On my first read through...

Some of this stuff is going to be really difficult to implement.

Like I said in another thread, race organizers can control and mitigate distancing and cleanliness protocols when it comes to athlete check-in/packet pickup, transition area, swim start, and finish area. It’s what happens between start and finish which becomes basically uncontrollable when you have hundreds or thousands of people of varying ability levels competing on the swim, bike, and run courses.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Probably no worse than the MUP trains on weekends around here these days. I try to avoid it like a plague (literally speaking).

On my second read through...

Some of this stuff is going to be really difficult to implement.

Costs, space, and volunteerism (not necessarily the number of volunteers but their focus and discipline) is going to increase dramatically no matter the scale of the event. I can see smaller events having serious issues with the extra costs and manpower while larger events having serious issues with logistics and space, as well as costs. So maybe IM can absorb the financial burden better than others but what about all the enhanced logistical concerns? Can the Local Yokel Sprint Tri pay for all the extra transition racks, port-a-potties, washing stations, hand sanitizer, and other various sanitation protocols.

Once again, I don’t see how athlete distribution and social distancing measures can be controlled or implemented on the bike and run course. It’s a race. It’s a competition. The nature of which involves people constantly being in close proximity to one another. This document has athletes doing geometry and physics calculations while maybe wearing face masks. C’mon...let’s be real here.

I know we need to start with something. I’m just not sure how realistically doable this is right now. I had already made the decision to not race this year even if my upcoming races don’t get canceled. All but one of my races involves air travel and hotel stays so I’m just not risking all that PLUS racing. I don’t need all the bells and whistles and pomp and circumstance when it comes to races. Just give me a decent venue, safe course, and decent logistics and I’m all good. Reading this document doesn’t give me the warm and fuzzies. Not that anything should in these times but this document put me more squarely in the “Let me wait this out for a while” camp. YMMV.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Other than nationals in Milwaukee, the only tris I planned on doing this summer were local events I've done for 20+ years under the same RD. If I like what I read online about the RD's "safe return" initiatives, I'll likely show up at a race (I've already paid for the series). I'm guessing I may know before I even dive in to start the swim whether it's worth the risk to finish and most of that will depend on the actions of my fellow athletes.

Hey Mark and GMAN, I think that the only thing that will work is pre race, transiton and post race and race format (ex TT or rolling start). As GMAN said, once the race is on, its on. There will be no way to stop someone drafting off me durin the run if there is a 20mph wind or cheating the swim drafting and trying to get close enough to get a draft. Heck in pool swim races, we get as close as possible to the lane rope to draft the competitor beside us who is a half body length ahead (this is how France lost the 4x100m to USA during Beijing 2008) and we have lane ropes to keep us in our lane (so its legal to do that drafting).

No chance anyone will really behave once in the wild of the lake. On the bike we are supposed to have distancing, but athletes will slingshot though the draft zone (inside the 2m social distancing spacing, but legal passes) to maximize performance.

Having said, that, I believe the risk is ultra low in an outdoor environment if we stick to regular tri rules in a non drafting format of getting this thing and spreading it. It has to jump over the air into the other athlete and the other athlete's immune system has to cave and no fight it off. Really the only time there is SOME risk is drafting during the run. It MAY be possible to ensure that athletes don't run on each others' heals for any more than say 5 seconds during a pass in low density events.

I bet when we go back to racing, most athletes will largely behave up to the run if we put enough TT separation during the swim.

Hey, the bright side is we may go back to more of the original draft free value that triathlon originally had. WTC has been a bit of a culprit in the erosion of new athletes thinking drafting is fine. This COULD reset values on the bike course!!!! Covid19 may do what Jimmy Riccitello's zebra boys have not been able to do (not their fault, its technically Messick's fault for race density)

Nats is still on as far as I have heard. Any rumor of a cancellation/postponement?

It’d be nice if a go/no-go call could be made earlier rather than later. My kids camps and summer plans all got cancelled so everything is up in the air now and we are trying to re-build a summer plan.

I’m a go if it’s on but no telling when I’ll be able to start swim training again.

You are dreaming NEO in the real world the only time we will be racing again is when there are no more deaths from this virus

I'm going to start racing again when I deem that the event will be some semblance of fun. The first few phases suck the life out of racing. If they take away all of the aspects of a race that make the race enjoyable, I'll stay home and do my own thing.

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Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

really interesting article here on the reality of the risk of spreading the virus. outdoor spread is very unlikely. porto-potties will be the the thing to avoid. basically minimizing exposure time should be key. no long pre -race meetings, no award ceremonies. basically waiting at the start line would be the biggest risk.

https://erinbromage.wixsite.com/..._4eSrNAvhDeHlf5IlEhU

That’s were I’m at. On top of questions of risk and safety, none of this sounds like fun.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Perhaps it could be fun if there's wide agreement among the athletes at an event that we need to race differently for a while and make safe racing as defined by the RD the top priority? I've heard that working for a common goal tends to make people feel good. ;) I'm doubtful that will happen, but maybe an RD with a very loyal customer base can convince a couple hundred athletes to focus on that common goal.

I have had this thought a little bit lately but what if we could all get tested right before the race?? Assuming the test efficacy is pretty high this seems like the best way to lower risk or even eliminate it.

Was thinking similar from an athletes perspective... as a race staffer as well I was reading all of the potential extras for us and then the 'limit staff' suggestion... the days are already long as is without trying to create some clean/virus safe environment for a couple hundred athletes. Packet pickup, transition, run course... off hand these seem like the real tough ones.

