendouree Dr, Parkes (FS)
10) run 1 / swim 2 transition: beach at Grevillea Park (FS)
11) swim 2A: High Court jetty (FS)
12) swim 2 / MTB 2 transition: Acton Ferry Terminal (FS + hot drinks)
13) MTB 2: Uriarra Rd crossing (FS + repair kit)
14) MTB 2 / run 2 transition: beside Badimara St, near Parkway tunnel (FS)
15) run 2A: summit of Mt Taylor (W)
16) run 2B: Colquhoun St crossing, Kambah (FS)
17) run 2C: Laidlaw Pl crossing, Kambah (FS)
18) run 2 / swim 3 transition: beach at Tuggeranong Town Park, off Anketell St, Greenway. (FS)
19) swim 3 / MTB 3 transition: adjacent to KFC, Reed St (FS)
20) MTB 3: behind Farrer houses (FS + repair kit)
21) MTB 3 / run 3 transition: end of Hartigan St, Garran (FS)
22) run 3A: summit of Red Hill, lookout (FS)
23) run 3B: end of Walsh Pl, Curtin (FS)
24) run 3C: Bike path crossing of Dunrossil Dr (FS)
25) finish line / recovery area: (FS + hot showers + hot pasta meal)
10. Care in Nature Parks
Most of the course of the Sri Chinmoy Triple-Triathlon is within Canberra Nature Park, which includes Aranda Bushland, Black Mountain Reserve, Bruce and O'Connor Ridges, Mt Majura, Mt Ainslie, Cooleman Ridge, Mt Taylor, Wanniassa Ridge, Farrer and Isaacs Ridges and Red Hill. We are very fortunate to have been granted permission to stage this event through the CNP, especially the mountain bike legs. The authorities of Environment ACT have been extremely cooperative and helpful.
However, please be aware that this event takes place in a public domain. We do not have exclusive use of any of these areas, all of which are used by many people on weekends. Please treat other users with courtesy, especially walkers.
11. Course Markings
Swim courses will be marked with swim buoys. The markings used for mountain bike and run courses will be detailed at Registration.
12. Road Crossings, Cycle Paths and Gates
Athletes are entirely responsible for their own safety and must give way to all traffic at all road crossings. While marshals will be stationed at major crossings, they will not be stopping traffic, but simply alerting and reminding you to make a safe crossing. Please be patient and cautious. In the context of an all-day event, a short delay at a road crossing may be used as an opportunity for a brief rest.
Athletes must show due courtesy and concern for all users of public cycle paths, including giving way to all pedestrians and recreational cyclists. Competitors are not to 'race' along the cycle paths, and are to proceed at a normal recreational pace.
All gates in Canberra Nature Park and the former Stromlo Forest which are normally locked will remain locked for this event. Where a gate is closed, you may open the gate to pass through, but must then close the gate behind you. Where a gate on the course is locked, it must be climbed.
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. Drafting is permitted in this event.
14. Participant Waivers
Please note that all competitors who have entered or have been entered into this event online, whether as individuals or team members, must sign the participant waiver before commencing their respective leg or legs of the race. Copies of the waiver will be available at each transition area.
Any competitor who commences a leg without first signing the participant waiver is subject to immediate and automatic disqualification, and is no longer deemed a participant in the event.
15. Contingency Plans
From time to time Canberra’s lakes, like all inland water bodies, may be affected by various natural phenomena such as blue-green algae or bacteria. All of the lakes are tested regularly and rigorously, and are subject to closure if the levels of any potentially harmful organisms rise above certain standard measures.
In the event that any one, two or all three of Canberra’s lakes are closed at the time of the Sri Chinmoy Triple-Triathlon, all effort will be made to ensure that the event proceeds as a Triple-Triathlon with 3 swims, though distances and courses for all legs may vary. Alternatively the event may be postponed to a later date, with all entries held over to that date, or still valid for any staging of the event within 3 years of the originally advertised date.
16. Safety and Emergency Procedures
The event is being attended by members of the ACT Emergency Services Bureau and Sports Medicine Australia. ACTES will have radios at every transition compound, as well as at critical points on each course, such as at the bottom of steep descents. Trained personnel will be on hand to treat injuries, with 4-wheel drives on stand-by in case of emergencies. Most aid stations and many marshals will have mobile phones. 2 boats will also be patrolling Lake Burley Griffin, in addition to smaller craft.
