Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Qualification Standards

2010 Age Group National Championship
Qualification Standards

Any athlete who wants to compete at the Age Group National Championship must qualify in their respective age group at a USAT-sanctioned event. This event is the only USAT National Championship for which athletes have to meet a strict qualification. 

Qualifying distances include: Intermediate/Olympic, Sprint, Long Distance Triathlon or Duathlon, and Short Distance Duathlon. You may qualify in any of these specified distances as long as the race is USAT sanctioned. However, each athlete will compete in the intermediate-distance at the Age Group National Championship.

To qualify for Age Group Nationals, all athletes must qualify within their age group division at the qualifying race. Qualification must be met in the age group category of a race (not in an open, Athena, Clydesdale etc. category). Qualification is based on the finish in your age group not how you are awarded. For example if you are pulled out of your age group and awarded in the masters or grand masters category compare your time to your actual age group to determine qualification.

Athletes can meet qualification at any USAT sanctioned event between August 1, 2009 and September 12, 2010. All athletes must be at least 18 years old by 12/31/10.

How to Qualify:

  • Special Qualifying and Regional Championship races will qualify the top 33 percent or top five finishers (whichever is greater) in each age group

    ** Note: If there are 35 athletes in your age group and you place 12th or higher you have qualified for the 2009 Age Group Nationals. If you place 13th out of 35 you have not qualified. 
  • Any non-championship USAT sanctioned (any distance as explained above) event will qualify the top 10 percent or top finisher (whichever is greater) in each age group.

    ** Note: If there are 25 athletes in your age group and you place 3rd or higher you have qualified for the 2009 Age Group Nationals. If you place 4th out of 25 you have not qualified.
  • Top 33% or top five (whichever is greater) athletes in each age group at any USAT National Championship in current and/or previous year automatically qualify.
  • The top 10 finishers in each age group from the 2009 USAT Age Group National Championship automatically qualify
  • Any athlete who has ever competed as a member of Team USA (triathlon or duathlon) will automatically qualify.
  • All-American and honorable mention All-Americans from the 2009 USAT National Rankings automatically qualify.

Note: All qualification is based on the number of athletes that start the race in your age group not the number that actually finish or have registered.

Athena and Clydesdale
There are no qualification standards for the Athena and Clydesdale division at the Age Group National Championship in Tuscaloosa, Ala. It is an open division in which athletes may register without prior qualification.

What do I do once I Have Qualified?
Once qualification is met, athletes do not need to do anything special except indicate where and how they met qualification on the Age Group National Championship online race registration system. There will be no other steps required. You will not receive a notification from USAT on your qualification as each athlete is responsible for letting us know in which race they qualified when they register online (see: Race Registration to register).

USA Triathlon will do an audit of those who have met qualification shortly after the athlete registers online. If an athlete does not get a written request for more information within two weeks of registering online, the athlete can rest assured that the entry has been accepted. From there, the athlete's name will appear on the participant list.

Team USA Qualifications

Who can qualify?

All athletes eligible to represent the United States must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen  OR
  • Be a U.S. national – someone who has resided in the US for three consecutive years and has not competed for their country of citizenship in the prior year.

Team USA eligible athletes must not have competed for their country of citizenship in the prior year. Athletes who choose to be recognized as nationals who have competed for their country of citizenship in the last year may get dispensation by obtaining a letter from the National Federation of their home country allowing competition as a USA athlete.

For more information, please contact the National Events Department.