Event Safety and Rules

Safety Guidelines

  • Athletes are responsible for their own physical condition and are urged to train appropriately for the event (be able to complete the full distance and have open water swimming experience) and have a medical check prior to entry if required.
  • It is important to note that, while every effort will be made to ensure a safe and fun event, organisers and crew are unable to guarantee competitor safety
  • Qualified lifeguards will be patrolling the course for the duration of your event
  • Medical staff will be on-site with staff and resources at all events
  • A swimmer deemed incapable of completing the course in a satisfactory condition will be brought to shore by lifeguards
  • While in the water, all swimmers & SUPers must comply with the directions of lifeguards.
  • If assistance is required during the swim, swimmers are required to raise one arm so water safety personnel can assist. If this is not possible, the swimmer should roll onto their back to float in a relaxed position and try to alert a lifeguard
  • In the event of witnessing an injury/accident/medical incident during the swim, report this to one of the lifeguards on the water or on land as soon as possible
  • In the event of a withdrawal, please alert a clearly marked event official. Timing chips need to be returned to indicate the withdrawal
  • All athletes should be vigilant when turning corners, swimming round buoys, and making sharp turns on paddle boards
  • Athletes in the swim are recommended to wear a wetsuit for assistance with buoyancy and warmth
  • All athletes should think about post-race hydration – we recommend you bring some fluids to hydrate with after your race

 

Event Rules

  • All athletes must be present at the appropriate safety briefing
  • Athletes must start the swim within the designated area and in the start wave allocated to them
  • Athletes must follow the whole the course as instructed in the safety-briefing. Failure to do this will result in disqualification
  • Each swimmer must wear the cap provided in the swim pack. If more than one swim cap is being worn, the event cap must be worn on the outside.
  • No swimmer shall be permitted to use or wear any device which may be an aid to their speed, endurance, or buoyancy (with the exception of a wetsuit).
  • No athlete may use alcohol or any illegal, detrimental, or dangerous drugs, stimulants, depressants, or other substances with the intent to improve their performance, eliminate the sense of fatigue, or for any other purpose
  • Lifeguards, the Event Director, and the Event Manager shall have ULTIMATE authority to remove a competitor from the race if the competitor is judged to be physically incapable of continuing on without risk of serious injury or death.
  • No outside assistance is allowed except from event crew and our trained Lifeguards
  • Purposely obstructing or impeding the progress of other athletes in the field is prohibited. Doing so will result in disqualification
  • Good sportsmanship is expected of all athletes.  Fraud, theft, and acts of grossly unsportsmanlike conduct are grounds for disqualification. The determination of whether an act is deemed unsportsmanlike is at the sole discretion of the Event Director
  • Athletes are expected to heed directions and instructions of all event officials and public authorities
  • Participation in any event in the Beach Series events is at the discretion of the Event Director who reserves the right to reject or withdraw any athlete

The Event Director’s decision is final.

Any protests regarding decisions made by the Event Director or Event Manager must be made in person and received by the Event Director or Event Manager within two hours of finishing the event. You can locate the Event Manager or Event Director through the Registration Tent.

Full event Terms & Conditions can be found here.

Beach Series Rules and Age groups

1. Age Groups and Gender Divisions
The Beach Series will have the following age divisions for both male and female participants:
- 12 and under
- 13-19
- 20-29
- 30-39
- 40-49
- 50-59
- 60-69
- 70-79
- 80 and over

Participants will automatically be placed in the correct age division based on their age as of the date of the first event.

2. Events and Participation
The Beach Series consists of the following events:

Kids 12 and under
- 2.5km run
- 250m swim


Adults:
Swim distances: 500m, 1000m, 1500m, and 2000m
- 5km beach run
- 5km walk


SUP Races
- 4km, 3km, and 1km races
- Any specification board is allowed, but **motorized boards are not permitted.

Participants can compete in all events, but only their top 7 event results** will be used for scoring and ranking.

3. Scoring System
- Points will be awarded based on the participant's performance relative to the first-place finisher in their age group.
- 1st place: 100 points
- Other placements: Points are calculated as a percentage of the first-place finisher's points based on time differences:
- If a participant finishes within 10 seconds of the 1st place time, they may receive 98 points.


- For participants finishing more than **1 minute** behind the 1st place finisher, they may receive around 85 points.


- The exact point deduction will be based on how far behind the participant finishes, with steeper deductions for greater time gaps.

The formula for calculating the points will take into account:
- Time difference from the 1st place finisher in their age group.


- A sliding scale where smaller time gaps result in higher scores and larger time gaps result in lower scores.

4. Ties
- In the event of a tie in total points at the end of the series, the participant with the highest individual event score from any of their top 7 events will be ranked higher.
- If the tie remains, the next highest individual score will be compared until the tie is broken.


5. Disqualification and Penalties
- Any participant found violating the rules of the event, including unsportsmanlike behavior or non-compliance with event guidelines, may be disqualified from the event and/or the series.
- Disqualified events will not count towards the top 7 event results.

6. Series Final and Awards
- At the end of the Beach Series, awards will be presented to the top 3 male and female participants in each age group based on their total points from their top 7 events.


- Additional awards may be given for overall series champions and special achievements.

8. Changes to Rules
- The organizers reserve the right to make amendments to these rules during the season if necessary, and participants will be notified in advance of any changes.