What is Sanctioning?
The term 'USA Triathlon Sanctioned' indicates the race director (RD) has completed a thorough review of an event's safety. The swim, bike and run courses have been well-planned, and the race director has evaluated and planned for medical, emergency, safety and volunteer support and will conduct the event according to the USA Triathlon Competitive Rules. The process is online and can be both adjusted for changes and effectively integrated as a planning tool for race directors.
If you have any questions about the sanctioning process, please email us at EventServices@usatriathlon.org or call (719) 955-2675 Ext. 264.
Did You Know?
USA Triathlon sanctions numerous types of multisport events each year, including those with:
- Kayak/Canoe/SUP legs
- Cross-country skiing
- Relays
- Non-traditional Distances
- Beginner Focused
- Indoor Triathlons
and more! Contact EventServices@usatriathlon.org if you have questions about whether your event may be sanctioned.
Why Sanction with USA Triathlon?#
Athletes expect a worry-free experience when they register for an event. Participants should be able to arrive at their event with minimal distractions, leaving their sole focus on racing. Sanctioning with USA Triathlon provides that positive experience in the following ways:
An affordable, comprehensive insurance program that protects race directors, athletes, volunteers, sponsors and other race staff
Sanctioned races ensure a fair race, governed under the industry-standard competitive rules and are able to be officiated by USA Triathlon Certified Officials.
Sanctioned races provide ranking points for regional and national rankings and the opportunity to qualify for National Championships and, eventually a spot on Team USA.
Marketing your events through the Sanctioned Events Calendar, a comprehensive list of sanctioned events throughout the nation.
Results are stored for all sanctioned events on one centralized website.
Support of the National Governing Body by enabling it to develop new programming, grow the sport, and fund initiatives including youth participation, Olympic programming and paratriathlon.
USA Triathlon’s mission is “to grow and inspire the triathlon community”—a virtuous cycle that directly benefits each race director and all athletes at all sanctioned events.
USA Triathlon will only consider Sanctioned Events when selecting which events may host state and national championships or join USA Triathlon Race Series such as the draft-legal, gravel, women's series or Youth Splash and Dash events.
Sanctioning Fees#
The following fees apply for sanction applications completed at least 60 days before the event or the start of the clinic and are non-negotiable.
- Adult Event: $175
- Youth Event: Free
- Adult Clinic: $50
- Youth Clinic: Free
- Adult Event: $225
- Youth Event: Free
- Adult Clinic: $75
- Youth Clinic: Free
Receive $100 off your next USAT sanction application when you double-check the power and effectiveness of your registration platform with TicketSocket’s to ensure you are setting yourself up for ease of use, streamlined processing and increased marketing efficiency. Email eventservices@usatriathlon.org to set up a 20-minute call. Once complete, USA Triathlon will either refund $100 off your current sanction application or provide a $100 non-transferable credit towards your next.
Pre-Event Requirements for Race Directors#
Race directors of sanctioned events must complete the following before their event ends.
Sanctioning applications must be completed 14 days before the event or more. If applications are not completed in full before this deadline, the application will be declined.
A complete application means that all forms of the sanction application have been filled out and payment of all fees has been received. Please do not forget, an itinerary (for clinics) must been submitted with the application or be available on the event website.
- If you are hosting an event with athletes aged 17 and younger, you must have an active SafeSport training and cleared background check.
- SafeSport training must be completed on an annual basis and only SafeSport Trained, Refresher 1, Refresher 2 or Refresher 3 meets the annual requirement.
- Race Directors must submit and receive a cleared background check every two years.
- Race Directors should complete their annual SafeSport training and submit background check requests through their USA Triathlon Membership account.
If you have any questions about the SafeSport or background check requirements, please email our Compliance Team at trisafesupport@usatriathlon.org.
RDs will need a USA Triathlon profile to access the sanction system. If you have a USAT membership number and password, use that login information to access the system. If you do not have a USAT membership, email EventServices@usatriathlon.org and have our service team generate a profile for you.
Ensure all your event materials have the most recent USA Triathlon Sanctioned Event logo. If you need an updated logo, email eventservices@usatriathlon.org.
USA Triathlon Sanctioned Event Logo Standards
- The logo's shape or coloring may not be altered
- When resizing, its proportions may not be altered
- It may not be placed in a space that suggests USA Triathlon is one of the event sponsors.
Registrants must sign USA Triathlon's wavier in addition to waivers from the event itself.
It's recommended to have volunteers sign a waiver during the volunteer registration process, too.
Athletes racing in a USA Triathlon Sanctioned event like yours must have a USA Triathlon Membership. USA Triathlon has several membership options, from the Bronze level membership to the Silver, Gold and Platinum memberships. The Bronze membership offers a new tiered cost for the one-day membership, with the cost variable depending on the distance: $14 Sprint/Super Spring; $21 Olympic/International; $28 Long Course/Ultra; $9 Relay.
Post-Event Requirements for Race Directors#
Race directors of sanctioned events must complete the following after their event ends.
The following materials must be submitted to USA Triathlon within 10 days of the end of the event:
- Event Reporting form
- USAT membership money collected
- Signed waivers and membership forms
- Incident reports
- If no incidents, notify on the sanction application.
- Electronic results
- Safesport Personnel Tracker
- Swim Safety Report
- If you hosted a Youth Clinic/Event or an Adult Clinic, you also need to submit a registration list as part of post-race.
Most of these items can be submitted online through your event application on the sanction system. All waivers/membership applications collected by the race director must be sent to USA Triathlon. Post-race materials and waiver/membership applications can be scanned and emailed to eventservices@usatriathlon.org.
The electronic results file must be uploaded into your sanctioning application within 10 days following event completion. Ensure that the name on your result files matches the event name on the sanction application and that the results requirements have been followed. Incomplete files will be returned for correction.
Results must include the following information:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Member Number
- Gender
- DOB
- City
- State
- Zip
- Category*
- Final Time
*For category purposes, any athlete that does not compete in their age group wave will be considered open for that race. All athletes attempting to qualify for Age Group National Championships – Olympic-Distance will be required to race within their age group at any on-road or off-road triathlon race.
Result requirements will be strictly adhered to and all files not formatted correctly or missing information will be returned for correction. All results must be sent or uploaded as a .csv or .xls file. A results requirements form is available under the Documents tab in your USAT membership account, so please pass that on to your timers to assist them.
Each race within an event must have a separate sheet for results. If you have any questions about the requirements, email rankings@usatriathlon.org.
Should an incident arise at your event, you must submit an incident report
Please Note - Only the USA Triathlon Incident Report form will be accepted by our insurance provider. Reports completed on any other form will be returned.
Rules Enforcement
Use USA Triathlon Certified Officials
Every USA Triathlon Sanctioned Event must enforce the multisport rules, and USA Triathlon Certified Officials are the best way to do so! USAT Officials are trained to provide excellent customer service while educating on and enforcing the rules.
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