Race organizing firm Pacific Sports will launch its new swim start process – SwimStream – at the Herbalife Triathlon Los Angeles (HTLA) on 29 September. Instead of using the traditional ‘wave’ start, the new initiative sees participants enter the water in ‘pace’ groups in a continuous stream through an access point, with their time starting when they cross a timing mat.
As triathletes run from Venice Beach to the Pacific Ocean, the new start process is significantly different than the old wave starts where competitors were grouped at the start by age, gender and/or weigh category. As noted by Pacific Sports, the SwimStream start is similar to the start of many marathons, where runners are positioned at the start by their anticipated pace-by-mile.
The new initiative reflects a continuing focus on athlete satisfaction and reducing anxiety during the swim portion of the race. (A review of the swim portion of all full-distance Ironman events continues in North America, and has led to Ironman’s two-phase SwimSmart initiative.)
Herbalife Triathlon Los Angeles participants will be allowed to self-determine the time they begin the swim. Those with the fastest anticipated swim time will be encouraged to start in the earliest grouping or stream. For the Olympic Distance event, this would be below 22 minutes; for the Sprint it would be below 11 minutes.
Race personnel will be holding signs indicating pace times and swimmers will line up in their appropriate anticipated time group.
“This process will help swimmers feel as much comfort and relaxation as possible when entering the ocean,” said Race Director Jack Caress. “It will also allow some variability if friends, members of a triathlon club, co-workers from a company, or family members want to swim together. The traditional wave method does not allow this.”
In addition to the comfort gained by swimming with competitors of similar skill levels and/or swimming with friends, the SwimStream initiative at Herbalife Triathlon Los Angeles also allows for a more continuous flow of athletes across the timing mat.
Each stream will have approximately 100 swimmers, and streams will go continuously until there are 400 participants in the water. At this point, athletes will be allowed into the water as earlier streams of swimmers finish and come up onto the beach.
LA County Lifeguards and HTLA swim coordinators will assist in controlling the flow of the swimmers (similar to turning off and on a spigot/tap).
Once the Olympic distance racers are in the water, there will be an approximate 10 minute gap and then the Sprint under-11-minute swimmers will start, and so on until all the competitors have left the beach. The Sprint starts once the Olympic swimmers are past the turn buoys heading south.
Pacific Sports is planning to use the SwimStream starts at selected triathlons that it produces where the venue, course and the size of field are conducive to the new technique. The swim segment, including the start, is often the most concerning to new and even seasoned triathletes.
Pacific Sports’ goal is to innovate the start procedures of its events and influence the industry as a whole to be more forward-thinking in bringing a more accessible and comfortable point of entry for triathletes.
In developing and implementing SwimStream, the Pacific Sports race production team worked and will continue working closely with lifeguards, timing companies, medical professionals and triathletes to improve and enhance the way it directs triathlons.
Founded in 1983 and based in Orange, California, Pacific Sports LLC is a premier sports consultation firm, specializing in event production, management, and corporate sports marketing development. Having produced more than 300 sports events in the United States, including the 1996 Triathlon World Championships and 12 US Championships, Pacific Sports LLC is dedicated to helping participants in all its events live an active lifestyle through ‘the creation, development and management of participant and endurance sports including those of running, swimming and cycling.’
The firm produces events around the world including the Herbalife Triathlon Los Angeles, L’Etape du California, Cleveland Triathlon, Triathlon Eugene in Oregon, Kring & Chung Newport Beach Triathlon, Rose Bowl Half Marathon, the Long Beach Triathlon, the Brooklyn 15K, CostumeCon 5K and the inaugural Brooklyn Triathlon.
