Course Information

Swim Course

The swim takes place in the beautiful H2O Swim Centre Lake, surrounded by trees and sheltered from the wind.

• The sprint distance triathlon, relay, and aquathlon swim is ONE LAP of 750m
• The standard distance triathlon and aquabike swim is TWO LAPS, 1500m total.

As is to be expected with gravel pit lakes, there is sometimes weed present
in the lake. The Swim Centre works hard to keep any weed under control to ensure the swimming experience is as pleasant as possible. We will advise as and when necessary regarding any weed present.

Whilst the courses will be clearly marked with large marker buoys, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are familiar with the correct course for your event – details are in the video race briefing and there will also be a map of the course by the lake on race day.  There will be marshals on hand to direct you to the start and kayaks on the water to ensure that you are heading in the right direction.

Your time will start when you cross the timing mat just before you enter the water.

If at any point during the swim you start to feel unwell or are experiencing a problem, simply turn on to your back, raise your arm in the air and shout; a kayaker or support boat will come to your aid. There will be emergency cover at the swim exit.

Nervous swimmer? Need support at the swim exit?

If you are a nervous swimmer, you have the option to request a special coloured hat for easy identification in the water for peace of mind on race day, so that our water safety team know to keep a special eye on you. This will be available to you at registration, and also at the swim start if you make a decision last minute that you’d like this.

Water temperature

The lake temperature in early September is usually around 18-20°C. For up to date information on the water please check the Hi5 Swim Centre and their social media pages. BTF (British Triathlon Federation) rules apply regarding the wearing of wetsuits (please see page 11 of the rules linked in “Race Day Info” [link to tab]) – please not that these have changed in 2025. In short, if the water temperature drops below 15.9° then wetsuits will be mandatory; between 15.9° and 22° wetsuits are optional, and at 23° and above, wetsuits are prohibited due to risk of overheating, apart from for athletes aged 60 years and above, who may wear wetsuits up to temperatures of 24.6°. However, we strongly recommend that all but the most experienced and acclimatised athletes wear wetsuits if the water temperature is below 23°.

Swim warm up

There will be a dedicated area where you can get in the water before your start time, to acclimatise to the temperature if you so wish. If you are already familiar with the venue, this will be at the usual entry point for swims at the swim centre, from the pontoon. For those who haven’t visited before, just head towards the start and a marshal will show you where you can get in.

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Bike Course

The Reading Triathlon bike course takes you through the rural Berkshire roads, with some straight fast stretches and some gentle undulations too.

• The sprint distance triathlon and relay bike is ONE LAP of 22km (117m elevation), up to Mortimer and back through Grazeley.
• The standard distance triathlon and aquabike cycle course is ONE LAP of 40km (201m elevation) starting along the same route as the Sprint course. At Mortimer War Memorial the course splits and you turn right, where you will be taken on a lovely route through Silchester, Stratfield Saye & Beech Hill. You will then rejoin the Sprint route at the bottom of Mortimer Hill.

Most of the bike course is on open roads, but they are largely quiet. Any potholes or hazards will be clearly marked on the road.

We will have mechanical support available out on the course, but please bring a spare inner tube and tyre levers with you and carry them on your bike, as we cannot guarantee having suitable parts available. Also bear in mind that you may have to wait as we will have only one van covering the 40km bike course.

You are ultimately responsible for your own safety and your navigation of the course although we do have a great team of marshals to help keep you safe and make sure you are travelling in the right direction. Please obey the marshals, and treat them with respect and good manners; remember they are there for your benefit and are volunteering their time to ensure you have great race. Remember that most of the bike course is on roads open to traffic, so take care and always obey the Highway Code.

Key features of the bike course:

• There is one major right hand turn on the bike course which is a mandatory foot down junction for your safety and that of other road users. The turn comes at a busy junction, where Palmer’s Lane meets Goring Lane >>MAP LINK<<. At this junction you MUST stop and remove your foot from your pedal and place it on the ground, in view of the marshals. Failure to do so will result in immediate disqualification. Participants have been disqualified in previous years, so don’t assume it won’t happen to you! You’ll see good warning of this junction and there will be a marshal there, but it is NOT their responsibility to ensure you put your foot down.
• There is a course split after at the Mortimer War Memorial >>MAP LINK<<. Here Sprint distance competitors should turn left. Standard and Aquabike competitors should turn right.
• Standard and Aquabike competitors will complete the extended bike loop of 40km. You will then rejoin the Sprint bike course at the bottom of Mortimer Hill, turning right on the roundabout to rejoin the Sprint course.
• Sprint distance competitors should take care on this roundabout and give way (as per the Highway Code) to any Standard distance cyclists coming from the right.
• There is also one set of traffic lights on the bike course. However, these are on a section of closed road near the end of the bike leg >>MAP LINK<<. You are permitted to go through a red light here, but please do so carefully. No cars should be using this stretch of road, but you never know, and emergency vehicles will still have access.

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Run course

We have returned to our much loved, classic run course around the lake. 

• Sprint triathlon, relay and aquathlon is THREE LAPS totalling 5.4km.
• Standard distance triathlon is SIX LAPS totalling 10.8km.

The run is predominantly on a grass track around the lake, which can be slightly uneven at times. Work will be undertaken prior to the race to ensure the surface is as flat as possible, and the grass will be mown in the days before to ensure it is short. However, we cannot guarantee that there will not be divots or lumps, as with any trail run, so you do need to take care!

The run course will come through the race village and past transition so you will get plenty of cheers from the spectators each time you come through.

Water Station

There will be one water station on the run route, at the end of each lap of the run. Please note this year we will not be providing plastic cups in a bid to reduce unnecessary waste. You will need to provide your own drinking cup/bottle. We do have a collapsible cup to purchase on the event entry site.

Water and food will also be available at the finish, and if you prefer something more substantial there are hot food options at the lakeside kiosk.

Finishing your race

Aquabike participants, we know that finishing your race when you cross the timing mat at the end of the bike leg can feel like a little bit of an anticlimax. We are working hard to try and improve the finish experience for Aquabike competitors, to enable you to rack your bike, and then cross the finish line – we will confirm the details of the Aquabike finish once we’ve firmed this up!

We fully intend that all races will finish when you cross the timing mat at the finish line.

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Course Maps