World Championships have it right!

Triathlon Forum
1

http://www.fretri.dk/en/course_penalty.htm

400m run for first violation, 800m extra for the 2nd, 3rd time is an automatic dq…i like this idea.

thoughts?

2

I’d say 800m for first violation and then automatic DQ for 2nd… then I’d love to see who would draft…

3

that’s how it was for the GWN 1/2 Ironman in alberta. i think maybe 5 drafting calls all day.

great rule.

apparently implemented somewhere else in canada, zero drafting calls.

4

Just an opinion -

I’d be cautious about linking a penalty loop to a lack of drafting calls - you’re implying that the threat of having to run the extra distance is the key to people not drafting. How much would a 800m loop add - about 1/2 mile? So if you ran an 8 minute mile, wouldn’t that be the same as just getting 4 minutes added to your final time?

The number of calls made is dependent on a bunch of other things: mass vs. wave start, how hilly the bike course is, how many athletes are entered, how many draft marshals you have out there, how likely are they to make the calls, …

A couple of drawbacks to having penalty loops:

  • you need more marshals. It takes marshals extra time to stand down, mark, and radio in violators, as opposed to just writing the info down for adding time later.

  • if you have a peleton of 6-8-10 people, they’re probably only going to get at most a few of them to stand down. If they’re just writing down violations, they can get all of them.

  • Possibility of false positives. By having the chance to review the penalties back at the finish line before adding time, some may be thrown away. If a standdown is done on course, it’s done and over.

6

abetter idea, standing down for several minutes is just a rest period, possible helpful to a better run.