When racing Ironman, the last thing you want is a subjective penalty in the bike segment. Below will give you a few pointers on how to avoid position and drafting penalties on an Ironman bike course.
Subjectivity is not an athlete’s friend.
On race day you want your hard work and training to showcase your abilities and you want to feel true to the words “You Are An Ironman”. To accomplish this goal you need to be aware of rules and not only abide by them, but visually show the referees you are following them. The bike course is where this is the most critical.
An Ironman bike course is where you are most likely to receive a penalty. Certainly penalties like littering or reckless riding are completely within the athletes control and should simply never happen. Drafting and positional penalties are more subjective.
The Ironman bike is a dynamic environment where athletes and referees are constantly making judgement calls about their position on the course and their proximity to their fellow competitors. Below are some tips to avoid position and drafting penalties on the bike course.
Ride right, pass left.
This may sound intuitive, but you have just trained for the better part of a year on open roads. Race day is different. You are now treated to closed roads (at least a single lane) and athletes have a tendency to drift to the center of the designated lane. This may be safe for you, but you may unknowingly block another athlete’s path. This drifting could easily lead to a penalty if a referee deems that you are impeding other riders. To avoid these types of penalties, be sure to ride on the right hand side of the road and only move left when you are passing another athlete.
Know how far 12 meters is.
The Ironman rules state that athletes need to hold a distance of at least 12 meters (approximately 40 feet) to the athlete in front unless passing, but what exactly is 12 meters? Do you know exactly how far 12 meters is to an object in front of you on a bike course? Of course not.
You don’t have a tape measure and neither do the referees. Drafting distance is completely subjective for everyone involved. This can lead to unfortunate drafting penalties when both the athletes and referees are trying to do the right thing.
I recommend finding static objects you see every day and measure the distance. Make sure this distance is greater than 12 meters. For example I have a tree about half way down my driveway which is approximately 16 meters from my mailbox (see picture below). I see this distance every day when leaving my house and when racing I try to replicate that distance. It’s much greater than 12 meters so I’m confident a referee won’t mistake me for drafting.
Make your intentions visible to the referees.
Referees are in a tough spot. They have no real data to pull from, they’re judging a completely dynamic situation and they themselves are moving as well! You can provide clarity for the referees by making your intentions visible on the bike course.
For example, if you are passed in an Ironman you are required to immediately drop back out of the 12 meter drafting zone. Instead of merely slowing down while maintaining your position sit up, stop pedaling, and clearly show the referee you intend to drop out of the zone. This will give you a little rest and will there will be no ambiguity on the referee’s end that you are actively moving out of the draft zone. Below are a few bulleted example of when signaling your intentions can help the referees.
- Signal with your hands before you pass someone.
- Move left before initiating a pass.
- Look behind you before passing to show referees you’re not intending to block anyone else.
- Sit up if you do get passed until you’re back to 12 meters behind the passing athlete.
With so much subjectivity on the bike portion of an Ironman, remember to stay present and telegraph your intentions to the referees. Know the rules, ride conservatively, and trust that when you get to the run your fitness will shine through.