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The minimum age requirement for the Sprint race is 16 and for the Olympic, it’s 18. Ages are calculated based on age as at December 31 of a specific year.
We typically facilitate race packet pickup at 2pm until 7pm on the Friday of race weekend and from 10am until 4pm on the Saturday of race weekend. We will finalize these exact times closer to race date. All athletes are required to pick up their own race packets. We do this from an insurance, safety and security perspective and not to be unduly cumbersome. This has been the case since race inception in 2012.
Numbered athlete assets such as your race bib, helmet / bike stickers, wristbands as well as your swim cap, safety pins and instructions.
Toronto beaches score exceptionally well when tested on the “Blue Flag” system. The Blue Flag is an internationally recognized eco-label awarded to beaches that achieve high standards in twenty-nine criteria including water quality, environmental education, environmental management and safety and services.
We conduct water quality tests in the lead up to, and during, TTF race week, and beginning in the spring, we are in regular contact with the City of Toronto (e.g., Beaches, Lifeguards, etc.) in order to monitor the area where the TTF swim takes place. There are water quality standards that must be met, and rest assured, the TTF and our provincial sanctioning body, Triathlon Ontario, are on top of these things. Athlete safety is a hallmark of the TTF and that won’t ever be compromised. We are on it.
The TTF swim takes place in the protected waters of Ontario Place and has been in this location since race inception in 2012. We have had, and continue to have, extensive discussions with relevant stakeholders including the Waterfront Secretariat, City of Toronto, Infrastructure Ontario, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Sport and Ontario Place, among others, and remain in the loop re plans / timelines for construction in the area. Given these ongoing conversations, we don’t anticipate any impacts to the TTF, including with respect to water quality.
No, all athletes are required to pick up their own race packets. We do this from an insurance, safety and security perspective and not to be unduly cumbersome. This has been the case since race inception in 2012.
The regular sprint distance is the “normal one”, if you will. It’s the “non draft legal” race and it’s the one for which the vast majority of athletes register. And the Triathlon Ontario Cup Series Race is a draft legal race for which only Triathlon Ontario athletes can register. This is part of the Provincial Federation’s (i.e., Triathlon Ontario’s) annual series of races for its elite athletes.
Yes, there are team relay options for the Sprint and Olympic Distance Races. Registration for these relays is now open.
Yes. Two or three athletes may take part in the relay.
Unfortunately, nothing is allowed in terms of things that make music / noise. This is all about safety – yours and your fellow athletes. Triathlon Ontario will be enforcing these rules and any such violations could lead to an athlete’s disqualification. Please take these rules seriously.
You don’t need to become an annual member of either Triathlon Ontario or Triathlon Canada in order to participate in the TTF. Nor do you have to be a member of a triathlon club. But you do need to purchase a Triathlon Ontario One Day Race License Fee (and the equivalent from Triathlon Canada), which are options within our online registration process. The Triathlon One Day Race License Fee is a nominal amount as opposed to the annual membership fee that that entity charges and for clarity, these race license fees do not accrue to the TTF but to the triathlon federations mentioned above.
Maps for each of the TTF races are on the TTF website.
The elevation for the sprint bike is quite benign, as the bulk of the ride is on the Gardiner (eastbound lanes), which is flat. The hills only come into play on the Don Valley Parkway (northbound lanes), which is only part of the Olympic bike course.
Athletes are permitted to switch race distances through the registration system until midnight on July 6, 2025. After this time, any race distance switches must be completed by the TTF manually during race weekend at the TTF registration desk, during TTF Expo hours.
No. Race entries are non refundable and non transferable.
There will be awards for Top 3 in each age group.
Yes, some TTF merch will be available post race. There will be some options available onsite during the Expo at the Champion System tent.
Info re 2025 spots will be updated shortly. In 2024, the TTF featured three World Championships Qualifying Spots per gender, per age group for the Sprint distance race. And the Olympic distance race featured two World Championships Qualifying Spots per gender, per age group.
For those to whom this is relevant, the EOI process is handled through Triathlon Canada / Triathlon Ontario, and as we understand it, they open up this process much closer to race date. They will email out info and we will also get the word out once the triathlon federations provide us with the detail.
Yes, there will be and this info will be available here shortly.
There is no bib for swimming, you will have a wristband and swim cap; for the bike, you will have various stickers, and for the run you will have a race bib. You can choose to attach the race bib to your shirt beforehand, or some athletes use a race belt instead.
Wetsuits are mandatory only when the water is below 14 degrees Celsius. They are forbidden when the water is above 22 degrees Celsius. In between, wetsuits are not mandatory, but are strongly encouraged, not only because of its ability to combat the water temperature but also because of its buoyancy properties. We would suggest you bring a wetsuit just in case, as the determination of wetsuit / no wetsuit is made by Triathlon Ontario officials just before the races are set to go. And for clarity, no swim leg in the TTF’s history (since race inception in 2012) has precluded the use of wetsuits.
For the swim, Triathlon Canada rules state a cutoff of 30 minutes for the sprint race and 70 minutes for the Olympic. For context, this isn’t really an issue unless an athlete is having difficulties in the water. As for the other legs of the race, there is no time cutoff per se, but we do have to give the highways back to the City by noon, so athletes have to be off of the Gardiner by 11:45am. Again, to assuage any concern, this shouldn’t be an issue unless an athlete is having serious difficulties.
You can swim with whatever stroke you prefer. Treading water is all good and athletes are even allowed to grab on to one of our kayaks if they need a breather, as long as no forward progress is made.
Check out either D’Ornellas or Endurosport – both are very helpful and knowledgeable and friends of the TTF.
There is a Transition Zone where all athletes prepare for the next leg of the race (i.e., swim to bike and bike to run). For clarity, there are no changing areas, per se. Most athletes will wear what they want to bike and run in under their wetsuits. Having said that, in the Transition Zone, you will have a designated area to rack your bike and to leave (limited) personal belongings – mostly gear related to the race. More info will be forthcoming through the Athlete Guide and Online Race Briefing which are disseminated closer to race date.
Unless you’re doing the Triathlon Ontario Cup Series draft legal race, tri bikes are allowed. If you are doing the Triathlon Ontario Cup Series draft legal race, time trial bikes, aero bars and disc wheels are NOT allowed – road bikes only.
Unless you’re doing the Triathlon Ontario Cup Series draft legal race, aero bars are permitted.
There is no limit on rim depth. And since these are non draft legal races, disk wheels are allowed.
For sure, a mountain bike is completely cool to use – and for the record, yours won’t be the only mountain bike out there.
The Transition Zone is an area where only athletes are allowed. In this way, all athletes leave their gear here, including, among other things, their bike, which is racked, and running shoes. So unfortunately, no friends in the Transition Zone.
There are aid stations on the run course – no gels – and these stations will have electrolyte drinks and water. For the bike course, bring your water bottle – we will have water refill stations in the Transition Zone.