Rules & Code of Conduct
We ask all of our competitors, spectators and marshals to abide by the British Triathlon Competition rules (which include code of conduct) throughout the event. Please be respectful of your fellow competitors and marshals, practice good sportsmanship and have a good time! There will be a British Triathlon Federation technical official at the race venue on race day, to help ensure that the race is safe and fair. If they do speak to you on the day, please do listen to them, abide by their requests, and be respectful and courteous. For more detail please see the British Triathlon Competition Rules.
We are committed to providing a positive experience for all participants at the Reading Triathlon.
To this end, we ALL have a responsibility to behave appropriately. As a club, and in consultation
with Women In Tri UK, we have a race-specific Code of Conduct that we expect all athletes,
spectators, officials and marshals to abide by. Please read, digest and take note!
If you have any concerns during the event around anyone’s welfare or any safeguarding concerns,
our welfare office is Kate Kitto. They can be contacted through any of the race marshals helping
around the Lake, and by email afterwards here: welfare@tri2o.club.
Video Race Briefing
The video briefing for the 2025 race will be available here well before the event (link will be above nearer the time), and the link will be emailed out to all entrants. Once available please ensure you watch the briefing, and read of the race day information below. They both contain vital information relating to the race and it is imperative that you familiarise yourself with all of the information before race day. There will be NO live briefing on race day.
Kit Preparation
Think through each stage of the race: swim, T1 (first transition), bike, T2 (second transition) and
run, to ensure you have covered everything that you will need for race day.
Swim stuff
In order to moderate our environmental impact, we do not provide free swim hats to all athletes, so please bring your own swim hat with you. If you purchased a swim hat with your race entry, it will be available for you to collect at registration on the day. There will be a limited number available to purchase at registration, but we strongly recommend you bring a back-up hat even if you intend to purchase one on the day, as we cannot guarantee stock.
Check that your swim goggles are leak-free and don’t fog up. There are plenty of tips for reducing misting e.g. cleaning the lenses with baby shampoo (make sure you rinse it off!), saliva, or anti-fog spray. Consider whether you’ll want clear or tinted lenses according to the light and weather conditions.
A limited number of wetsuits are available to hire through the H2O Swim Centre; please email us at events@tri2o.club subject heading WETSUIT HIRE, with your height, weight and whether you require a male or female fit wetsuit, at least a week before the race and we will arrange this for you.
Bike & Run
Your bicycle must be roadworthy with tyres, brakes and gears fully functioning and in good condition, bike helmets are compulsory, and running shoes should be fit for purpose. The run course is grassy and uneven under foot so plan accordingly. If it has been wet and muddy, then trail shoes may be appropriate. Although by no means necessary, a lot of people find elastic laces in their running shoes very useful for a stress-free transition from bike to run, and these are relatively cheap.
Transition
You will need a race belt to which you attach your race number, as this needs to be displayed on your back on the bike, and on your front on the run. Relay teams will need to transfer the race belt from cyclist to runner. If you don’t have a race belt, we will have some available to buy at registration for £5. If you would rather use safety pins and have two race numbers, we will have a small number of safety pins and additional race numbers available at registration.
To summarise, kit checklist (not exhaustive!):
- Swim hat
- Wetsuit if you choose to wear one (make sure you know the rules on water temperature,
- see the BTF competition rules above, and the “Course Info” tab about the swim course)
- Goggles (plus spare pair, just in case!)
- Bicycle including spare inner tube / puncture repair kit & portable pump or CO2 canister
- Bicycle helmet
- Shoes for bike and run
- Race belt
- Flexi-cup or carry bottle if required – the event is CUP-FREE so whilst there will be water at the aid station and the finish, you will need a receptacle for it! You can buy a flexi-cup at the same time as your race entry, which will be available for you at registration, or just bring a bottle
- Consider whether you need sunglasses and/or cap/visor for bike/run/both
- Sun protection cream dependent on the weather
Key Timings, Start Times & Wave Details
6:00 Car park opens
6:30 Registration & transition open
7:45 Registration closes
8:00 Wave 1 starts – Female Standard triathlon (all) and Female Aquabike (all)
8:10 Wave 2 starts – Open Standard triathlon age groups 40 – 49 and 50+
8:15 Transition closes
8:20 Wave 3 starts – Open Standard triathlon age group <40 and Open Aquabike (all)
8:50 Wave 4 starts – Female Sprint triathlon (all) and Sprint relay teams (all)
9:00 Wave 5 starts – Open Sprint triathlon age groups 40 – 49 and 50+
9:10 Wave 6 starts – Open Sprint triathlon age group <40 and Open Aquathlon (all)
9:20 Wave 7 starts – Female Aquathlon
11:30 Podium presentation
Car Parking
IMPORTANT NOTE, remember that there will be NO ATHLETE OR SPECTATOR PARKING AVAILABLE AT THE VENUE – if you come to the hotel to park you will be redirected to the designated parking area.
