Junior/Youth Elite
Before you do anything--read these important 10 Rules to Remember!
The Manitou Sprint Triathlon is a USA Triathlon Athlete Development Pathway Event. These races mimic the ITU World Cup and Olympic format of racing. Youth do not need to qualify for these events, but generally should have strong swim, ride and run skills. There will be separate wave starts for males and females in both the youth and junior divisions. For start times please see the Race Week Schedule on the Information page.
Description and Purpose
Youth F1 Triathlon: USA Triathlon’s Youth F1 Triathlon format provides a gateway into the talent identification pipeline for young teens. Youth F1 racing transitions athletes from entry-level youth, or “kids”, triathlons into the more challenging draft-legal format, while still providing age-appropriate racing distances. The purpose of these events is to enable more young athletes to gain competence in the draft-legal race format before they compete in national-level Youth Elite or Junior Elite Cup events. Athletes between the ages of 12 and 16 are eligible to compete in Youth F1 races. Events are comprised of a 300 – 400 meter swim, a 7 – 10 kilometer bike, and a 2.5 kilometer run.
Junior/Elite Development Race: USA Triathlon’s Elite Development Race format is intended to prepare emerging elite athletes for the ITU Continental Cup circuit. Elite Development Races provide a competition platform that engages athletes across a broad age range, from Junior Elite to post-collegiate, with the goal of engaging more athletes in the talent identification pipeline over a longer time period. The draft-legal sprint distance format also facilitates a shorter triathlon race preparation phase necessitated by these athletes’ ongoing participation in high school and collegiate sports. Athletes between the ages of 16 and 23 are automatically eligible to compete, while older athletes may petition USA Triathlon for invitation based on exceptional talent in swimming and/or running.
Race
All ITU draft legal racing rules will be enforced. Age will be consistent with USAT race age rules.
Register
Youth and Junior athletes wishing to participate in the “Athlete Development Pathway Event” will need to register for either the Youth/F1 or Junior/Elite Development Race specifically, not as an age group athlete.
Race Briefing
All youth/junior elite athletes must attend the mandatory race briefing on Saturday June, 12th at 2:00pm at the Ramsey County Beach, White Bear Lake, MN (Race site). If an athlete does not attend this meeting, they will not be allowed to race.
Rules
Athletes must race with appropriate ITU regulated equipment and abide by ITU rules and regulations. Go to www.triathlon.org for a complete list of rules.
Racing Clinic
A free pre-race draft legal racing clinic will be held on Friday June 11th at 5:00pm at the Ramsey County Beach, White Bear Lake, MN (Race site). No sign up is necessary for this clinic.
Course
Youth/FI athletes will complete one loop of the swim course, half of the bike route (6.75 miles) and half of the run course (1 mile).
Junior/Elite Development Race athletes will complete the entire age group course. There will not be multiple loops on the either the bike or run courses.
Other
For a pdf of the USAT's Parents Guide to Youth Elite and Junior Elite Cup Races--click here.
