Any child who is registered in our Short or Intermediate course can use a water noodle (that we provide at the event) to complete their swim portion. If your child is registered in the Medium or Long course, they must be able to complete the swim distance without assistance. We will have lifeguards in the pool for all course distances and they can help temporarily assist children if needed. We cannot allow personal flotation devices per pool rules – items such as water wings, puddle jumpers, or inner tubes. We do suggest that you work with your child to make sure they are comfortable swimming the distance in the pool in advance of the event. If they are not comfortable with the swim portion, consider registering them for a shorter distance course that your child will be able to complete successfully.

For triathlons, we recommend arriving 45-60 minutes prior to the start of your event to allow for parking, body marking, and preparing your gear in the transition area. When you get to the event, head to the Registration area and we’ll guide you through this process.

Please note that start times are an estimate. While we work to remain on the posted schedule, we may adjust start times slightly as needed to make sure all participants are able to safely complete their course.

We are dedicated to changing the face of triathlon, and its perception as a privileged sport, by reducing barriers to participation and providing access to all who wish to “tri.”

We are happy to help with equipment needs, and our partnerships with donors and local organizations allow us to provide bikes, shoes, and helmets to children who need it.

If your child needs something to help them succeed on race day, please email info@activeyouthwisconsin.org at least 4 weeks prior to your race, and we’ll work together on a solution.

If your child is not yet comfortable riding a two-wheeler bike, they can participate on a bike with training wheels, a balance (glider) bike, a tricycle, or even a big wheeler.

We do not allow stand-up scooters or any type of roller skates or inline skates.

Please contact us if you have a question about a specific type of “bike” you are considering using for the triathlon. We recommend that if your child is using a balance bike or training wheels that they register for the Short course option.

Unlike many adult triathlons, we do a rolling load-in/load-out for our transition area. This means that throughout the event morning, our transition captain and volunteers in the transition area will let you know when you can set up your gear and when you can enter transition to remove your gear. They will also provide guidance as to where to set up your items based on which course you are completing. Since some athletes may be actively racing while you are there to load in or out, you may have a short wait before you can enter the transition area.

The earliest that the transition area opens is 7am on the morning of the event. We recommend that you arrive 45-60 minutes prior to the start time of your specific course to allow time to complete body marking and prepare your items in transition before heading to the swim staging area to start your race. If you have multiple children participating in different courses, you may load in all of their gear at the same time; just communicate with our transition area volunteers and they will assist you.

We race rain or shine, so plan on coming to your race unless you hear otherwise from us via social media, event emails, or our website. We work closely with local law enforcement and the pool managers to follow their safety policies to determine if an event will need to be delayed or cancelled due to unsafe weather conditions.

If the online registration is sold out for the race or course you would like to register for, you can contact us at kbrasel@tri4schools.org to ask to be placed on a wait list. Should space become available in the race, we will send you a registration link to complete your registration. If you are interested in registering multiple participants and only want to register for the race if all your athletes can be moved off the wait list, please let us know.

If you should decide that you would no longer like to be on the wait list for an event, please email kbrasel@tri4schools.org so that we can remove you from the wait list.

We will finish processing the wait list after online registration closes on the Wednesday before the event, and we will confirm if we are able to offer you an entry for the event at that point.

Please note that course changes can only be made up until online registration closes on the Wednesday before the event. Contact us if you need to make a change to your course. We cannot accommodate any course changes at packet pickup or on the day of the race.

Required items:

• Swimsuit

• Helmet (make sure that it fits properly)

• Bike

• Closed-toe shoes

• Your race bib and safety pins (can be picked up at Friday packet pickup or on the morning of the race) or a race belt

• Shirt or other top (All athletes must have a top on for the bike and run portions of the event. This could be a swim shirt, swimsuit, or other top.)

Other items that you may want to bring:

• Flip flops or sandals to wear prior to the swim (must hand off to your adult when you enter swim staging area)

• Goggles and a swim cap

• Towel to dry off in transition (or two, if you would like one to stand on in transition as well)

• Socks (some kids wear their shoes without socks, but beware of blisters!)

• Water bottle filled with water

• Sunscreen

• Hat

• Sunglasses

• A jacket or long sleeve (for inclement weather – we race rain or shine!)

• Dry clothes for after the race

• Snack for just before the race

• A small amount of cash on hand

• Your phone or camera with lots of storage space for pictures!

Review the course distances for each event to help you determine which course will be the right fit for your child. We list recommended ages for each course, but your child will be most successful with their event, and happiest about their experience, if you choose the distance that matches their abilities, regardless of age.

Absolutely! Even if your child is the only one from their school, they can come to any Tri 4 Schools event.

We believe that nothing should stand in the way of your child’s health. Because of this, we offer financial assistance for children who qualify for free or reduced lunch at their school. Simply follow the prompts in the registration process for Training Teams or fill out this form to request scholarships or equipment.

Children six and under are allowed to have one adult helper join them in transition to assist with their transition process. If you are assisting a child in transition, we recommend that you wait for them by their gear in transition, as that is the fastest and easiest way for your child to find you, and their gear, in transition.

Children seven and older can ask any of our transition volunteers if they need help during transition. As part of your preparation for the triathlon, you may want to practice transition with your child to help them feel confident with what transition is like on race day.

Regardless of age, if your child needs additional assistance for any reason, please let our transition volunteers know, and they will allow you into the transition area to help your child as needed.

While it is our policy to not offer refunds, we work with families who provide advanced notice to transfer their athlete to our “at-home” race so that families can still pick up their race materials and their entry fee will still be donated to the school listed in their registration. If you can no longer attend the race you are signed up for, please contact kbrasel@tri4schools.org.

Course changes can only be made until online registration closes on the Wednesday before the event. Contact us if you need to make a change to your course. We cannot accommodate any course changes at packet pickup or on the day of the race.