Parking for athletes and spectators will be provided at nearby Green Park:
100 Longwater Avenue, Green Park, Reading RG2 6GP
https://maps.app.goo.gl/WTor1UoBTjYdda4F8
The car park will be open from 06:00 on race morning and is a 1.6 km (~20 minute) walk or cycle from transition; please allow sufficient time. Please be aware that there is a height restriction of 2.1m for the majority of the car park. There will be a limited number of spaces for cars with bike racks on the roof, but if you do have a choice, then bringing your bicycle on a rear-mounted carrier or in your car would be HUGELY appreciated. Please follow any instructions from our car park marshals.
When you are returning to the car park after the race, be aware that there will almost certainly be other athletes still racing, so please take care and keep to the left.
There is a discretionary £2 charge for parking – please bring change with you! ALL money raised will go to our chosen charities Sport in Mind and Women in Tri UK.
You can read Sport In Mind and its work in the local area here: https://www.sportinmind.org/
We are delighted to be partnering for the first time with Women In Tri UK, as Event Partners: you can read about the charity’s work here: https://www.fundhertriuk.org/
Registration
Race registration will open at 06:30 and will close at 07:45. Please see the map below for the location and layout of Race HQ.
Once you get to registration, there will be some bike racking adjacent to the registration tents to allow you to rack temporarily whilst you register. Please be considerate of other athletes and do not spend any longer than absolutely necessary on this short-term racking. At registration, queue up according to alphabetical order by surname BEFORE you enter transition and rack your bike. You will be provided with an envelope containing one race number, one helmet sticker and one bike sticker, and a bag label for bag drop (which is inside transition), and you will be given a timing chip. Please check that the number on the chip corresponds correctly with your race number. If you do not have a race belt, you can ask for an additional set of race numbers and stickers, so that you have one number for your back on the bike and on your front for the run, affixed with safety pins.
There will be instructions inside your race pack for how and where to attach your numbers. Aquathlon competitors, please disregard any stickers that you do not need. Check that all of the numbers in your pack are the same and ask if you are unsure. The timing chip is valuable – make sure the chip and Velcro strap are secure and wear the chip UNDER your wetsuit. If you lose it you will have to pay £50 to replace it – so please look after it! If you have ordered a swim hat or flexi-cup, they will be in your race pack.
If you have ordered a T shirt or hoodie, then this will be identified on the front of your race pack and the registration team will hand that over to you. If you would like to be identified as a “nervous swimmer” then let the registration team know and they will provide you with a hat for the water safety team and swim exit team to look out for.
If you have pre-arranged to hire a wetsuit for the event, it will be ready for you to collect at registration. Please bring the correct cash as directed in advance to pay for the wetsuit hire.
Check your race pack carefully in case you have won a Golden Ticket! We will be giving away a number of free race entries to the 2026 Reading Triathlon and some other prizes, in randomly allocated race packs –don’t miss out!
Once you have registered, make your way to transition (wearing your bike helmet, fastened and ready for checking) and rack your bike as directed by one of our friendly marshals. You can also leave your (labelled) bag with anything not needed for the race in bag drop, located within transition. You cannot take anything out of transition without having your corresponding race numbers and bike/helmet stickers. Only athletes and marshals are allowed in transition.
The Reading Triathlon is a British Triathlon permitted event. If you are not a home nations e.g. Triathlon England member, you would have purchased a day licence (race pass) when you entered the race, so you need to do nothing more. For more details on what your race pass provides you, see here: https://www.britishtriathlon.org/race-pass.
If you ARE a Triathlon England, Scotland or Wales member, you MUST bring your membership card with you to registration (digital is acceptable), otherwise you will have to purchase a race pass on the day, for £8, with cash. No exceptions!
The Swim Start
Swim starts will follow a rolling start format. Finalised race information will be updated here and sent to competitors by email by Wednesday 10th September, in which you will be allocated a 10 minute starting window for your wave. Please make sure events@tri2o.club is in your safe sender list. If you don’t see any mail from us please check the website here first and also check your spam folder before contacting us.
We will ask you to wait in the area outside of the tennis courts, until 10-15 minutes before your wave is due to start, then make your way to the start. Line up loosely based on your 100 metre estimated swim pace. There will be some signs at the side of the lake with four pace ranges …
- < 1:35 min per 100 metres
- 1:35 – 1:50 min per 100 metres
- 1:50 – 2:10 min per 100 metres
- > 2:10 min per 100 metres
This is the time that it takes to swim 4 lengths of a 25 metre pool at your race pace (not your fastest ever 100m!) Please don’t worry though; this is not an enforced pace, simply a guide, and if there is nobody standing in front of you, then shuffle forwards to the start!
