USA Triathlon has provided race organizers with some helpful guidelines through a Safe Return to Multisport initiative, that contains a set of racing, event and training recommendations that will help the multisport community to safely return to racing. “USA Triathlon collaborated with world-class medical experts and leaders at all levels of the sport to develop useful resources to empower our community to get back to racing safely,” Rocky Harris, CEO at USA Triathlon says.
Race experience from last year helped USA Triathlon in bundling some helpful guidelines. “Many towns and venues across the US approved USA Triathlon-sanctioned races as the first events to be held during the pandemic. This was due in large part to the stringent safety protocols our race directors were ready to present to local authorities, as well as the outdoor and physically distanced nature of the sport itself. USA Triathlon sanctioned hundreds of races across the US in the last year, and there have been no confirmed COVID-19 cases among our participants associated with those events,” Harris says.
The first sketches for the Safe Return to Multisport initiative were made in May, 2020, but since then they have been continuously updated and expanded. According to USA Triathlon the program was developed in coordination with experienced race directors, medical experts, certified coaches, club directors, officials, athletes and endurance sport leaders. Of course, the program is based on recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and Occupational Safety and Health Administration and also follows guidelines by World Triathlon and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. The guidelines can be applied to races in any region, but depending on local measurements, different rules apply.
Through a free Safe Return to Racing Town Hall, USA Triathlon and Triathlete talked about the details of the initiative through a livestream that can be viewed on YouTube.