If anything smaller events will need more staff to handle the added responsibilities... add to that numbers might not be that great for sign ups due to general fear, health concerns, financial reasons... list goes on. Events could be limited in size/athletes by states which will factor in and at the max amount of athletes allowed may not hit 'break even' for the race orgainizer.

Local (smaller)events might sell out in record time if larger events aren't possible... but if numbers aren't there and the work load, staff, etc. are above the profits potential... just don't see races as viable.

100%.

And I’m perfectly happy using a chunk of my heavily reduced wage to pay an entry fee and support these smaller RDs trying to keep their business alive after at least 6 months loss of cash flow.

Combine a group working for a common goal, with helping out a group in dire straights, and it could be one of the most memorable races when you look back on it in time.

I don't see many races taking place under the Phase 2 protocols because the local government limits will make it impossible likely. Everything will probably be under Phase 3, however, when that happens I don't think there will be social distancing recommendations in place at that point either. Just add COVID-19 to the waiver and move out. (I bet coronaviruses get added if they haven't been)

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

This is an interesting read. I had seen the link and ignored it because it wasn't a "real site" but her bio is pretty strong and she is up front that these are her musings. When she says outdoor spread she doesn't give a lot of detail. I kind of thought she was speaking about just being outside not organized outdoor events. I'm guessing though because it's not specific. There is a follow up question in the comments specific to sports but I didn't see an answer.

When I read the report yesterday on return to multisport my actual thought was that this sounds fine on paper but it will have to see how it works in real life and if we're waiting for the guidelines of groups to go up enough ... it's going to be a little bit longer still at least for events in my neck of the woods.

I think that this is correct. By then it is also likely that the majority of the population will become a lot more used to it being an environmental risk. For a lot of people (based on the stats we have today) the risk appears to be only slightly higher than the risk from a bad flu, and these people make up the majority of the racers.

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Next races on the schedule: none at the moment

I'd just like to see some small local 5Ks (no aid stations needed, no transition areas, etc.) go off successfully before even considering how the logistics for a tri would be viable.

Agree with Gman that racing under the protocols in the USAT doc doesn't sound like fun.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

This can be applied to society in general.Social distancing in the modern world, which we expect to be efficient and profitable, is an impossibility across the board.The idea of keeping people apart is all well and good but it is just unrealistic.

No no no....they will convert all of economy class into those luxury suites that they have on Etihad but we'll be able to fly San Francisco to Auckland for normal cattle class rates in our enclosed luxury pods in the sky. Then we will have our bubble transport to Taupo, race in a bubble and then party in T3 in a bubble (T3 will not be as much fun LOL). But hey, there is a disneyland world that that could shake out thanks to some lab guys in Wuhan losing control on some experiments (all pink font if you want).

Yeah, safe racing overall just doesn’t seem like a lot of fun. I’m already registered for Augusta 70.3 2020 in Sept, so will definitely do it if they have it.

But, the element of fun is the best part of the race for me. I love the high fives, the interaction with fellow racers and volunteers, and the close contact with a real cheering support system is the real gold for me in a race. It’s nice to get a PR but my soul seems to be lifted in many events. It’s hard to imagine what a safe race looks like, but unfortunately high fives might be the first thing to go.

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https://www.strava.com/...tes/zachary_mckinney

I think there is a group of us, happy to race without crowds, high fives and other elements that certainly add to the full package and would race as long as its a pure race. If its some dumbed down version of racing with a new set of rules that fundamentally changes the sport, then its no fun. Imagine soccer without getting inside each other's 2 m radius...that would just feel like a completely new gig as you would never get the ball off the other guy, or the other guy would be penalized for coming inside your 2m zone while carrying the ball.

So it would still need to largely resemble the sport.

I THINK what will happen is other contact sports will start at some point for youth. Once they start, we just go back to racing as usual since we are much less contact.

You cannot have football, baseball, basketball, ice hockey, soccer without close proximity and contact. There will be waaaaaaaay too much pressure to start up these sports again given their part in social fabric and given that there are almost no deaths in the under 20 around the world (I said almost no deaths, not zero deaths) and even in the 20-39 the number of deaths is hovering around 1% where I live (Canada).

So really, these sports can happen for 40 and under. The risk of death to those playing is higher driving to practice than from Covid19. Authorities will not be able to keep these sports shut forever to protect grandparents of these kids.

..
Koreas K-League football kicked off last night as well as their secondary league and our football codes here in Oz are in pre-season training camps preparing for season start in a month or so."Social Sports" here in Oz will start soon which is kids sports and everything that does not require large groups (State based and regulated,as our States are opening up at different rates related to infection and recovery rates)

thanks for taking a look at the article. i agree too bad it doesn't come from a more recognized source, but as a physician i do agree with her logic and conclusions. the risks posed to athletes in a typical multisport race are minimal. is it even worth it to further minimize the minuscule? i realize that USAT feel they need to "do something" in light of the situation, but masks on bike and run are absolutely ridiculous. how about scuba masks on the swim with in line viral filters? from the article:

"The principle is viral exposure over an extended period of time. In all these cases, people were exposed to the virus in the air for a prolonged period (hours). Even if they were 50 feet away (choir or call center), even a low dose of the virus in the air reaching them, over a sustained period, was enough to cause infection and in some cases, death.
Social distancing rules are really to protect you with brief exposures or outdoor exposures. In these situations there is not enough time to achieve the infectious viral load when you are standing 6 feet apart or where wind and the infinite outdoor space for viral dilution reduces viral load. The effects of sunlight, heat, and humidity on viral survival, all serve to minimize the risk to everyone when outside."

like i said, the plastic porto-potty handle is probably your biggest risk at race.