Athlete's Guide to Triathlon South Africa Age-Group Triathlon 16+ 2026

Wetsuit use depends on the water temperature, the swim length and your age group (World Triathlon rule 4.2):

Age-groupers from the youngest category up to 55-59:

Age-groupers 60-64 and older:

Between those temperatures, a wetsuit is optional.

Related rules:

• In a non-wetsuit swim, you may not wear your bib number. In a wetsuit swim you may (rule 2.9).
• In transition, you may undo your wetsuit top on the way to your spot, but only remove it fully at your spot or a designated area, with your torso covered (rule 7.1).

Swim rules (World Triathlon rule 4.1):

• You may use any stroke, tread water or float. You may push off the bottom at the start and end of each swim lap, and elsewhere if the Technical Delegate allows it.
• You may stand on the bottom or rest by holding a buoy or a stationary boat. You may not pull or push on any object to move forward.
• Follow the set swim course.
• In an emergency, raise an arm overhead and call for help. Once official help is given, you must retire from the race.
• Contact: accidental contact followed by moving apart isn't penalised. Continuing to impede another swimmer without moving apart earns a time penalty. Deliberately targeting someone, or dunking, punching, scratching or kicking, means disqualification and possible referral to the World Triathlon Tribunal.

Maximum time in the water for age-groupers (rule 4.3):

Swim distances may be shortened or cancelled for very high or very low water temperatures (rule 4.4).

Is drafting allowed? (World Triathlon rule 5.5 a) For age-group triathlon:

In draft-illegal races:

• The draft zone is 12 m long, measured from the leading edge of the front wheel of the rider ahead.
• You may enter someone's draft zone only to overtake, and you must be seen to be moving through it. You have a maximum of 25 seconds to pass through. Several failed attempts to overtake in a row can be called as drafting.
• You are passed once the other rider's front wheel is ahead of yours. You must then drop back out of their draft zone, continuously moving backwards. Re-passing before you have dropped out is a drafting violation, and so is staying in their zone longer than the time allowed.
• You may be in a draft zone for safety reasons; within 100 m before and after an aid station or transition; at an acute turn; or where the Technical Delegate has excluded a section of the course.
• You must refuse others' attempts to draft off you. A rider who moves up to take advantage of a draft is responsible for avoiding it.
• Drafting off a vehicle is also banned. Its draft zone is 35 m.

In draft-legal races, you still may not draft off a rider of a different gender, a rider on a different lap, or a motorbike or vehicle.

Blocking (rule 5.7): keep to the side of the course. Riding in a position where someone behind can't pass you is blocking. It earns a yellow card, served at the next bike penalty box. The briefing tells you which side to pass on.

Penalties: a drafting time penalty is 30 seconds (sprint) to 3 minutes (long distance), served in the next bike penalty box. A second drafting offence means disqualification in standard and shorter races, or the third in middle and long distance. Drafting calls cannot be protested.

Length (World Triathlon rule 3.3 e):

Where age-groupers serve it (rule 3.3 b):

Stopping somewhere else counts as not serving the penalty.

How it works:

• Drafting: the Technical Official whistles, shows a blue card, calls your number and says "Drafting penalty, you have to stop at the next penalty box." It's up to you to stop there. Not stopping means disqualification.
• Other bike infringements: a yellow card, and you serve it at the next bike penalty box.
• Served in T1: an official with a yellow card stops you at your spot before you touch any kit. Touching your kit pauses the clock.
• In the bike penalty box: dismount, and tell the official your number, how many penalties you have and the card colours. The time starts once you've done that and ends when they say "Go". You may only eat or drink what's on your bike or on you, and no toilet visits, bike adjustments or maintenance while serving.
• On the spot: stop where the official shows the yellow card, safely at the side, until they say "Go". Moving forward pauses the count.

A second drafting penalty means disqualification in standard-distance and shorter races. In middle and long distance, it's the third. A verbal warning may be given instead of a penalty for an unintentional, minor infringement where no advantage was gained.

Under World Triathlon rules 3.9 and 5.6:

• Drafting penalties can't be protested. If you don't stop at the next penalty box after a drafting penalty, you are disqualified.
• A time penalty you have served can't be protested. Serving it means you accept it.
• For other time penalties, you can choose not to serve it. You are then disqualified when you cross the finish line, but you may protest both the disqualification and the Head Referee's decision to give the penalty. Evidence is only made available if a protest is lodged.
• The Competition Jury then either dismisses the protest and confirms the disqualification, or upholds it, removing the penalty and reversing the disqualification.

