Race Information

We hope you are looking forward to the Viridian Daventry Sprint Triathlon on Sunday 8th September. Please take some time to read this race information document prior to the event. A huge thanks to the event sponsors Viridian Nutrition, who have supported Rugby Triathlon Club and made it possible for this event to take place.

Additional thanks to Sheaf Street Health Store. Please help support these companies in the future as a way of saying thanks for making the race possible. We hope you enjoy the race! Please let us know if you do, or if you can think of an improvement for next year.

The essentials

Where to park:

Early arrival (before 08:00): Undercroft car park (off Welton Road)

Later arrival (after 08:30): Chaucer Way or Brook Street car park (off Ashby Road)

Where to register:Saxon Suite, Daventry Leisure Centre

 
Don’t forget:If you have not pre-paid for a day licence because you are already a British Triathlon member, you must bring your valid photo membership card otherwise you cannot race. This includes all relay entrants.
Race briefings:The race briefing will be held on the day at 7am, 8am and 9am. If entry numbers demand it, we may hold an additional briefing at 10am. It is your responsibility to have read the race briefing information beforehand. 
Swim starts:From 7:30am on Sunday.
Please be at poolside at least 15 minutes before your start time. Swim times will be available on this site 2 days before the event.

 


Car Parking

There are a number of car parks in use for the event. The closest car park is Undercroft, which is solely for the use of competitors and their spectators. The car park is at the end of Welton Road, which is off Abbey Street and behind transition. Please note: Entry to this car park closes at 08:00. Cars can exit from this car park from 09:00 onwards. Warning: This car park has a low entrance, and so vehicles with bikes on top must use alternative parking.

Alternative car parking is available at the Chaucer Way, or the Brook Street car park, which are less than a 10-minute walk from registration.

Registration & Information/Help desk

Registration is in Daventry Leisure Centre (Postcode NN11 4FP) – signs will direct you to registration from the centre entrance. Registration is open from 14:00 to 16:00 on Saturday 7th September and from 06:30am to 10:00 on Sunday 8th September.

We strongly recommend that you try and register on Saturday afternoon to give you a chance to ask any questions before you race. There is no registration outside the times stated above. There will be detailed guides in the registration area to help you understand what happens on race day.

Entrants under 16 on the day of the race: For any entrant aged 15-16 years, parental/guardian permission MUST be obtained. Please ensure a parent or guardian is present at the event registration to confirm entry permission. Where a parent/guardian is unable to attend the event, written/signed permission must be obtained. We will separately contact the entrant before the race to share a permission consent form. If written permission is not received the young person will be unable to compete. Under British Triathlon event guidelines, for those aged 16-17 years, there is assumed autonomy over decision making and therefore parental/guardian permission is not required.

Welfare

Rugby Triathlon Club is committed to upholding Safeguarding and have adopted the British Triathlon Federation Safeguarding policy to ensure the highest standards are met. There will be a Welfare Officer in attendance throughout the event. If any welfare concerns need to be raised please report them to the Welfare Officer via the race registration desk.

Photography

There will be a photographer at the event, and photos will be available after the event via the race Facebook page. Note that if you are under 18, we will specifically ask you at registration for your consent to use any photos. If you are over 18, please let us know if you do not want us to use your image in any photo release following the race.

Race Licences

Entrants that paid for a BTF day licence on entering will receive the BTF licence electronically (via email) prior to the event. Entrants that did not pay for a BTF day licence on entering must either show a valid British Triathlon Federation photo membership card or buy a day licence when you register (i.e. if not a BTF member, or unable to show your BTF membership card). 

All members of a relay team are expected to have paid for a day licence. Information about day licence requirements can be found here.

Is this your first Triathlon?

Please read through all the race information beforehand. Try and ride/drive the cycle course and walk or run around Daventry Country park beforehand.

We will be holding a talk and walk-through on the Saturday before the race, to help you familiarise yourself with the swim, transition and run course. You will also be able to ask questions. Our Club Coaches will explain what happens before and during your race and will answer any other questions. To take part, just meet at race registration at 16:00 on Saturday 7th September.


