Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic

This race is sanctioned by Triathlon NSW 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.

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

Athletes may use any form of craft for the paddle legs of the race, provided the craft is occupied and powered by the athlete alone, employing one single- or double-bladed paddle. PFDs 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.

In the mountain bike legs, athletes may use any bike of their choice and may use different bikes for different legs, but 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 be between 5pm and 6pm, Saturday 2 March 2024 outside the Snowy Mountains Visitor Information Centre, on Kosciuszko Rd in the centre of Jindabyne.

If you have made any changes to the membership of your team, these will need to be entered into the database at Registration. If you have made changes to the composition or order of your team, please report first to the "Team Changes" table to record these changes, then proceed to collect race numbers and helpers' passes and get numbers written on swimmers' arms or hands. Collect information on any last-minute course alterations and meet with some of your competitors.

There are 2 Categories of Teams, and 3 Divisions within each Category. The Categories are: Teams of 4 (which may include Teams of 2 or 3), and Teams of 12 (which may include from 5 to 12 members). The Divisions are: Open, All-Female and Mixed.

To qualify for a Mixed Team award, at least four of the twelve legs of the race must be completed by a female team member (ie four females can complete one leg each, one female can complete two legs and another can do two, or one female can complete four legs to meet the minimum requirement.)

Mixed Teams not meeting this criteria will automatically be entered in the Open Division.

Every Solo Athlete must have a personal helper to attend to his or her needs throughout the race. Teams are responsible for their own assistance.

Solo Athletes' helpers will be issued with an official helper's ID number at Registration. Each helper may only be responsible for one athlete. Solo Athletes' helpers may provide assistance of any kind anywhere on the course, with the exception of pacing (ie swimming, riding, paddling or running with the athlete for more than 30 seconds), or physically assisting the athlete to move in a forward direction (ie pushing, holding or towing the athlete). Helpers may row or paddle ahead of the athlete during the second and third swim legs (not the first swim leg), provided they stay at least 5 metres clear of the athlete. Helpers may touch the athlete as long as he or she is stationary, and may assist with clothing, equipment (including mechanical assistance), food & drinks, as well as motivational, inspirational and directional advice. Helpers are fully and exclusively responsible for the condition and security of the athlete's equipment, and transport of that equipment from one transition compound to the next. Helpers may not interfere with or impede the progress of any other competitor. To do so will incur the disqualification of the helper's athlete, even if he or she has no part in such interference.

Teams - Teams must provide their own assistance and transport.   Due to restricted parking space, only ONE vehicle per Team is permitted at each Transition. Only members of a team may provide assistance to a team member in the course of the event. All other conditions are the same as apply to the Solo Athletes' 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.

Replacement of team members is allowed, provided the replacement does not alter the Division or Category of the team (ie all-female to mixed, or 4-person to 12-person).

Replacement members must be registered at Registration on Saturday at the latest.   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.

Please note that all competitors who have entered or have been entered into this event online, whether as Solo Athletes 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.

The 2024 Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic will start in 1 wave from the swimming area adjacent to the boat ramp at Kalkite Waters.

Solo Athletes and All Teams will enter the water at 6.45am.

Please assemble at the beach for final check-in fifteen minutes prior to your start time (ie 6.30 am). Final briefing will commence five minutes before start time.

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

The Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic is being attended by members of the Volunteer Marine Rescue (NSW) and medical-trained personnel. All course marshals and every transition will have mobile phones. Radio-equipped boats will be patrolling Lake Jindabyne, in addition to smaller craft. All runners and mountain bikers are urged to carry mobile phones to report any emergencies.

The most important component of ensuring a safe event is common sense, particularly on the mountain bike courses. Carry ample fluids and energy foods. 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 1st and 3rd mountain bike courses 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 brown snakes in preparations for this event. 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 100 kilometre course over open water and through bushland, and many sections are without marshals for many 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 either by mobile phone or to the next marshal you see. Thank you for your kind assistance and spirit of oneness.

If you are in distress at any time in the water, immediately raise your arm to signal for assistance from the nearest craft.

Swim caps are compulsory in all three swims (these will be issues at Registration), and wet suits are optional.

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 bike/swim transitions in advance.

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.

Access to transition compounds is restricted to race officials, Solo Athletes' helpers (wearing helper's ID), approved 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 every transition point, 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.

Aside from the lake itself, the course for the Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Classic explores Snowy River Shire Council land, Kosciuszko National Park, Snowy Hydro land (lake foreshores), private farmland and the Jindabyne urban fringe.

We are all very fortunate to have been granted permission to stage this event through all these area. The authorities and officers of Kosciuszko National Park, Snowy Hydro, private landowners and Snowy River Shire Council have been overwhelmingly cooperative and helpful.

However, please be aware that this event takes 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. Each of 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.

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.   Let us aim for the race to leave no footprint, for the course to remain immaculate.

Lake Jindabyne can be subject to windy conditions at any time of day, any time of year.

In the event of high winds, the organisers reserve the right to cancel or amend one or more of the paddle and swim legs.

The management of Kosciuszko National Park reserve the right to cancel any or all of the legs through the Park in the event of extreme heat or potentially dangerous weather conditions.

If any leg or legs are cancelled or amended either in the lead-up or on the day of the race, organisers will endeavour to stage an alternative leg or legs, subject to prevailing conditions.   Organisers reserve the right however 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, or have their helper inform either an official course 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, 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.

After the following times, there will be no marshals, checkpoints or transitions set up on the course, and split times will not be recorded. Athletes continuing after these times will do so at their own risk, and will be deemed to be not part of the event.

All times listed are in Time of Day, which assumes that the race starts on time at 0645.
 

An additional cut-off will be applied on Run2 at Sawpit Creek at the start of the Waterfall Loop. Solo athletes who feel they may not meet later cut-off times may elect to miss the 6 km Waterfall Loop and proceed directly to the transition to MTB3 at the Sawpit Creek Education Centre. This leg would then have no split time recorded and the athlete would officially be recorded as a DNF, but would be allowed to continue with the remaining legs. Any runner who does not reach the beginning of the Waterfall Loop at Sawpit Creek by 1340 will not be allowed to proceed on the Waterfall Loop, and will automatically be directed to the transition. Assuming he or she reaches the transition by 1410, he or she will be permitted to continue onto MTB3.

Additional cut-offs will be applied on MTB3 at the crossing of the Snowy River at 1530, and at the turn-off to Botherum Plain at 1610. Any mountain biker who does not reach either of these locations by these times will not be permitted to proceed on the course, and will be offered (space permitting) a ride back to Sawpit Creek or to Creel Bay.

Any Solo Athlete who has not started any given leg by the cut-off time for the previous leg may not be allowed to continue. Any athlete starting Run3, the final run leg after 1830 must be accompanied by his or her helper or team-mate with a torch. A sweeper will follow the backmarker throughout the course in a boat, on a mountain bike, and on foot.

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.

Sri Chinmoy Multi-Sport Clasic fastest overall and leg split times by category...

Solo Male Overall (old course) - 7:52:53, Jody Zerbst, 2005
Solo Male Overall (new course) - 9:21:37, Klayten Smith, 2017
Solo Male Over 50 Overall (old course) -  11:49:47, Peter Macartney, 2005
Solo Male Over 50 (new course) - 11:22:53, Craig Maskiell, 2020
Solo Female Overall (old course) -  10:06:57, Alina McMaster, 2005
Solo Female Overall (new course) -  10:59:20, Lizzy Bunckenburg, 2024

Teams Overall Time (old course, pre-2007)

Teams Overall Time (new course, post-2007)

Teams Fastest Splits