Disqualification (rule 3.6): for severe violations, such as repeated drafting or dangerous or unsportsmanlike conduct, a Technical Official whistles, shows a red card and calls your number with "Disqualified". You may still finish the race. Disqualifications are posted on the board in the post-finish area. If you're told after finishing, you or your national federation have 5 days to tell the Technical Delegate if you want to appeal.

Helmet (World Triathlon rule 5.2 g):

• It must be approved by a national accredited testing authority recognised by a World Triathlon national federation.
• Wear it whenever you ride your bike at the event: in the race, in familiarisation and in training sessions.
• Don't alter or leave off any part of it, including the chin strap or any outer cloth cover.
• It must be securely fastened and fit properly whenever you have your bike. If you move off the course, you may only undo it once you're off the course and off the bike, and you must fasten it again before rejoining or remounting.
• Any colour or design is allowed. The number stickers go on the front and both sides.
• Visors and helmets covering the ears are banned only in draft-legal races.

Bikes: UCI rules apply, as at 1 January of the current year. That means UCI time trial rules for draft-illegal races (most age-group racing) and UCI road race rules for draft-legal ones. Disc brakes are allowed. Platform pedals are allowed if they have a quick-release mechanism.

Banned equipment includes: headphones, headsets, technical earplugs, or smart helmets that sit in or over the ears; glass containers; mirrors; and any bike or part that doesn't meet the rules.

On the bike course (rule 5.1): obey the event's traffic rules unless a Technical Official says otherwise; you may only make forward progress while you have your bike with you; and you must race on the bike you checked in. Dangerous riding, such as passing on the wrong side, can be penalised.

Under World Triathlon rule 7.1:

Racking your bike

• Use only your own designated rack spot.
• T1 (traditional rack): hang the bike upright with the front of the saddle hooked over the bar, front wheel pointing into the transition lane. The Head Referee may make exceptions.
• T2: rack it either way round, with both sides of the handlebar, both brake levers or the saddle within 0.5 m of your rack number, and without blocking anyone.

Your kit

• Everything you'll use later must be within 0.5 m of your bin, or of the spot under your rack number if there is no bin. Only kit you'll use in the race may be left in transition.
• By the end of the last transition, all equipment must be in your bin. The exceptions are bike shoes left clipped to the pedals, and bike items other than your helmet and glasses that were on the bike from T1.
• You may set out bike shoes, glasses and helmet on the bike in T1.
• Don't mark your position: marks, towels and markers are removed without warning.
• Throwing kit away between the swim exit and transition earns a penalty.

Moving through

• No riding in transition. Get on after the mount line, with one whole foot on the ground beyond it, and get off before the dismount line the same way. Riding out of, or into, transition without trying to mount or dismount properly means disqualification.
• Inside transition, push the bike with your hands only.
• Don't stop in the flow zones, and don't impede other athletes.
• Undo your wetsuit top on the way, but only take it off fully at your spot or a designated area, keeping your torso covered. Nudity is forbidden.

Helmet: keep the strap unfastened while finishing the swim leg in transition. It must be fastened before you lift your bike off the rack, and stay fastened until you have re-racked the bike and let go after the ride.

Under World Triathlon rule 2.9, for age-group athletes:

Bib number:

• Mandatory on the run, and it must be visible on the front.
• It may be worn for a wetsuit swim, but is forbidden in a non-wetsuit swim.
• Use all numbering items without altering them, unless the Head Referee approves.

Helmet numbers (rule 5.2): stick the helmet number stickers on the front and both sides of your helmet, unaltered, with 1.5 cm of clear space around each one. No other stickers are allowed on the helmet.

Body marking:

• The organisers apply your race number to each arm, as close to the shoulder as possible, unless the briefing says otherwise. Multi-digit numbers are written one digit above the other.
• One calf, if not covered, is marked with your gender and age category. For example, F25 is a woman in the 25-29 category.

Only within strict limits (World Triathlon rule 2.2):

• Event personnel and Technical Officials may give drinks, nutrition, and mechanical and medical help, with the approval of the Technical Delegate or Head Referee.
• Other athletes in the same race may help each other with incidental items, such as nutrition and drinks after an aid station, pumps, tubular tyres, inner tubes and puncture repair kits.
• Athletes may not give another competitor essential race equipment while the race is on. That includes complete bikes, frames, wheels and helmets. If they do, both athletes are disqualified. Other equipment may be given only if the donor can still carry on with their own race.
• No one may physically push or pull another athlete forward anywhere on the course. The athlete giving the help is disqualified, and so is the athlete receiving it if they accept it or don't try to avoid it.

Leaving the course: if you leave the field of play for safety reasons, you must rejoin without gaining an advantage. If you do gain one, age-groupers serve a time penalty in the transition area (rule 5.1).