How to Enter a Swim Time for a Triathlon

While most swim legs of triathlons in the Virginia Triathlon Series are in open water, the New River Valley Triathlon is staged in a pool, the state-of-the-art, Olympic-sized pool at the Christiansburg Aquatic Center.

When you register for the New River Valley Triathlon, you will be asked to enter your swim time.

Here's the explanation from Set Up Events on how to determine your swim time:

Submitting and Changing Estimated Swim Times

This being a pool swim triathlon, it is necessary for participants to submit an estimated 100 yard swim time in MM:SS when registering for the event. We must have estimated swim times so that we can seed all participants (fastest to slowest) in this time trial style start.

Participants in this event start one at a time every 10-15 seconds from the start of the event to the end. The registration system will not allow you to complete the process without submitting an estimated 100 yard swim time.  We do it this way so the faster swimmers don’t crawl over the slower ones.

Changing Swim Times

Athletes have the ability to change their own 100 yard estimated swim times up to 14 days prior to the event. Participants can do this by going into the registration system and referencing the event they need to change their swim time for. Participants will be allowed to change their swim times as many times as they want until the date posted on the event page. NO swim time changes will be accepted after that date. All events lock out changes 14 days out from the event.

Swim Start Times

Specific swim start times for all participants will be posted at packet pick-up and the transition area.  Selected events may post swim start times on the website immediately prior to the event. This is when you start the event!  This is not optional.  If you miss your assigned swim start time you will be started at the very end of the event.

A Couple Hints

Below is a listing of swim times in MM:SS format for 100 yards. Read over this prior to submitting your swim time.

00:50 - 01:15:   Super Fast (In contention to win the race and you swim competitively)

01:16 - 01:40:  Fast Enough (still starting in the first 1/3 of the event)

01:41 -02:00:  Average Swimmer (Swim well enough and don't need to stop at the end of each lane

02:00 - 02:30: Novice (Still getting used to this thing called triathlon)

02:31 and up: Complete beginner/I want to start at the back