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 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. In Springtime, snakes are still quite sluggish, being not yet properly warmed up. This is when they can be most dangerous, as they cannot get hastily out of your way, and see no option but to strike. In case of snakebite, remain where you are and alert the next athlete to seek immediate help.
This is an endurance event, where a spirit of mutual assistance will benefit all. No amount of planning can adequately protect a 150 kilometre course 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. The reward of helping another in need will outlast that of reaching the finish line.
17. Swim Safety
Swim caps are compulsory in all three swims, and wet suits are strongly recommended. Swim caps will be provided at Registration for individuals and all Team swimmers. Average water temperature in the lakes at this time of year is 17C - 20C degrees.
Particular care must be taken by individual athletes before and during the second and third swims, as leg muscles tend to cramp in the water after extended use. Take time at the transitions to replenish with electrolytes and fuel, and allow your heart rate to diminish. Thoroughly stretch all leg muscles before entering the water. Race officials have the responsibility to prevent you from entering the water if they feel you are distressed or overly fatigued. Once in the water, keep your legs moving as much as possible, to encourage blood flow. In case of cramping, signal to the nearest craft. You may rest on the craft as long as you need, or on dry land if close enough. It is advisable to practise your run/swim transitions in advance. Be sure to drink at the Commonwealth Place water station during the Lake Burley Griffin swim.
18. Course Cut-off Times
All times listed are in 24-hour clock time according to Eastern Daylight Savings Time, which assumes that the race commences with the start of the Solo competitors at 0530.
Swim 1 - 0700 | Swim 2 - 1325 | Swim 3 - 1805 |
MTB 1 - 0950 | MTB 2 - 1630 | MTB 3 - 2015 |
Run 1 - 1150 | Run 2 - 1745 | Run 3 - 2200 |
After these times, there will be no marshals, checkpoints or aid stations on the course, and split times will not be recorded.
Individuals: The only cut-off time which will be strictly enforced is the cut-off at the end of the third swim course. Any athlete who has not started the third mountain bike leg by 1805, will not be allowed to continue. Any athlete starting the final run leg after 1930 must be accompanied by his or her helper with a torch. A sweeper will follow the backmarker throughout the course in a canoe, on a mountain bike, and on foot.
Teams: In the event that a team member fails to complete his or her leg before the designated cut-off time, another team member will be allowed to start the next leg at that time. In this case, the team will be permitted to proceed, and all ensuing team members' split times will be recorded, but the team will be recorded as a DNF, ineligible for any awards.
19. Race Finish and Awards ceremony
The race finish and communications HQ is at the CGGS Aquatic Centre at Yarralumla Bay. Updates on competitor positions will be posted here throughout the day, and hot food and drinks will be served to athletes only. Hot showers are available, so remember to bring a towel and soap with a fresh change of clothes, so you can relax with a plate of pasta, cheer on your friends, and share stories of the day's exploits.
The awards ceremony will be at the CGGS Aquatic Centre at 8 pm. Awards will be presented to all individuals who complete the course; the first three all-male, all-female and mixed teams of 3; and the first three all-male, all-female and mixed teams of 4 - 9 members.
20. Race Results
Full results, including split times, will be available on this website.
21. Course Changes
As Canberra's natural and urban landscape is continually evolving, each year there are usually some course changes. Continue to watch this space for updates, and see course descriptions for full details.
22. Support Crew Navigation
In this event, it is essential that each Individual Helper and each Team support crew have an up-to-date Canberra street map, to aid in navigating from one transition compound to the next.
23. Ten Highest Moments of the Triple-Triathlon
Short of going up in a balloon, the Triple-Tri course offers the best aerial views of Canberra available. Check any of the following vantage points for stunning vistas...
