Race Info

Get answers to all your burning Women's Triathlon questions right here! You can also email with questions, sign up for our race email newsletter, and watch for our FAQ page coming soon.

Swim Waves

Racers start the swim in waves, or groups of approximately 50-70 swimmers. Expect three minutes between waves. You will choose your wave when you register.

Elite Wave The Elite Wave will be the first wave to start. Athletes beginning in the Elite Wave should be experienced athletes competing for overall places and will NOT be eligible for age group awards.

Age Group Waves These are the regular waves and are typically organized according to age (e.g. 18-29 wave, 30-34 wave, etc). Some waves will have mixed age groups depending on the number of swimmers in each age group.

Buddy Wave If you want to start the race with a friend or family member, sign up for the Buddy Wave! The Buddy Wave will be the last wave, and Buddy Wave participants will not be eligible for overall or age group awards (but will receive the Finisher award!). We will also assign you adjacent transition area spots. You must indicate your interest in the Buddy Wave during registration or by contacting triathlon@ywcampls.org.

Novice Swimmer Cap

Make it easier for lifeguards to pick you out by requesting a novice swimmer cap when you register. This will help lifeguards easily identify you during your swim. Please remember that a swim cap is no substitute for training, including practicing in open water. For more information on swim training, see our Training page.

Noodle Swimmers

Need a rest during your swim? Look for our special "Noodle Swimmer" volunteers. They'll be easy to spot wearing orange swim caps and holding big foam noodles. Remeber, resting on a noodle, lifeguard kayak or board will not disqualify you as long as you are not making forward progress. Please note that the Noodle Swimmers are NOT lifeguards; trained lifeguards will be stationed along the entire swim course.

Transition Area

The transition area is where you store your bike and gear during the race, and where you change clothing or switch gear between each leg of the race. Only race participants and officials are allowed in the transition area. In addition, participants who have finished the event will NOT be allowed back into the transition area until the final participant has exited the transition area to begin her run. This will help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all participants. If you are waiting, help cheer on your fellow triathletes as you take advantage of our athlete goodies like food, massage and more!

Clothes Drop

Near the swim start will be an area staffed with volunteers where you may leave a small bag or backpack with clothes or items of your choice. It should be or will be marked or tagged with your race number. If you need warm clothes before the swim or will want something after you have finished, you may put them in the bag. Please be green: no plastic bags, please. YWCA drawstring bags will be provided at packet pickup. You may keep them for your personal use or return them at packet pickup or after the clothes drop so we may use them again. Note: The transition area closes at 7:40 for the race meeting (everyone must be out). And it doesn't re-open until the final biker has left on the run (to provide a fair and supportive experience for every athlete). We will publish the approximate time of the transition area re-opening closer to race day.

PickupPal Rideshare

In addition to connecting to other triathletes through Facebook and the Google email group, we invite you to join the Women's Tri PickupPal rideshare group to help reduce our carbon footprint. It's easy to sign up! Give it a try! Visit www.pickuppal.com for details.

Wetsuit Purchase and Rental

For an extra degree of warmth and buoyancy during the swim, consider using a wetsuit. If you're not ready to buy one, try renting one for a training swim or for the event itself. You can buy or rent your wetsuit at Gear West Bike & Triathlon. (Rentals are $40 and are first come-first serve. You can keep it from Wednesday through the following Tuesday.)

Medical

If you require medical assistance during the race, visit the medical tent by the finish line. It is staffed by volunteer doctors and staff from Women’s Orthopaedic Center and Sports & Orthopaedic Specialists, the official medical team of the YWCA Women’s Triathlon. In addition, medical staff will be out on the course and emergency services will be on notice.

Rules

The YWCA of Minneapolis Women's Triathlon complies with USA Triathlon rules. USA Triathlon has provided the following pdf file of the most commonly violated rules and penalties.

 »USAT Most Commonly Violated Rules and Penalties (PDF File)

Athlete Quote:

Just wanted to say THANKS to you and all the YWCA staff and volunteers for putting on such a great triathlon event!! The total experience, from training to finishing, was awesome. One of my favorite things about the experience was the words of encouragement I would get from women 10, 15 years older than me as they whizzed by me on their bike (presumably all the people in my 30-35 wave were already in front of me, chuckle chuckle). "Keep going, you're doing great," they would say. I was so inspired that I too started encouraging other women when I passed them. Thanks again, I can't wait until next year!