#WTSNottingham to be run as duathlon

Published:

Due to the persistent rainfall over the past week in the Nottingham area, the World Triathlon Nottingham on Saturday 15 June will now be held as a duathlon.

This decision has been made further to the continued monitoring of the water flow and results of an additional water quality test taken this week. 

The safety of all participants will always remain our top priority. The results of the test (issued today Thursday 13 June) clearly show that the increased flow rate and adverse water quality caused by the excessive rainfall make the swim segment unsafe for all participants. 

This decision has been made in consultation with a number of stakeholders and water safety experts, including Nottingham City Council and the Environment Agency.

Whilst we are disappointed that the event cannot take place as a triathlon, we are still looking forward to hosting a successful World Triathlon Series event on Nottingham’s Victoria Embankment.

All racing will now take place in a run, bike, run format (duathlon), and race specific information can be found at the bottom of this statement.   

Jonny Hamp, Event Director Accenture World Triathlon Mixed Relay Nottingham, said:

“With the rain that has fallen in Nottingham and the surrounding area, the flow rate and water quality of the River Trent means that it is not safe for the swim leg to take place for any race. The safety of our participants has and always will be our first priority, and although it was a tough decision, we believe it is the only option to ensure participant safety. We are looking forward to an exciting duathlon experience and to welcoming participants to the Accenture World Triathlon Mixed Relay Nottingham.”

Dave Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture at Nottingham City Council said:

“While this news is disappointing, it is completely understandable after the past few days of unprecedented weather. However, we are delighted that the Duathlon event can still provide mass participation and elite athletes with the fantastic race experience they require. We know the Nottingham public will enjoy seeing international athletes up close and share the excitement of the races with Olympic ranking points still on offer.

The Fan Zone and Race Village will provide a great spectator experience with lots of activities and events planned and will continue alongside the race programme with something for everybody to enjoy.”

The Elite Mixed Team Relay Race will still start as planned at 16.08 and the first leg will be a 1.5km Run 1, into a 7km Cycle and ending with a 1.5km Run 2. As this is an Olympic Qualification race, the event will award 75% of the points for the Olympic Qualification ranking and the ITU Mixed Relay ranking in line with ITU rules. 

FAQ's

British Triathlon Sprint Distance Championships

  • The race will consist of a 1.5km (1 lap) Run 1, 18.2km (5 laps) Bike and 4.5km (3 laps) Run 2 across the route available here.
  • Participants will be set off using their existing wave start times which can be found here.
  • Participants must make their way to the Run 1 start location to the north of the Age Group Transition for the start of their race at least 15 minutes before their scheduled start time.
  • British Age Group Championship waves will be started in groups by age category to ensure a fair race for all athletes competing for medals in their age category.
  • This race will still consist of the British Triathlon Sprint Distance Championships, with the first place male and female in each age category qualifying for the Great Britain Age Group Team.
  • The bike leg will remain draft legal.

Open Sprint and Becky Adlington Wave

  • The race will consist of a 1.5km (1 lap) Run 1, 18.2km (5 laps ) Bike and 4.5km (3 laps) Run 2 across the route available here.
  • Participants will be set off using their existing wave start times which can be found here.
  • Participants must make their way to the Run 1 start location to the north of the Age Group Transition for the start of their race at least 15 minutes before their scheduled start time.
  • Groups will be released onto the course within their waves to manage the flow of athletes entering Run 1.

GO TRI and Tri January Wave

  • The race will consist of a 1.5km (1 lap) Run 1, 10.92km (3 laps) Bike and 1.5km (1 lap) Run 2 across the route available here.
  • Participants will be set off using their existing wave start times which can be found here.
  • Participants must make their way to the Run 1 start location to the north of the Age Group Transition for the start of their race at least 15 minutes before their scheduled start time.
  • Groups will be released onto the course within their waves to manage the flow of athletes entering Run 1.

TriStar 2 and TriStar 3

  • The TriStar 2 race will consist of a 1.5km (1 lap) Run 1, 3.84km (1 lap) Bike and an adapted 470m (1 lap) Run 2 across the route available here.
  • The TriStar 3 race will consist of a 1.5km (1 lap) Run 1, 7.68km (2 lap) Bike and an adapted 470m (1 lap)Run 2 across the route available here.
  • Participants will be set off using their existing wave start times which can be found here.
  • Participants must make their way to the Run 1 start location to the north of the Age Group Transition for the start of their race at least 15 minutes before their scheduled start time.
  • Groups will be released onto the course within their waves to manage the flow of athletes entering Run 1.
  • If your region is using this as an IRC qualifier, please contact your regional coordinator if you have any queries.

Summary of Duathlon distances

 

Further General FAQ's

Refunds

Please note that in line with the terms and conditions of entry, no refunds will be made as a result of the event being turned into a duathlon.

Why has this change been made?

Persistent rainfall across the Nottingham area has affected the flow and quality of the water in the River Trent. The most recent results, reported on Thursday 13 June, have shown that the water conditions are outside of what is safe for participants to swim in.

Is there a precedent for this?

Throughout the year there are a number of events across Britain that, as a result of swimming conditions in open water, are changed from triathlons to duathlons. This is also not the first ITU level race to be changed to a duathlon due to open water conditions. In 2018 the Astana World Cup (water too cold), Sarasotta World Cup (water quality) and Sarasotta American Championships Mixed Relay (water quality) were all changed to duathlons.

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