Okinawa International Triathlon

2020 schedule TBA

May 25, 2019 (Saturday)
at Hotel Loisir Naha
1300-1930…Race packet collection
1530-1615…Race briefing 1 (recommended; optional)
1700…Pre-race dinner (¥4,000; advance registration required) 
1930-2015…Race briefing 2 (recommended; optional)

May 26, 2019 (Sunday)
at Naminoue Beach
0645-0745…Transition set-up (at Naminoue Driving School) 
0700-0745…Swim Course Recce at Naminoue Beach 
0800…Wave 1 start
0803…Wave 2 start
0930…Swim COT
1100…Bike COT
1210…Run COT

Olympic Distance – Individual
General: ¥25,200 (price incl. Samurai Sports service charge)
JTU member: ¥24,200 (price incl. Samurai Sports service charge)

Olympic Distance – Relay
General: ¥42,800 (price incl. Samurai Sports service charge)
With at least 1 JTU member: ¥41,800 (price incl. Samurai Sports service charge)

Pre-race Dinner: ¥4,000

Additional Surcharges
・If total cost is ¥10,000 or less, you will incur a flat fee service charge of ¥1,000.
・If total cost is more than ¥10,001, you will incur a service charge amounting to 10% of total cost.
・Why does Samurai Sports implement a service charge? They help us cover the cost of operating the registration platform, translation of athlete guides/event information, labor hours required to answer your event inquiries, etc. Depending on the event, the surcharges help to cover the cost of our physical presence at the event.

Terms of Eligibility
・Age: Must be 18 or older by December 31, 2019 to participate in the Olympic Triathlon (must at least be in high school to participate in the relay)
・Japan Triathlon Union Membership: Must be a registered 2019 JTU member to participate in the Olympic Triathlon (optional, but recommended for relay participants).  Visitors and/or non-members must purchase the 1 day membership (¥1,000)
・Health: Must be in good health and adhere to all rules.
・Race Briefing: Must be able to attend the information session/race briefing the day before the race (only the team captain needs to attend for relay participants).
・Relay: 3 persons are mandatory for the relay (no 2-person relay teams)
・Wetsuits: Wetsuits are NOT mandatory; however, they are recommended.

Cut-Off Time (0800 start) 
・Swim: by 0930
・Bike: by 1100
・Run: by 1210
*tentative

Important
・Demonstrate good manners. All participants must be respectful of the natural course environment and do his/her best to preserve it. Be mindful of other runners on course.
・Be a responsible athlete. Please make sure you have the physical ability to complete the course.

Required
・bicycle (must be road bike)
・helmet
・running shoes
・proof of health insurance
・water bottle

Recommended
・nutrition/hydration (as necessary)
・Garmin or similar fitness tracker device
・race belt
・sunglasses
・visor/cap
・bike shoes
・socks
・towel
・sunscreen
・body glide / Vaseline
・plastic bag(s)
・mobile phone/smartphone (not on the course)
・wetsuit or swimskin

Rental Road Bikes
Don’t want to travel with your bike? Don’t have a bike? Just want to try a different bike? Rent a full carbon road bike* for 2 days – enough for a trial run and the race! Bikes are picked up at race packet pick-up day before race and dropped off in the finish/transition area after your race.

¥15,000/bike.
* Limited quantities. Women’s road bikes also available.
** All bikes include helmet, a bottle cage, and cable lock.

Official Okinawa International Triathlon Cycling Jersey
Celebrate the 3rd Okinawa International Triathlon with a unique cycling jersey! Made of a quick-drying, sweat-diffusing material to keep your skin dry, the official Okinawa International Triathlon cycling jersey is soft and light-weight – perfect for those warm, sunny days! With UV protection and three back pockets (2 for XS), this is a cycling jersey you’ll want to add to your collection. 100% polyester.

For more information, click here.

・Bicycles must be road bicycles and helmets must be worn at all times.
・Wetsuits or rashguards are encouraged but not mandatory; please note that seasonal migration of jellyfish may coincide with the race.
・Water stations will be located at the transition area and run course only.
・NO WATER OR AID ON THE BIKE COURSE. Please plan accordingly.

Check-In & Race Packet Collection
・Participants registered through Samurai Sports should collect their race packet on the day before the race. We will make exceptions, but you must email us beforehand.

