Sprint, Go Tri, Tristars & mini duathlon

Donut Duathlon Spring

March 24, 2024
from 10:00 am

Which race? See below..

Overview

We hope we can return in 2024. Just waiting to see how 2023 pans out first.

The Donut Duathlon takes advantage of the Torbay Velopark to offer a fast, flat and completely traffic free duathlon course. Ideal for all ages & for beginners and seasoned athletes alike,  the Donut will help kick start your season with a flat parkland run, a fast ride on the smooth tarmac of the  Velopark followed by a shorter run to finish. For 2023 we’ve increased the length of the bike to 19.5k.

The Donut Duathlon is very family friendly.  We offer shorter distances for children aged 3 and above in the morning & the main Sprint race in the afternoon.

And there’s a Go Tri /Novice event for those new to the sport or who prefer a shorter race.

Medals and donuts for all finishers whichever race they’re doing!  For this event any roadworthy bike will do: MTBs, hybrids or road bikes are all fine. All races are now non drafting. See our FAQs below for more information.

What you get

  • Chip timing with transition splits
  • Traffic Free course
  • Professional event photos*
  • Donuts for all finishers
  • Finishers medals for all + podium medals
  • Personalised race number (entries 2 weeks before the race)
  • Secure transition
  • Numbered racking
  • Professional First Aid
  • Toilets & changing rooms
  • Public liability insurance
  • Caterers

* photos free with Sportiva Events logo at social media resolution. Hi-res downloads with no watermark & prints are available for an additional charge

RACE STATS

Sprint

SUN 24th MARCH
5K run
19.5K bike
2.5K run
Age 15+ on 31 Dec 2024
Start Time: 12:15 pm
Registration from: 10.30 am

Supersprint/Novice

SUN 24th MARCH
2.5K run
9K
1.25K run
Age 15+ years on 31 Dec 2024
Start Time: 11:00 am
Registration from: 9.30 am

Tristar 3

SUN 24th MARCH
2.5K run
7.5K
1.25K run
Age 13-14 years on 31 Dec 2024
Start Time: 11:00 am
Registration from: 9.30 am

Tristar 2

SUN 24th MARCH
1.25K run
6K bike
625M run
Age 11-12 years on 31 Dec 2024
Start Time: 10:25 am
Registration from: 9.00 am

Tristar 1

SUN 24th MARCH
1.25K run
6K bike
625M run
Age 9-10 years on 31 Dec 2024
Start Time: 10:25 am
Registration from: 9.00 am

Start & Mini Du

SUN 24th MARCH
625M run
1.5K bike or 900M scoot
200M run
Age 3-8 years on 31 Dec 2024
Start Time: 10:00 am
Registration from: 9.00 am

EVENT INFORMATION

Parking

There is plenty of parking in the Leisure Centre car park but you do need to pay for it! There is some free parking available starting a few hundred metres from the Leisure Centre.

Medals & awards

There is a medal for all finishers.

In addition we have podium medals for the Top 3 overall in each of the following categories.
Please note we operate a one prize per person policy. So if a vet is the overall winner they will get that medal & prize & the other Vet 40s will move up one place.

Sprint Awards: Top 3 overall, Top 3 Vet 40 male & female, Top 3 Vet 50 male & female, Top 60 Top 3 male & female.
Tristar categories: Top 3 boys & girls in each category. We also award special medals to Top 3 novices in the 8-10 age group & in the 11-14 age group.

FAQ

Is drafting allowed at your duathlons?

Drafting is not allowed at our events & you need to adhere to the British Triathlon rules. You can find the full guidance here on the British Triathlon website. We have run the Donut Duathlon as a draft legal race in the past but due to safety concerns have decided to make it non-drafting. That means TT bikes and aerobars are allowed at all our events.

Why do duathlons start with a run?

They start with a run because if they started with a bike, the drafting effect would mean a large & dangerous peleton on the road. Running first spreads everyone out. For more information about duathlons see our articles Top 10 Duathlon Tips Top 10 Tips for Junior Duathletes 10 Tips for Junior Duathlons & What to wear for a duathlon.

Can I get a refund or defer my registration to next year?

Sorry, we are not able to offer refunds as we start to incur costs as soon as we announce an event. However we now offer free name changes up to 7 days before an event with our booking software Eventrac and the chance to transfer yourself to a different event. Just scroll to the bottom of your email receipt and click the link which says  'online receipt'. You will then see options to transfer your entry to another event or another competitor. For all deferrals you must contact us a minimum of 7 days before the event and transfers are subject to an admin fee of £8 plus any difference in price. We've now enabled Refund Protect on all our events. That means for just 10 percent of your entry fee you can now insure against not being able to attend due to illness, injury, bereavement etc! Read what's covered when you sign up.

How do age categories work and what is the minimum age to compete?

For triathlons & duathlons your age group or your child's age group is calculated from your age on 31st December in the year of the competition. If, for example, you are 39 but turn 40 on 30th December you will compete as a Vet 40 for the whole of that year. Similarly if your child is 7 but turns 8 in December they are eligible to enter any Tristar Start event.
For events on open roads the minimum age is 15 or 17 for the longer Standard/Olympic distance events. However for our Pool-based triathlons the minimum age is 8 by 31st Dec in the year of competition or 5 for the Torbay Triathlons. And at our Donut Duathlon we have a mini duathlon with a bike or scoot followed by a run for children aged 3-7.
Just to confuse matters England Athletics (under whose rules we run most of our running events) use age on the day of the race instead of age at the end of the year.
Here is a summary of all the age groups (all ages are on 31st Dec of year of competition). Distances increase as children progress through TriStar. On our registration form just choose Tristar or Novice & you'll be automatically allocated to the correct category. The Novice events are aimed at children who are less  confident swimmers or trying triathlon for the first time.
Mini Duathlon ages 3-7 (only at our Donut Duathlon)
Mini Tri age 5, 6 & 7 (only at our Tavistock & Torbay Triathlons)
Tristar Start aged 8 (includes 8 year old novices)
Tristar 1 - aged 9-10
Tristar 2 - aged 11-12
Tristar 3 - aged 13-14
Youth - aged 15-16
Junior - aged 17-19
Novice 1 - aged 9-10 (same distances as Tristar Start)
Novice 2 - aged 11-14 (same distances as Tristar 2)
Senior - aged 20-39
Vet 40 - aged 40-49
Vet 50 - aged 50-59
Vet 60 - aged 60-69
Vet 70 - aged 70+

ROUTE MAPS

DOWNLOADS & LINKS

LOCATION

Torbay Velopark, Penwill Way, Paignton, TQ4 5JR


Fantastic event and loved my first time. Great to see the little ones being included too. Well done and see you next time
Mark Clements

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