Before the race

At registration you will receive your race numbers. These must be worn on the front of your running top and the back of your cycling top. Please complete the details on the reverse of the race number, in particular the emergency contact details. If you have a medical condition, we should know about please write this on the back of your race number and put a cross on the front. Do not fold the numbers. Pin them in each corner. If you are wearing a number belt, use both numbers back to back (so the number is visible) as this gives it more weight and helps prevent the number from flapping.

You will receive 2 stickers. One must be clearly displayed on your bike (on the seat post) and one on the front of your bike helmet.

PLEASE NOTE: it is your responsibility to ensure that you have an approved cycle helmet to ANSI Z90.4, SNELL B90, EN 1078 or an equivalent national standard (NB: a CE mark is NOT an approval mark). See race rules here.

There is only one way in and out of the transition area when you come to rack your bike. Marshals will only let you in if your bike has your race number sticker on and you have your race number with you. You can only remove your bike if you have your race number – no number, no access.

Race Briefing

There will be short race briefings on race day in the Leisure Centre. Please note that attendance at the race briefing is compulsory. We will tell you about any last-minute changes to the course and inform you of any safety/ relevant issues which may affect your race.

This will also be a chance for you to ask any last-minute questions on the race, and speak to the race official. Race briefings will be held at 07:00, 08:00 and 09:00 An additional briefing may be held at 10am if entry numbers require it. 

Changing facilities

There are changing and toilet facilities for Males and Females on race day. Please note – this is also the only way to access the pool prior to your start time. Once you have changed, your bags can be stored in either the transition area or in the lockers in the swim changing area. There are no further bag storage areas. The race organiser has no responsibility for loss or damage to any of your property. 

For entrants under the age of 18, please note that there are separate male and female changing rooms. Within these there is shared adult and child changing with no individual cubicles.


Transition

It is recommended that you familiarise yourself with the layout of the transition area before you race. We operate an open transition, so there will be other competitors running through transition while you are racking or collecting your bike – please be considerate to these people and keep routes clear at all times.

Please note, only competitors are allowed in transition with a valid race number – no number, no access.

Your racking position for your bike will be labelled with your race number. Please take time to familiarise yourself with your position in relation to the exits and entrances to transition. Ensure that any kit you are using is stored to the side or behind your bike, and not in the routeways. Any kit that is deemed to be blocking routeways will be removed by marshals or the race official.

Please note that the marking of your bike position with the use of flags, balloons, powder etc is not permitted.

You will also need to ensure that you put your cycle helmet on and fasten it before you unrack your bike – it is an offence to remove your bike from the racking without your helmet on and fastened. Riding your bike in transition is not permitted. As you exit the transition, a marshal will indicate where you can mount your bike and start riding. 

As you leave transition, your split time will be recorded by your timing chip.

Relay teams

Inside the transition area will be a relay team holding pen. The swimmer will need to go to this pen to tag their cyclist. The cyclist (with the race number visible on their back) will then run to their bike, put their helmet on and then un-rack their bike. The cyclist should not wear their cycling shoes until they are ready to mount their bike at the bike racking position.


Swim

Please ensure that you are at the poolside at least 15 minutes before your start time. 

You will receive your timing chip, a colour-coded swim hat that you will need to wear for the duration of your swim and a compulsory swim briefing.

The swim takes place in a 25 metre pool, and so you will need to swim 16 lengths in total. A length counter will count your lengths for you, and will indicate that you have two lengths to swim by placing a float in front of you at the edge of the pool as you finish your 14th length.  After you have finished your last length, you will need to exit the pool, leaving your swim cap next to the length counter and then walk to the pool exit area. Please note – the decision of the length counter is final. 

If you get into any difficulty during your swim, either make your way to the side of the pool or roll onto your back and put your hand up – a lifeguard will come and assist you. Please note that there may well be other swimmers in your lane at the same time, so you will need to respect the indicated direction of swim and give way to any swimmer that taps you on the feet when you reach the end of the length.

