Civility among the racks: a primer on triathlon etiquette

By Amy White Slowtwitch.com 4/19/2002

Amy White, editor of the triathlon Web site Slowtwitch.com, offers some hints to newbies — and perhaps some reminders to veterans — of basic triathlon etiquette.

1.     Play by the rules. If you’re not sure what the rules at USA Triathlon-sanctioned races are, you can find them here: Don’t draft. Play fair. Plug your barends, plug your bar ends, plug your bar ends. This means make sure that you have a plastic plug that fits into the end of your handle bars and that it is notexposed metal. This can be dangerous.

2.     Don’t litter. I was surfing through the rec.sport.triathlon newsgroup the other day and there, in the midst of a discussion about the road conditions at St.Croix, came a mention from a competitor there about how he couldn’t believe how many people just threw their gel wrappers and water bottles into thejungle. Come on, people. That’s just revolting behavior. Carry your trash with you. 

3.     Don’t be a rack hog. If you get to the race early, set out your stuff tidily and don’t spread out like you’re having a picnic.

4.     And just as thou shalt not hog rack space, is it equally rude to arrive two minutes before the race start and expect your rack-mates to shoehorn you in. Ask nicely and be patient. 

5.     Keep your bike in good working order and go over it before the race. Don’t expect the on-site mechanics (if the race has them) to have all the answerswith the portable workshop they bring with them. And be nice. I’ve actually seen competitors treat these mechanics shabbily. Talk about bad juju.

6.     No flying elbows. Yup, seen those, too. I’ve been on the receiving end of one, and I’ve seen a fair number of them handed out. The one that was mostegregious, a man shoving a female competitor out of his way, well, he got a nice penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. You can either play nice because it’sthe right thing to do or play nice because you might get some time tacked onto your total. You decide.

7.     Be informed. Know the course. If there’s a pre-race meeting, go, even if you’ve been racing the course since the dawn of time. Listen. If a race directorwants your attention, there’s probably a good reason for it.

8.     Don’t hand your brain over at the transition area. You are still responsible for your own well-being. If you know the course, you’ll know where potentialtrouble spots might be: steep descents, tight corners, surf breaks. The race director is responsible for ensuring that the course is safe and the officials areresponsible for ensuring a fair race … but you are ultimately most responsible for your own safety. So compete safely and fairly. 

9.     Really mind your manners in the transition area. It’s chaotic. Go gently, especially in T1, and most especially at the mount-dismount line. You don’t wantto go toppling over, and you don’t want to be the reason someone else does, either. Not to mention the possibility that you can earn a penalty here fordisobeying the mount/dismount orders from the volunteers.

10.     If you can’t say something nice, say nothing. But if you can, in the midst of your own suffering, offer some encouragement to the athlete that you justpassed, or who just passed you, well … you get karma points out the wazoo.

I promise you that none of my suggestions will lose you time in the long run. And you’ll gain something in the process: the satisfaction of knowing thatyou’ve been fair and whatever result you earned, you earned completely on your own. Here endeth the sermon.