Triathlon Course Description and Race Briefing

Medical Assistance: If at any time during the race you need medical assistance please tell one of the race crew, technical officials or volunteers. We will have 3 medical personnel based in transition, 2 on the bike course and 2 on the run course. They will be able to quickly reach any part of the bike and run courses and the swim start and swim finish areas. The medical tent is located next to the recovery area so you can make your way there if you have a problem before the race start or after finishing.

Race 1 of the TACT Novice Triathlon Series

Race Distances: 200m swim / 13 km ride / 2 km run

Location: Acton Ferry Terminal. You’re able to park at the car park spaces along Barrine Drive. If you’re unsure of the location, you’re able to google ‘Acton Ferry Terminal’, which will show you where the site is.

Swim: A 200m triangular course starting on the boat ramp, near the boat shed.100 metres east of transition and finishing at the same point to where you started. You will need to run up the boat ramp and along the bike path towards transition – there will be a volunteer standing at the top of the boat ramp directing you to transition.

There will be a swim wave assembly area on the grass opposite the swim start. Your wave will be called into the water from the assembly area at least 2 minutes before the scheduled wave start time.

After the swim start, there will be one turn buoy that you will keep on your right, to where you will head west to another swim buoy, which you will keep this on your right to then swim back towards the boat ramp. After exiting the water you will follow the bitumen path for about 100 metres up to transition.

If you have some difficulty during the swim, please raise your arm – there will be plenty of water safety people in kayaks to come to your assistance. You may hold on to a stationary kayak to catch your breath or get your head sorted and then continue with your race. There will be a motor boat available if you need to be evacuated from the water.

Bike: Your bike course is on a smooth, wide road, Parkes Way, which will be closed to vehicle traffic. The bike mount line will be on Parkes way. This bike course is generally flat and fast - there are two points in the western half of the course where you may need to get out of the saddle to keep up a good speed. You will ride 1 lap of a 13 km loop that, from transition, heads west to the western turnaround point under the Gungahlin Drive Extension. After this turnaround you ride east for about 6.5 kms to the eastern turnaround under the Kings Avenue overpass. After you have passed the eastern turnaround you ride west towards transition. As you enter the slip lane to dismount your bike and head into transition, you will need to slow significantly as there is a gutter and a sharp turn you will need to get over. This will be marshalled by volunteers and a Technical Official.

Parkes Way westbound is generally two lanes wide plus a bike lane. Please stay left in the left-most vehicle lane so that faster riders can overtake you if need be and you can maintain a safe distance from oncoming riders. Where Parkes Way has three vehicle lanes will place large orange cones down the middle of the centre lane – you must always keep to the left of these cones. Always be aware of other competitors on the road and the occasional official or emergency vehicle.

If there is a line of bright orange traffic cones anywhere on the course keep one thing in mind: do not cross or go through that line of cones. The cones will be there to separate you from other riders or to close off roads or ramps that are not part of the course.

Run: The 2 km run is a loop course on bicycle/pedestrian paths that takes you alongside Lake Burley Griffin. Follow the red or black arrows or the directions of the volunteer marshals. This course is flat and fast. You will leave transition and run east towards the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge on the bitumen path that runs past transition, then on RG Menzies Walk, a wide concrete path that circumnavigates Lake Burley Griffin central basin, about 200metres after you go under the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge, you will have reached your turnaround point. There will be a volunteer marshal at the turnaround, please thank them as you run around and head east along RG Menzies walk back to transition, where you will head to the finish line. You will be sharing the paths with members of the public who will be walking, running or riding on those paths – they can be as unpredictable in their movements as tired triathletes so be careful and as tolerant and polite towards them as you would expect them to be towards you. Poor conduct by any competitor towards any member of the public will be treated the same as unsportsman-like conduct towards an official or volunteer .

Race Recovery Area & Medical Assistance: The recovery area is adjacent to the finish line where you can enjoy fresh fruit, cold water, sports drink and swap race stories with fellow competitors. The medical tent will be next to the tent used by race organisation staff for registration – there will be a doctor and a registered nurse present for the duration of the races. If you need assistance during the race please advise race crew, a volunteer or course marshal or a Technical Official. For assistance after the race please go to the medical tent.

The Canberra Olympic Triathlon

Race Distances: 1.5 km swim / 40 km ride / 10 km run

Course Description and Race Briefing

Swim: A 1.5 km lap around a clockwise, roughly rectangular course. The swim course will start at the boat ramp. There will be a swim wave assembly area on the grass near the swim start. Your wave will be called into the water from the assembly area at least 2 minutes before the scheduled wave start time. When your swim starts you will swim adjacent commonwealth avenue, always keeping each swim buoy to your right as you turn. You will need to run up the boat ramp, which may be slippery we will have rubber mats in place to prevent slipping, by please exit the water with care. There will be a volunteer standing at the top of the boat ramp, to direct you to transition. After exiting the water you will follow the bitumen path for about 100 metres up to transition. If you have some difficulty during the swim, please raise your arm – there will be plenty of water safety people in kayaks to come to your assistance. You may hold on to a stationary kayak to catch your breath or get your head sorted and then continue with your race. There will be a motor boat available if you need to be evacuated from the water.

Bike: Enjoy a 40 km bike leg on a smooth, wide road, Parkes Way, which will be closed to vehicle traffic. The bike mount line will be on Parkes Way above transition. You will ride 3 laps of a 13.3 km loop that, from transition, heads west to the western turnaround point under the Gungahlin Drive Extension. After this turnaround you ride east for about 6.5 kms to the eastern turnaround under the Kings Avenue overpass. This bike course is generally flat and fast - there are two points in the western half of the course where you may need to get out of the saddle to keep up a good speed. After you have passed the eastern turnaround at the kings Avenue overpass for the 3rd time, you ride west towards transition. As you enter the slip lane above transition there is a sharp turn after the dismount line to head into transition, so you will need to reduce your speed enough so that you do not overrun the dismount line. Parkes Way westbound is generally two lanes wide plus a bike lane. Please stay left in the left-most vehicle lane so that faster riders can overtake you if need be and you can maintain a safe distance from oncoming riders. Where Parkes Way has three vehicle lanes we will place large orange cones down the middle of the centre lane – you must always keep to the left of these cones. Always be aware of other competitors on the road and the occasional official or emergency vehicle.

Run: The 10 km run is on bicycle/pedestrian paths that takes you alongside Lake Burley Griffin. This course is generally flat and fast. Follow the red or black arrows. There will be water stations along the run – these stations will be accessible to you as you run east and west, if there is extreme heat (30+ degrees), we will place an extra drink station on the run. You will leave transition and run east towards the Carillon, heading under the Commonwealth avenue bridge. You run past the Ronds Terrace (red bitumen) and run past Blundell’s cottage, once you have past Blundells cottage, you will see the turnaround point, which will be the 5km mark. You turn at this point thanking the volunteer and then proceed to head back west towards transition, where there will be another turnaround point to where you will go out on your 2nd lap of the run course to which you repeat what you did on your previous lap.

On this run course, you will be sharing the paths with members of the public who will be walking, running or riding on those paths – they can be as unpredictable in their movements as tired triathletes so be careful and as tolerant and polite towards them as you would expect them to be towards you. Poor conduct by any competitor towards any member of the public will be treated the same as unsportsman-like conduct towards an official or volunteer.