This is your pre-race briefing for the 2024 Cowichan Challenge Triathlon happening June 30 at Fuller Lake.
Race Package Pickup (RPP) is from 2 pm to 5 pm on Saturday at Experience Cycles in Duncan. There is a bike and helmet safety check for youth athletes at RPP. RPP will be set up in the parking lot at the rear of the bike shop off Whistler Street. RPP is available for out of town participants only on race morning at the registration tent from 5:30 to 6:00 am.
In your race package you will find a swim cap, race bib, helmet sticker, bike sticker, and temporary tattoo. The swim cap is mandatory during the swim. The race bib must be worn so that it is visible from the front during the run. The temporary tattoo goes vertically on your left calf (there is no leg tattoo for youth participants). The helmet sticker goes on the front of your helmet. The bike sticker must be attached to the top tube or stem of your bike before you place your bike in transition and will be used to number match when you collect your bike after the race.
Parking on race morning is in the parking lot at the Fuller Lake Arena. Allow enough time to walk approximately 500m to transition. The arena lot will be closed to all traffic between 8:00 am and 9:15 for the youth race.
Transition opens at 5:30 am. Transition is restricted to registered participants and race staff only, with the exception of 6-7 and 8-9 year olds who may have one adult helper during set up only. All athletes must be out of transition 15 minutes before their race start. Transition is restricted to registered participants and race staff only once the race has started.
Transition spots are assigned on a first come, first served basis by race category. Bikes should be racked 8 to a rack in alternating directions. Bikes should be hung by the nose of the saddle. Race gear may be placed on the non-drive side of your bike so that it does not extend past the front wheel of your bike. Youth athletes whose bikes are too small to hang from the racks may lay their bike on the ground under the appropriate rack.
Timing chips will be handed out on race morning adjacent to the registration tent. Timing chips must be fixed to your right ankle at all times during the race. You must return your timing chip after crossing the finish line. The chip stores all timing information so no chip, no time.
The adult swim course is a 750m counter clockwise loop starting and ending on the beach. Standard course and Aqua bike athletes will complete 2 laps of the course, exiting after the first lap and re-entering the water at the swim start. Sprint athletes will complete 1 loop of the swim course.
The youth swim courses vary by age group. Youth athletes will swim from the swim start around 1 turn buoy and exit at the swim exit.
The Standard course swim starts with 1 mass start at 7:00 am and includes standard triathlon, standard relays and Aqua bike. The Sprint course swim will be in 2 waves with men starting at 7:30 and women and sprint relays starting at 7:35.
There is a 1 hour and 15 minute cut off for the swim. Any swimmer still in the water after the cut off will be assisted to shore and will not be able to continue in the race.
The youth swim starts with 14-15 year olds at 8:00, 12-13 at 8:10, 10-11 at 8:20, 8-9 at 8:30, and 6-7 at 8:40.
All swim starts will be at the direction of the starter.
You must have your helmet on and chin strap fastened before handling your bike. You must re-rack your bike before undoing your chin strap.
The mount/dismount line is on the main driveway in front of the finish line. You must completely cross the mount line before getting on your bike and you must be completely off your bike before crossing the dismount line.
The adult bike course is a 20K out and back course. Turns are marked by white arrows on the pavement. All main intersections on the course are controlled by flaggers and there will be marshals to help direct cyclists. Standard course and Aqua bike athletes complete 2 laps of the bike course, turning for the second lap on Crozier Road just before Cottonwood Road. Sprint course athletes complete 1 lap of the bike course.
The youth bike course is a lap course in the parking lot of Fuller Lake Arena. Youth athletes follow the bike course to the parking lot, complete the necessary number of laps depending on age group, then return on the bike course to Transition.
The adult run course is a counter clockwise loop mostly on trails in the Municipal Forest before ending on the main driveway into Fuller Lake.. The course is marked with orange arrows. Sprint athletes complete 1 loop of the run course. Standard course athletes complete 2 loops, turning for the second loop as they emerge from the trail at the arena driveway. There is a short out and back section, marked with green arrows, that is completed by the Standard course athletes only on both run laps.
There is 1 aid station on the adult run course that Sprint athletes will pass twice and Standard course athletes will pass 3 times.
The youth run course is a loop course, on trails, marked with yellow arrows. Each youth athlete will complete the necessary number of laps depending on age group. On their last lap youth athletes will turn left onto the main driveway to the finish line.
Youth laps by age group:
- Youth 6/7 – 50m swim – 2K bike (1 lap) – 500m run (1 lap)
- Youth 8/9 – 100m swim – 4K bike (3 laps) – 1K run (2 laps)
- Youth 10/11 – 150m swim – 6K bike (5 laps) – 2K run (3 laps)
- Youth 12/13 – 200m swim – 8K bike (7 laps) – 2K run (3 laps)
- Youth 14/15 – 300m swim – 10K bike (9 laps) – 3K run (4 laps)
One strategy for keeping track of laps is to put a piece of tape on the top tube of your bike for each lap you need to complete, then remove 1 piece each lap. No more tape means you are done.
Aqua bike athletes finish times will be recorded when they cross the timing point at the end of the bike course as they re-enter transition.
You are responsible for knowing your race course. There will be marshals on course to help direct athletes but they are not responsible if you make a mistake.
Relay teams will exchange in transition at their bike rack location. The swimmer will pass the timing chip to the cyclist, who must have the chip fixed to their ankle before unracking their bike. After completing the bike the cyclist must re-rack their bike before passing the timing chip to the runner. Each athlete must have the timing chip affixed to their ankle throughout the race.
There is a 4 hour cut off for the race, starting from the 7 am swim start. Any athlete still on course after 4 hours will not receive an official time and cannot rely on support on the course.
The awards ceremony will happen adjacent to the finish line as soon as possible after the last finisher.