I know they are few and far between, but I see them pop up from time to time.
If you’ve done them, how are they different from regular tris (and ITU races)?
I assume the swim is important, but the packs are smaller than at the high level. What else?
USAT AG draft legal racing - rule-wise - is almost dead on equal to ITU.
You need to be mindful of what you can have in transition. Only the gear you’re going to use in the race.
Have to wear attire that covers from the shoulders to the knees, no bare midriffs, no unzipped suits below the breastbone.
The website https://draftlegalrules.com/ is a good starting resource.
Craig Hanken, the USAT DL coordinator, also has a really good video out on YouTube.
As for the racing - yes, you need to be a decent swimmer or your chances of being lapped out on the bike are strong.
it’s the shit!
Most of the collegiate ones will let you jump in too.
The biggest difference is that these are a go until you blow affair, not much pacing. But they are so fun.
That’s what it seems like. I’m such an ITU fan that I think it would be awesome. There’s one in Ft. Wayne, IN that looks cool. Close enough to drive…but too far to get my 1:30 pace swimming butt lapped out! I’ll have to look at results.
I assume packs are smaller?
Thanks for the reply and links! Hoping to do this before I get too much older…
Many AG only races now stop having the lap out and rule and it’s just count your laps, especially if they have waves that start 5-15 mins apart.
Also you’ll want to check to see if the run is also the same as the bike course. If it is, that’ll make the lap out window quicker (if they have a lap out).
The Clermont EDR has a lap out rule like that since the run is the same as the bike. You have to get to the run turn around before the 1st runner or you’ll be lapped out. ETA: But the Clermont AG race isn’t a lap out, it’s simply do 4 laps and then run. They had cones to block off the bikers and runners who ended up being on the same road at the same time by the end.
1:30/100yd is marginal lapped out, but at the AG level, check the bike laps, the distance and then if there is actually a lap out rule.
There’s one in Ft. Wayne, IN that looks cool.
Is that the Trine race in Sept? I’ve considered that one too. If so, there would only be one lap on the bike so no worries.
Smaller packs at local / regional races. Worlds was a giant tow line.
Worlds is a 1 or 2 lap course usually. Many AG events don’t use the lap rule since we don’t have a flow through transition area. Last year I was solo off the front had an officials moto telling the guys I was lapping to get off my wheel.
I believe so - would be good to race with you again! We have the kids race my team puts on the 7th before it and our local duathlon the 8th, so it might be a tough ask.
My road bike is old and slow, but I would love to do a DL race. One lap sounds smart from an organizer’s perspective (even if it isn’t the full effect).
The only rule that USAT has in any DL AG event is that there be no-cross gender drafting. Any other drafting of athletes whether “lapped” or not is allowed. Just no male/female drafting.
But they usually set up the timeline so there isnt really possible.
Thanks for clarifying. My response was based on the first AG DL race at Clermont; I mistook that to be the norm rather than the exception.
(Memo to self - don’t forget the little rule tweaks!)
That was the AG race at a WTS event. ITU Technical officials.p
eh, 1:30 pace in the AG race might not be too far back. I guess it depends on how you define it, I’m a 1:30 per 100 meter pace in an Ironman and I’m fine in the DL races. Not that i’m ever front pack, but no where near getting lapped out
DL sprint is my favourite format - and I’m honestly a shite swimmer. I just try to slingshot past as many folks as I can on the bike and hope to find a group to grab on to.
I’m looking at the format for the nationals at Tempe, and it looks like they have several AG waves coming onto the same 3 lap bike course, so really cannot have a lap our rule, or one that says you have to draft within your AG. So looking at my wave of 60+, should be getting out when the earlier wave of 45 to 59 comes around for 2nd lap. And the even faster age groups will be coming around for their 3rd lap. So pretty much a free for all, and it will be the luck of the draw of what kind of pack you get in, and then how long you get it for…
Sounds fun, I’m in!!!