Race Day To-Dos

• Eat only familiar, easily-digestible foods, 45 mins – 1.5 hours prior to start time.
• Continue sipping water as needed. Pee, pee, and then pee again – don’t worry, everyone has race day jitters.
• Get to the race early to secure a good spot in transition.
• Use a brightly colored towel so your area stands out.
• Organize your gear in the order you will use it — run through transitions in your mind.
• Practice the transitions with your child at home a few times before the race. Pretend they are exiting a “pool,” then jogging to their bike, taking off any swim gear (caps, goggles, etc.), and putting on their bike gear. Have them bike a few yards, return to the transition area, hop off, and run!

WHAT TO BRING

For the Swim

• Swim suit, tri suit
• 2 sets of goggles (you never know, one might break) – not required
• Swim cap – not required
• Brightly colored towel
• Sunscreen

For the Bike

• Bike
• Helmet
• Cycling shoes, running shoes and socks
• Sunglasses
• Water bottle(s)
• Nutrition
• Bike pump

For the Run

• Running shoes
• Race belt or T-shirt to attach your run number (safety pins will be provided)
• Hat/visor

Miscellaneous Items

• Sunscreen
• Vaseline, powder, bandages
• Warm change of clothes for after the race
• Post-race recovery drink/snack with a 4:1 ratio of carbs vs. protein

Race Day Information

• Transition area closes at 7:45 am. Once closed, parents are not allowed back into the transition area unless they are registered volunteers.
• There will be volunteers to help participants inside transition once the race begins.
• Participants will be seeded in their age group based on the estimated swim time.
• Participants wearing life jackets will swim 25 meters and will be first in the water at 8:05 am.
• Participants are assigned bib numbers based on their age group and estimated swim times.
• Your child will be assigned a bib number which is also the order of the swim start.
• If you miss your swim start time, you will go to the end of the line.
• All athletes must have an approved helmet with the chin strap fastened before entering the bike course.
• We will not require bike inspections this year, but recommend that bikes get inspected for your child’s safety.
• Bikes must have handlebar end caps.
• Bikers must obey all traffic rules/laws and race official instructions.
• Roads will not be closed to vehicular traffic; a portion of a lane will be cordoned off for bikers.
• Police and volunteers will be placed in multiple areas to help direct race traffic.
• The run portion will be entirely on Reston Association paths, and there will be volunteers along the course directing the participants.
• Training wheels are allowed.

IMPORTANT RULES – PLEASE READ

• Bring the helmet that will be worn in the race to packet pick-up for inspection.
• All participants must have inspection stickers on their helmets prior to race day in order to participate.
• Bike checks are no longer a requirement, but they are highly recommended.
• Inspections will not be done Sunday morning.
• No substitutions or registration transfers are allowed.
• False entry under another person’s name is an automatic lifetime ban from the Reston Youth Triathlon and will be reported to USA Triathlon for appropriate USAT action.

Definitions

Body marking – athletes will have their race day number written on their arm and their age on their calf.

Transitions – also known as T1 and T2, this is where your athlete will place their bike and all items needed for swim, bike and run. For this race, T1 and T2 will be in the same location at the parking lot of Ridge Heights Pool.

Race belt – an adjustable belt that holds your race number during the run portion of the race.

Parking information

• Participants park only at South Lakes High School in the lot next to Langston Hughes or by the track. DO NOT park along Seahawks Drive.
• No parking on Ridge Heights road or at pool
• No parking in the lower level SLHS parking area – bike/run transition.
• Overflow parking can be South Lakes shopping center.