CLICK HERE TO SEE THE 2023 SWIM WAVES.

Notes about the swim waves:

  • The Door County Triathlon employs a hybrid wave/time trial start. Participants will be called into the start chutes by wave assignment. Once in the chute, they will start in “time trial” format, individually one-at-a-time on the beach on the race director’s signal. Your timing will start when you cross the start line mat.
  • Bib numbers are NOT pre-assigned.  Participants receive their bib number at packet pick up.
  • Wave start times are rough estimates. ALL participants should plan to arrive to the beach by 7:50 am for final announcements and national anthem before the race begins.
  • Per USA Triathlon guidelines, participants are assigned to the swim wave corresponding to their end-of-year age (i.e. age on December 31, 2023) and gender.  You must start in your assigned wave.
  • The first wave is Swim Wave One.  Anybody may opt into this wave but doing so eliminates age group award ranking and eligibility.  This wave typically consists of extremely competitive athletes concerned only with overall ranking as well as participants who are nervous about how long they will be on the course.  There is a Noon cut-off to finish the Sprint on Saturday.  On Sunday, the Half Iron event has a 2:00 pm bike-to-run cut-off and a 5:30 pm overall cut-off.  Participants may still opt into or out of Swim Wave One on race weekend by going to the Troubleshooting Desk.
  • Any relay swimmers that are also competing as individuals must start in their age/gender group.
  • Every year, we allow participants age 50+ to go ahead of the younger age group waves to speed up the day for those competitors.  After that, the waves go from youngest to oldest (45-49).  In odd years–INCLUDING THIS YEAR–the women go first while in even years the men go first.
  • Kids’ Triathlon participants compete in their end-of-year age bracket (boys & girls). The Kids’ Triathlon has a time trial (one-participant-at-a-time) start and goes in the order of the wave colors — red (age 6) then white (ages 7 & 8) then blue (ages 9-10) then yellow (ages 11-14). Kids must start within their wave color which will be assigned at packet pick up.