Backstroke or tumble-turning is not allowed in the pool at any time.

As you exit the pool into transition, some of the route may be slippery and there are also steps out of the building so please take care. No running is permitted until you have fully exited the building, descended the steps and are on the way to the transition area.


Cycle

You must at all times, give way to traffic and obey the normal highway rules. Course marshals will report any cyclist not abiding by the Highway Code, which may result in a competitor disqualification.

The cycle route leaves the cycle mount area outside transition and turns right. Please be aware that you must give way to approaching traffic as you leave transition. Marshals will warn you if traffic is approaching, but it is your responsibility to look. From Lodge Road, you turn left along Eastern Way and go right around the traffic island. Please be aware that cyclists returning from the cycle course also merge onto this island. Heading back along Eastern Way, you then turn left at the next traffic island to climb northwards out of Daventry towards Kilsby. After 5.5 km, you turn left towards Barby and continue along country roads until 9.5km, where you turn left and begin a 3 km descent to the A45.

Please note: This junction onto the A45 is a mandatory stop with foot-down. This is to ensure all competitors check that the junction is safe to exit before proceeding.
Course marshals will report any the race number of any cyclist that does not stop and place at least one foot on the floor, which will result in disqualification.

After turning left out of this junction, you take an undulating 7.5 km route along the A45 and back into Daventry, going past the Lodge Road entrance to turn at the A425 island before returning back into transition.

Please remember that it is an offence to unclip your helmet before you have racked your bike. If you do, you may well be asked to return to the transition entrance to fasten your helmet properly before racking your bike. According to British Triathlon rules, any competitor who unfastens their helmet prior to racking their bike is liable to a time penalty, although this is at the discretion of the race official.

Finally, drafting rules do apply to this race – marshals on the course will record race numbers of any competitors who they consider to be drafting, as stated in British Triathlon rules. For details on what constitutes drafting, please see race rules at www.britishtriathlon.org/competitionrules.

Relay teams

The cyclist will need to rack their bike and make their way to the relay holding pen where they must tag their runner before removing their helmet. The runner can then exit transition (with the race number visible on their front).


Run

The run route leaves transition at the opposite end to the cycle transition exit, passes under Eastern Way and heads into the Daventry Country Park for one lap. At 4.2 km, there is a dog – leg out of the park and back in, before you return under Eastern way, along Welton Road to the top and then drop back down Lodge Road to the finish in front of Daventry Leisure Centre. There will be a drinks station positioned on the course so that you can make use of it at the halfway point of the run route.

There will be a medal and refreshments waiting for you at the finish.


Results and Prizes

Provisional race results will be available online on race day and will also be on the Stuweb race results website (www.stuweb.co.uk) within 24 hours of race day. These results will be provisional until confirmed. Prizes will be presented after the last competitor has finished and the results have been consolidated and verified. The presentations will take place either in the registration area or outside, depending on the weather. 

There are prizes for the first male and female triathlete overall.

Trophies are awarded for first male and female triathlete overall, first to third relay team overall, first to third Viridian Gold Team, and first male, and female in each of the following age categories:
15-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60 plus. 

If you have won a prize, you can only collect it on the day – we will not forward prizes to competitors. It is up to you to make arrangements to collect.

And Finally …

There will be refreshments for the duration of the event for competitors and spectators.

The race official for the day is a British Triathlon official. For clarification on British Triathlon race rules and regulations, visit the British Triathlon website.

There will be medical cover for the duration of the race. 

There is plenty of space for spectators – please invite them along to support, cajole and encourage you. Please ensure they respect other spectators. The transition, run and finish areas are very close to each other and so it is easy to move around and spectate. 

If they would like to volunteer contact us using the ‘Contact’ link at the top of this page.

Good luck and race well

Daventry Triathlon cycle route map
Daventry Triathlon run route map