Just a heads up. Tritonman has become probaly the fastest and best DL race in US. It however isn't really open to any and all AG athletes.

It's part of usat's EDR series (tritonman, Clermont races, detroit which is taking hiatus this year). So you pretty much have to be 25-26 years or younger, although you can petition to get in if older. Of course tritonman has become the unofficial feb ITU world champs within a few training squads as the Tri squad and members of Darren smith's squad race it.

Clermont in the spring will have a specific AG DL event in addition to the 2 edr races but I think it's going to have a lap out rule. Which means bike laps will be roughly 8 mins per lap, so check your swimming.

---

Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

I did the draft legal race in Clermont when I was 25 *technically 26 due to USAT age* but had a ton of fun on a close circuit.

Kind of what people had said before, closed 5k? bike loop and then 2 laps for the run, if you had laps left on the bike you were pulled *which some people did*.

Overall, was incredibly well done. I know that they have a total age group draft legal race, but the participation looks pretty sub par. Detroit I believe used to have an "all ages" draft legal triathlon which was only having between 20-40 people show up, and from what I've seen is now classified as a U25 Elite development race.


Sucks too, those kind of races are tons of fun. Maybe it'll become more mainstream here in the next 4-5 years and be offered more at a local level like so many non drafting sprints and oly's are.

I did the Detroit race a few years ago (the only year they did DL)

Nobody wanted to do it because of the lap-out rule, I tried to talk friends into it but they didn't want to get pulled from the race. Racing with the Junior Elites made it more difficult to talk them into it even though those kids were really nice.

On race day they didn't enforce the lap-out rule (good in my opinion) I didn't get lapped but it was close. If the RD had said they weren't going to enforce it I could have gotten 4 people from my club to do it. That's not a lot but I'm sure it would have been a few more from other clubs as well, then the following year it would have been bigger.

I emailed the RD about it and they said they didn't have enough time to do the AG race any more which I didn't agree with since it only took an extra 15 min to run the AG'ers.

To me, that is an example of a missed opportunity in promoting a different racing style all while the Junior Elites were racing anyway.

this was a supersprint. it was a lot of fun (except not having lane end/wall markers in the pool). i wish there were more of this race format. i'm ok w/ thinner fields (only other bike racers need enter), but a few more people would have made the race a little more exciting, moreso than using the anemic groupettos to rest the legs before attacking, to get clear before the run.

---

no sponsors | no races | nothing to see here

This is really key -- I wouldn't have registered if it had been a short loop, lap-out bike course.

Thanks for the correction. It's been a few few years since I raced there (non-draft), and I hadn't realized how much it had grown.

Also, with New Orleans on the calendar, I'm a little disappointed that the conversation is so focused on the tri. There will also be a draft-legal duathlon that weekend, which I think is a great way for people whose swim isn't yet good enough to make a pack for the ride get more experience with the DL format.

Golden state Tri in Sac, Calif has been a draft legal race for years, in Oct. Closed road, 4 laps. All bikes allowed.

---

Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

This looks sweeet! Thanks for the heads up!

It really is fun. I have either raced it or helped at the race for over a decade. The course is used by a number of events, and is the only closed
course I know of in Calif.

Very few are good enough to draft, but the few that are, really go for it and have a lot of fun. I know the last time I did, it was great
working with a group of guys drafting together.

And I have never seen any accidents because it is draft legal.

---

Dave Campbell | Facebook | @DaveECampbell | h2ofun@h2ofun.net

Boom Nutrition code 19F4Y3 $5 off 24 pack box | Bionic Runner | PowerCranks | Velotron | Spruzzamist

Lions don't lose sleep worrying about the sheep

Get rid of age groups. Go by categories!

This x100.