On the Race Course
・It is your responsibility to fully understand the course and race environment. Participants who do not complete the correct number of laps will be disqualified.
・If you stray from the course for any reason, resume from the point that you strayed the course. Running in the opposite direction of the course is prohibited.
・Water stations will be located at the transition area and run course only. No water or aid on the bike course. Please plan accordingly.
・Follow all traffic rules even during the race.
・Keep left during the bike and run portion. Be cautious of other racers.
・Pay close attention to spectators and pedestrians who are crossing.
・Keep left and slow down when emergency vehicles are present. You may have to stop and yield to emergency vehicles.

Attire & Gear
・All athletes must wear swim caps that are provided (unless you are a relay team member not swimming)
・The use of wetsuits is encouraged but not mandatory.
・Must wear proper attire (both top and bottom) during the bike and run portion.
・Do not unzip your bike shirt. No bare torsos on the run. 
・Make sure your bike is serviced before the race. There will only be basic tuning at the mechanical service the day before and day of the event.
・Helmets are required while riding on bicycles at all times, even during warm ups.
・Take off any items on your bicycle that are unnecessary during the race, such as fenders, stands, and covers (lights and reflectors are permitted) #aeroiseverything.
・Proper body number marking – mark both arms with the 2 tattoo stickers OR get marked with a marker. If your arms are covered, then mark both thighs. If you are fully covered, please consult with a race/JTU official.
・We recommend using a race belt for your bib. Your bib should be displayed on your back during the bike portion and displayed on the front during the run portion.
・Taking pictures, listening to music, and using earphones/headphones are prohibited during the race for safety reasons.

Timing Chip (ankle)
・You will receive your ankle timing chip during the swim check. You will be disqualified if the timing chip is not worn at all times during all events. No exceptions.
・The timing chip can be worn on the right or left ankle. The timing chip relies primarily on Velcro, but you will receive a rubber band to doubly secure and fasten the timing chip. Relay teams will receive 1 sash per team.
・You must return the timing chip at the end of the race. You will be charged 10,000 JPY if not returned.

About the Swim Leg
・The race official or lifeguard will ask you to withdraw if they feel you cannot safely continue.
・Resting for a short period by hanging onto a buoy or boat is permitted.
・In an emergency, swim away from the course and float on your back to catch your breath.
・To be rescued, wave both hands in the air and call for help.

Transition Area
・Only racers are allowed in the transition area, spectators must remain outside. Riding your bicycle inside the transition area is prohibited.
・Place your bikes with the handle in the front of the rack and hang your bike on the rack from the saddle (not the handlebars).
・Place everything you don’t need after the swim and leave it in your transition area (i.e. swim cap, goggles, wetsuit, etc.). There will be a penalty for any dropped items on the course.
・Wear your helmet before taking your bike off the rack. Take your helmet off after you hang your bike on the rack.
・You may get on your bike after your front wheel crosses the mount line and get off your bike at the dismount line. There will be lines clearly demarcated on the ground and JTU officials will be onsite to assist participants.

About the Bike Portion
・You must have at least 1 water bottle on your bicycle. Do not use disposable plastic bottles.
・No water or aid on the bike course. Please plan accordingly.
・Keep left and do not ride side by side, unless when passing.
・NO DRAFTING. Riding within 10m of each other will be considered drafting and you will be penalized.
・If passing another cyclist, you must pass within 20 seconds or it will be considered drafting. Make sure you signal by calling out loud and pass on the ride side. It is prohibited to pass on a turn or corner.
・After passing, keep left until you gain enough distance with the cyclist behind you. The cyclist who is passed should ALSO SLOW DOWN to allow the passing cyclist to gain 10 meters of space.

About the Run Portion
・Pass from the right side after letting the runner know – don’t be a jerk.
・You will be photographed at the finish line. Take off your sunglasses and hat to identify yourself. Smile!
・After crossing the finish line, a volunteer will give you a race towel and take off your ankle timing chip.

Cut Off Time, Race Result, and Finisher’s Certificate
・There IS a cut off time for each leg – you should be aware of what these cut off times are.
・There will be a tent for results at the race. However, the timing management tent will be VERY busy and unable to attend to individual queries. Unofficial results for the top finishers will be posted at the race site for awards purposes; however; official results will only be posted on the official race site 24-48 hours AFTER the race.
・Finisher’s certificates will be e-mailed as a PDF after the race.

Relay
・There will be a separate holding area for relay teams near the swim and bike transition area.
・All members must wait in the relay holding area until their turn.
・Take the ankle timing chip from the previous member and make sure to secure the timing chip onto the next relay member’s ankle (either one).

