Race Briefing

This is your briefing for XTERRA Victoria happening on Sunday, July 7 at Durrance Lake.

Race package pick up is on Saturday from 2-5 pm at the Trek Store, 338 Catherine Street in Victoria. Race packages contains a swim cap that must be worn during the swim, a temporary tattoo that goes on your right calf, a bike number that must be visible from the front on your bike and a bib number that must be visible form the front during the run.

To apply the temporary tattoo, remove the cellophane covering, place the tattoo vertically with the paper side facing out, and wet the paper with a wet cloth until the tattoo comes away from the paper and sticks to your skin.

Parking for the event is on Willis Point Road. It is a 5 minute walk from Willis Point Road to transition. Parking is limited and we encourage you to carpool if possible.

The bike course will be marked by Thursday afternoon with orange arrows. The arrows will be placed at ground level with one arrow prior to and one arrow at each turn, wherever possible.

The run course will be marked on Friday with blue arrows. Both courses start and end in the parking lot of Durrance Lake Park.

Transition opens Sunday morning at 6:30 am. Only registered athletes and race staff are allowed in transition. Bike racks will be divided into Elite, Championship and Sprint sections. The spaces on the racks are first come, first served. There are six bikes per rack in alternating directions. Bikes must be hung by the nose of the saddle.

Equipment needed during the race must be placed on the non-drive side of your bike, not extending past the front edge of your front wheel. Athletes who store race gear bin such a manner that it interferes with other racers will be penalized and risk disqualification.

You may store other gear in one bag around the outside edge of transition.

Whether or not wetsuits will be allowed is based on water temperature and will be determined by the head referee on race morning. An announcement will be made as close to 7:00 am as possible.

Timing chip hand out will happen at the registration tent adjacent to the swim entry starting at 6:30 am. Transition closes at 7:50. The timing chip must be worn on your left ankle.

There will be a short briefing on the beach 5 minutes before each swim wave.

The first swim wave is the Elite wave at 8:00 am, followed by age group championship course at 8:02. The Sprint wave starts at 8:30. Sprint duathletes will start above the beach at the same time as the Sprint swimmers. The swim starts in  the water at the main beach. The swim is a counter clockwise loop marked by orange buoys. Pass the buoys on the right, keeping them to your left, except the last buoy before the beach which you will keep to your right. The last buoy marks a deadhead. Sprint swimmers will complete one loop of the course and Championship athletes will complete two loops, exiting the water and re-entering between loops. Swimmers may warm up to the right of the swim course. There is a cut off time of 1:10 for the Championship swim course.. Any swimmer in the water after 9:17 am will be assisted to shore and will not be allowed to continue. The cut off for the Sprint swim is 30 minutes, or 9:00 am.

The bike course is a loop course with an out and back section to and from transition at the lake marked with orange arrows. Sprint athletes complete one loop of the course and Championship athletes complete two loops. The start of the second loop for Championship athletes is the intersection of Old Payoff and the Regional Trail. It will be marked with signage and there will be a marshal at that location but it is your responsibility to know the course. There are no aid stations on the bike course and athletes must be self sufficient. There is a course sweep of the bike course during the race.

The run course is a loop of the lake trail and a loop in the Partridge Hills trails marked with blue arrows. Sprint athletes complete one loop of the run course and Championship athletes complete two loops, passing the finish line on the first loop and turning into the finish line on the second loop. There is an aid station with water and gatorade on the run course that athletes will pass twice per loop. The first run of the Duathlon is one loop of the lake trail.

There is a cut off of 4.5 hours for the race. Runners who have not started their last run lap by 4 hours will be advised that they will not officially finish the race. Anyone continuing after the cut off does so at their own risk but will not have support on course.

Awards will happen as soon as possible after the last finisher crosses  the finish line or at 1:00, whichever is earliest.

A reminder that the Championship course is the Canadian Cross Triathlon Championship. A Triathlon Canada representative will be on hand to recognized our National Champions.

If you have questions please do not email the race director. There will be an opportunity to ask at RPP on Saturday. We are looking forward to a great race on Sunday!