Where do I serve a time penalty, and how does the penalty tent work?
Rule- South Africa
- IRONMAN
- IRONMAN 70.3
- IRONMAN Competition Rules
- Long-distance triathlon
- Age-group 18+
- 2026
- Athletes
Under IRONMAN Competition Rules 3.02 and 5.05:
| Penalty given | Where it's served |
|---|---|
| Swim | In T1, as the referee instructs |
| Bike | At the next Penalty Tent (PT) on the bike course. The tent locations are in the event's Athlete Information Guide |
| Transition | On the spot where it happened |
| Run | On the spot, as the referee instructs. There are no penalty tents on the run |
At the penalty tent:
- Report to the next penalty tent and tell the official the colour of the card you received. Not stopping, or giving the wrong colour, means disqualification.
- The official marks your bike number with a slash (/), and you sign the penalty tent sheet.
- Stay for the full time: yellow is 30 s (70.3) or 60 s (IRONMAN), and blue is 2 min (70.3) or 3 min (IRONMAN). Then rejoin the race.
While in the tent you may only eat or drink what is on your bike or person. You may not use the toilet or adjust or repair your bike. Breaking either rule means disqualification.
Referees don't have to warn you before giving a penalty (rule 3.02 b).
Added 22 Oct 2026