Olympic Distance (Standard)…view general course map here

Swim 1.5KM / .9 miles
2x 750m (map)
at Naminoue Beach

Bike about 40KM / about 24.8 miles
5x 7.6KM (map)
from transition at the Naminoue Driving School, straight down then take a right at the intersection, u-turn, right towards the Tomariohashi Bridge , all the way down to the Family Mart, u-turn, repeat five times

Run 10KM / 6.2 miles
1 loop (map)
A segment of the run course (dotted on the map link) requires 2 loops. Finish at Umisora Park.

・Only the Olympic Distance is available in 2019
・Transition is no longer at Wakasa Park – it is further down at the Naminoue Driving School
・In 2018, the swim was cancelled due to forecast inclement weather (typhoon) and replaced with a 2KM run

・The 2019 bike course involves five laps on a lengthy (about 200 meters), steady climb on a bridge, which is altogether about 1.2KM (.75 miles) long.
・Each climb is about 35m (115ft) – altogether, about 490m (1,600ft) of climbing. Disc wheels are discouraged due to the possibility of strong winds on the bridge.
・Please note that the bike course map above does not seem to reflect this climb; rest assured, the bridge and the climb will be there on race day.
・The run is relatively flat but provides little shade.

Naminoue Beach (start)
1-25-11 Wakasa, Naha-shi, Okinawa-ken 900-0031
Google Maps

Umisora Park (finish)
3 Chome-3-1 Tsuji, Naha, Okinawa 900-0037
Google Maps

By Bus
From Naha Airport, take the Naha Airport Limousine Bus and get off at Naha Bus Terminal (about 15 min). Then, walk about 20 min.

By Yui Rail (Monorail)
From Naha Airport Station, take the Yui Rail to Asahibashi Station (about 11 min) and walk about 16 min.

By Car
From Naha Airport Station (about 10 min)​

Flying into Naha?
If you’re traveling from abroad and have a return ticket leaving Japan, you can take advantage of the Japan Airlines Japan Explorer Pass. Fly to Okinawa for ¥10,800 (tax incl., one way) and save on your airfare!

Parking
・Limited paid parking around race venue
・Parking will be available on a first come, first served basis at Umisora Park by the finish line.

Our Recommendation
・If you’re flying to Naha, please arrive by Saturday early afternoon.
・Return flights should not depart Naha Airport before Sunday 1600.

As with all events, please plan ahead and arrive early due to traffic congestion, weather conditions, and road closures.

Individual Awards
・Top 3 Overall Male/Female
・Top 3 Age Group Male/Female
・Age Groups: 24 and below, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70+
・(Age group awards exclude winners of the Top 3 Overall Awards)

Relay Award and Youth (under 18) Awards
Top 3

Olympic Distance Individual Results…click here
Olympic Distance Relay Results…click here

RULES AND REGULATIONS

In short, you must follow all Japan Triathlon Union (JTU) regulations, as well as local rules. All participants must take note of the following rules:
・Understand the rules, schedule, and course details before participating.
・Only those who are registered can participate in the race. Entry fees cannot be transferred.
・Refrain from drinking alcohol, get enough sleep and nutrients, and drink plenty of water before the race.
・Withdraw from the race at any time if you are feeling unwell. Have the courage to quit before you hurt yourself.
・There will be no refunds if the event is cancelled or shortened due to unforeseen weather.
・Reasons for shortening, altering, or cancelling the event include: (a) if the sea water temperature is under 64.4°F (18°C); (b) if the wind velocity is over 10m or waves are over 2m high; (c) if the rain or fog significantly impairs the vision (range of visibility is below 500m); (d) during natural disasters, such as a typhoon or earthquake; (e ) when the event organizers and officials otherwise decide the condition is unsafe and dangerous.

Penalties
・Anyone who violates race rules or shows unsportsmanlike conduct will receive a first verbal warning.
・If you continue to violate race rules or show unsportsmanlike conduct, you will receive a second time penalty. When you receive a time penalty, you must wait 1 minute per penalty inside the transition penalty area. You will be automatically disqualified If you do not wait in the penalty area.
・You will be disqualified if you receive 3 penalties.
・You will be automatically disqualified if you cause an accident due to unsportsmanlike conduct.

Dropping Out / DNF / Withdrawing
・If you drop out during the race for any reason, be sure to tell course marshals or aid station staff member your name and bib number. You may also be asked to return the ankle timing chip.
・If you are unable to so at the time, please inform race headquarters as soon as possible and return your timing chip.
・At no point should you run in the opposite direction of the race.
・Be aware of your surroundings and notify an official or volunteer if someone looks unwell or unfit to race.
・Emergency vehicles will be available on the course. Let an official or volunteer know if you need help.
・When an ambulance is present, slow down and keep left in single file.

