Competition Guidelines

Christchurch Runners

Last updated on : 12/04/05

Biathlon

A chance to swim as well as run. Three legs; run down to the beach at Steamer Point via Friars Rd; swim between the groynes; run back by the same route.

Again handicapping is difficult. The runs can have the fudge factor applied. However some of the fast runners are slow swimmers and vice versa. One solution to this is to make the swim not count directly towards the result, but just be a way of tiring the competitors in the middle. This can be achieved by having a fixed time for swimming.

Another alternative is to make it into a pace judgement event. Run for ten minutes, swim for five, back in ten.

For those who cannot, or do not wish to, swim there should be an alternative pastime like running along the beach to the castle and back. Again, if this is merely to tire the competitors out rather than counting directly towards the result then the issue of making a fair comparison between the swimmers and runners is made irrelevant.