1. Mt Majura (1st run course) 888m
2. Mt Taylor (2nd run course) 855m
3. Mt Ainslie (1st run course) 843m
4. Mt Stanley (3rd MTB course) 841m
5. Black Mountain (1st MTB course) 812m
6. Mt Wanniassa (3rd MTB course) 809m
7. Sheaffe Trig (3rd MTB course) 793m
8. Mt Stromlo (2nd MTB course) 782m
9. Davidson Trig (3rd run course) 749m
10. Red Hill (3rd run course) 720m
24. Individual Course records
Sri Chinmoy Triple-Triathlon
Male Overall - 10:25:03, Jason Chalker, 2002Male Over 50 Overall - 13:44:24, Paul McGlynn, 2010
Female Overall - 12:02:59, Shannon Proffit, 2013
Leg | Record Holder-Male | Time | Year | Record Holder-Female | Time | Year |
1st Swim | Matt Harris | 20:53 | 1996 | Deirdre Grace | 20:55 | 1996 |
1st Bike | Jason Chalker | 1:37:22 | 2002 | Jody Purcell | 1:54:36 | 1998 |
1st Run | Paul Smith | 1:28:19 | 1998 | Julie Quinn | 1:51:22 | 2013 |
2nd Swim | Jason Chalker | 47:49 | 2002 | Shannon Proffit | 51:11 | 2013 |
2nd Bike | Seb Dunne | 1:49:51 | 2013 | Julie Quinn | 2:07:50 | 2013 |
2nd Run | Paul Smith | 53:01 | 1997 | Julie Quinn | 1:01:53 | 2013 |
3rd Swim | Stuart Bardsley | 17:27 | 2004 | Deirdre Grace | 18:50 | 1996 |
3rd Bike | Paul Smith | 1:23:28 | 1998 | Julie Quinn | 1:30:03 | 2009 |
3rd Run | David Baldwin | 1:09:08 | 2005 | Julie Quinn | 1:15:52 | 2013 |
25. Team Course Records
Category | Time | Name | Year |
T3 Open | 8:09:10 | Aspire (Oliver Bourne, Dylan Cooper, Vajin Armstrong) | 2012 |
T3 Open All Over 50 | 10:33:20 | Vintage Vets | 1999 |
T3 Open All Over 60 | 12:45:45 | Rad's Rusties | 2011 |
T3 Female | 10:18:37 | Powerpuff Girls (Brooke James, Michaela Watts, Sarah Richardson) | 2012 |
T3 Female All Over 50 | 14:07:33 | The Over 50 Cancerian Gals | 2004 |
T3 Female All Over 60 | 15:02:15 | Swinging Sixties | 2009 |
T3 Mixed | 9:07:03 | The Wrong Trousers | 2002 |
T3 Mixed All Over 50 | 11:42:56 | Bullfrogs (Petrina Quinn, Phil Fogarty, Peter Fogarty) | 2013 |
T9 Open | 8:14:34 | The Team With No Name | 2004 |
T9 Open All Over 50 | 9:47:56 | Old Hacks (Alex Gosman, Trevor Jacobs, Peter James, Simon Claringbold, Peter Clarke, Rico Fitch, Peter Klein) | 2012 |
T9 Open All Over 70 | 15:02:35 | Rad's Rusties | 2010 |
T9 Female | 10:25:45 | F.I.T. Happens Again | 1999 |
T9 Female All Over 50 | 11:23:21 | GoGo Girls - The SlipStream Team | 2011 |
T9 Mixed | 9:02:25 | VO3 Max | 2011 |
T9 Mixed All Over 50 | 12:57:19 | Rad's Ravers (Peter Dunn, John-Paul de Sousa, Carol Harding, Lindy Dunn, Caroline Campbell, John Kennedy, High Crawley, Ray Bramwell) | 2013 |
Fastest Splits
Leg | Record Holder-Male | Time | Year | Record Holder-Female | Time | Year |
1st Swim | David O'Brien | 18:11 | 1996 | Jessica Traficante | 19:58 | 2011 |
1st Bike | David Osmond | 1:24:24 | 1998 | Julia Graczyk | 1:49:14 | 2002 |
1st Run | Paul Crake | 1:12:02 | 2000 | Emma Murray | 1:22:15 | 2005 |
2nd Swim | Haydn Marsh | 36:27 | 2003 | Lotte Wilma | 42:56 | 2003 |
2nd Bike | Dylan Cooper | 1:22:32 | 2013 | Melanie Simpson | 1:45:22 | 2011 |
2nd Run | Anthony Haber | 38:42 | 2004 | Emma Murray | 45:43 | 2005 |
3rd Swim | Shane Whipp | 14:53 | 2000 | Michelle Hunter | 15:51 | 1999 |
3rd Bike | Peter Wilson | 1:01:35 | 2007 | Melanie Simpson | 1:11:58 | 2011 |
3rd Run | Anthony Haber | 49:00 | 2003 | Natalie Archer | 56:30 | 2013 |
< Back to Triple-Triathlon mainpage