GROUNDS FOR DISQUALIFICATION
・Participants who show inadequate respect for the environment and area by littering, entering areas off the course or other actions.
・Participants who fail to comply with instructions from race officials or course marshals.
・Participants who falsely declare their age, gender, and identification on their applications.
・Participants who commit wrongdoing.
・Participants who miss the starting time.
・Participants who fail to clear checkpoint cutoff times or those who do not reach the finish line by the final time limit. (Cutoff times are the times when you leave each checkpoint)
・Participants who fail to bring mandatory equipment.
・Participants who receive 3 (or more) penalties.
・Participants who cause an accident due to unsportsmanlike conduct.
・Participants who run with headphones or similar items that block external sound, excluding hearing aids.

GROUNDS FOR CANCELLATION OF EVENT
・The race may be canceled for various reasons, including when a weather warning is issued, the course is in poor condition due to extreme weather, or participants’ safety cannot be guaranteed.
・Depending upon weather conditions, the race may also be delayed, rescheduled or the course may be changed to assure participants’ safety.
・No refunds or credits will be issued. This applies to incidents in which the event is cancelled for any reason including personal participant circumstances (such as illness) and incidents in which the event is cancelled due to unforeseen weather conditions or natural disasters.

General
・ No refunds, deferrals, or credits will be issued. This applies to incidents in which the event is cancelled for any reason including personal participant circumstances of the participant (including illness and injury) and incidents in which the event is cancelled due to unforeseen weather conditions or natural disasters.
・Depending on the event, transfers and certain modifications to your entry may be permitted. Generally, entries may be transferable and/or permit modifications until 3-5 days before the last day of registration. After this period, all transfers are considered illegal and modifications will not be accommodated.
Participants determined to be violating the policies below may be disqualified without a refund:
・Any person found to be bib-swapping (illegal transfer of bib); the person will be held responsible in case of an accident arising from or provoked by the other person during the event.
・Any person found to be registering with inaccurate information, i.e. false declarations of the participants name, age, or gender.

・You will not sue the event organizers nor its affiliates (including Samurai Sports) for any injury or death caused during the event.
・ You consent to and will give all authorities and copyright to the event organizer and affiliates for the use of photography, motion pictures, articles, recordings or any other record of this event (including personal information such as name, age, gender, personal record, portrait, and etc.) for legitimate purposes and use in newspapers, TV, magazines, internet and any media publishing such as Facebook posts, Instagram posts, and pamphlets.

Insurance
・ Those participating and coming from abroad must be enrolled in medical and/or travel insurance in case of accident, injury, and medical emergencies.
・ Before signing up, please carefully read all rules and regulations of the event. If the rules and regulations cannot be followed, participation may be denied by the event organizers. If anything is unclear, please do not hesitate to contact us – it is your responsibility to be prepared.

Privacy
・The organizer is aware of the importance of your personal information. The use of personal information conforms to the organizer’s privacy protection law.
・Your personal information is used to provide you valuable services, such as race information, results, service from race affiliates, result ranking, and etc.
・The organizer may release your personal information when your life or body is in a life-threatening situation.
・The race organizer and its affiliates may contact you regarding your registration information.

Athlete Guides
・In most cases, athlete guides in English will be sent via email approximately 7-21 days before the event. However, the delivery of athlete guides is entirely dependent on the timeliness of the event organizers. Samurai Sports takes approximately one to two days from receipt of the Japanese athlete guide to translate into English.

Additional Surcharges
・If total cost is ¥10,000 or less, you will incur a flat fee service charge of ¥1,000.
・If total cost is more than ¥10,001, you will incur a service charge amounting to 10% of total cost.
・Why the additional charges? They help us cover the cost of operating the registration platform, translation of athlete guides/event information, labor hours required to answer your event inquiries, etc. Depending on the event, the surcharges help to cover the cost of our physical presence at the event.

・ Naha Beachside Hotel (official race hotel)
・ Hotel Loisir
・ ANA Crowne Plaza Okinawa Harborview Hotel

Okinawa International Triathlon Organizing Committee

English​
info@samuraisports.co.jp

Japanese
048-778-5880
info@triathlon.okinawa

Official Website (Japanese)
http://triathlon.okinawa/