By placing yourself in the right zone, you are more likely to swim with others around the same speed as you and this also minimises congestion and the need for overtaking, and so ensures a more comfortable swim for everyone.
You will then enter the lake over a timing mat, with competitors set off approximately 5-10 seconds apart, in a rolling format. Your race time starts as you cross the timing mat. In response to previous years’ feedback, we know that some swimmers prefer to swim with others in a group, with more of a “mass start” atmosphere. For that reason, on race day we will facilitate swimmers to move off at shorter intervals if they so wish, earlier in the waves, and will encourage those who would like to do this to move towards the front of their wave. There will be a member of the Events Team at the start with a microphone, helping give out announcements, updates and also setting you all off; the team likes to get to know our participants, but if you would prefer not to talk or be questioned, please just shake your head and/or say no, and we will respect your wishes.
Please remember, there will be NO live race briefing on the day. Instead, we will record a comprehensive race briefing at the venue available to watch here beforehand.
You MUST watch this briefing BEFORE you attend on race day, as it contains important safety and
course information – here’s another link (coming soon) to it, just in case!
Provisional race start times are as follows, but this MAY CHANGE:
Race Wave number & start time:
1 08:00 Female Standard Distance triathlon & Female Aquabike
2 08:10 Open Standard Distance triathlon aged 40+
3 08:20 Open Standard Distance triathlon <40 years and Open Aquabike
4 08:50 Female Sprint Distance triathlon & all Sprint Relay Teams
5 09:00 Open Sprint Distance triathlon aged 40+
6 09:10 Open Sprint Distance <40 years & Open Aquathlon
7 09:20 Female Aquathlon
Relay Teams
Relay participants will all need to collect their race packs at registration – one team member can collect all three. Relay change-overs MUST take place by your designated space in transition – nowhere else – and you’ll need to transfer the timing chip and strap from person to person here. When your runner finishes the race (and no doubt the team will be at the finish line to support them!), they should collect medals from the finish line marshals for all of their relay team members to distribute.
Cut Off Times
We are proud to be a beginner-friendly and inclusive race. We want everyone to have a fabulous race experience, regardless of how long it takes you to complete the race. For this reason, NONE of the races will have any cut off times. The last competitors will have just as many cheers as the first, and we want to celebrate everyone’s achievements. If you have any concerns about your finish time (this only really applies to standard distance competitors), then please do get in touch with the team via events@tri2o.club; we may be able to place you in an earlier start wave to allay any anxieties.
Podium Presentation
After you have finished your event please stay around for the Podium presentation Ceremony, encourage the athletes still out there racing the course and just enjoy the atmosphere. The presentation will commence as soon as possible after 11:30 am adjacent to the finish chute.
Event Village
There will be a range of support on hand for your every need before and after the event, and to keep your supporters and spectators happy and well fed. Our marshals are experienced and enthusiastic triathletes and if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to ask.
We will have two soft tissue therapists, Susan Martin and Kathryn Mitchell, on site for pre- or post- race massage – a great way to ready yourself to race and to aid your recovery after the event. Please bring some cash along and treat yourself.
We will have hot food available on site to purchase at the lake-side kiosk.
Barista style coffee and delicious cakes will also be available from the outstanding Cherry Picked Coffee mobile coffee pod, who supported the race last year and were universally popular.
Other KEY Operational Information
- Bring your own water bottle(s) and any food/fuelling for the bike course (there is no aid station on the bike course).
- Remember to use sunscreen if conditions dictate. As the swim is in open water, we would respectfully ask that you use sunscreen that is “reef safe” for the benefit of the aquatic environment and organisms.
- Mark the inside of your wetsuit with your name and contact details. Make sure you take the correct wetsuit home!
- For everybody’s safety, ear pieces / iPods / phones are not allowed in transition or on the course on race day. You will be stopped during the race if you are using any of these devices.
- Bikes can only be removed from transition with matching race number and bike numbers.
- No bags or boxes will be allowed at your transition area adjacent to your bike. There will be a bag drop area in transition for you to leave a small bag or box. We are unable to take responsibility for any loss or damage, so any valuables are left at your own risk, but this area is restricted to competitors only and a marshal will be allocated to oversee it at all times.
- We have amazing volunteer race photographers who will be publishing race photos available for you to download in the week following the event; further details will follow in the post-race email.
- When you are returning to the car park, please keep LEFT on the road, as there may still be cyclists on the route, coming the other way back in towards the hotel.
- Remember, bring your own water bottle or flexi-cup to fill up at the water station (or buy a flexi-cup when you enter).