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First and foremost, every single competitor at a triathlon must know the rules of the sport.  This is not negotiable.  If you’re unfamiliar, here’s the link to the official rulebook on the web page of USA Triathlon, the sport’s governing body http://www.usatriathlon.org/upload/pdfs/usat_rules_download.pdf.  There's a tendency among beginners to view triathlon as a simple event in which you merely start when the gun goes off and stop when you cross the finish line.  When you compare it to team sports like baseball and football which have thick rulebooks filled with information, then this statement is relatively accurate.  However, when you sit down to read triathlon’s rulebook, you’ll find that there are actually quite a few regulations, the majority of which are designed to enhance safety.   Since I know you’ve already clicked on the link above and read the rules from front to back, I’ll dispense with repeating them all.  I will, however, highlight a couple of the commonly violated ones.            

5.3 Knowledge of Course.  Every athlete is responsible for knowing where to go on the race course.  Usually, the course is well marked with cones, lines on the ground, volunteers, etc.  Sometimes, though, it simply isn’t.  If you don’t know where to go, you’re more likely to ride unpredictably which creates a hazard to the riders around you.             

5.8 Illegal Equipment.  Under no circumstances can you wear any type of headphones during a race.  For that matter, any time you’re in any type of moving vehicle you should refrain from listening to music through headphones.  It’s not safe because you’re likely to miss important audible cues such as shouting or honking that could warn you of potentially hazardous conditions.              

5.9 Helmets.  As light and flimsy as they may seem, a bicycle helmet that meets the standards of the American National Standard Institute will save your life—the fact that I’m sitting here now writing this article is proof.  That helmet on your head serves no useful purpose, however, if you don’t buckle the chin strap.  Therefore, one of the first things I do in T1 is put on my helmet and buckle it.  In T2, I don’t take it off until my bike is resting on the rack.  Although I don’t recommend it, I’ve seen a handful of extremely safety conscious folks over the years leave T2 for the run while still wearing their helmets.  There’s no penalty for that unless one of your buddies happens to get a photo of it, of course.              

5.10 Position Fouls.  Here are some of the most commonly violated position rules:   

1.  Drafting.  Unless you’re an elite triathlete racing on the ITU circuit, you won’t be allowed to draft behind another rider.  If you’re new to bicycle racing or your bike handling skills aren’t up to snuff, you won’t want to be close enough to draft off of another rider anyway.  The rule book defines the drafting zone in great detail and you as the competitor should know it.    

2.  Blocking.  Always ride as far over to the right as practical, especially if you’re slower than average.  All passing should be done on the left just like it is on American highways.  If the person being passed is riding in the middle or on the left side of the course, it makes it very difficult to get around him.  Once you find a good line on the right side of the course, ride in a predictable manner!  That means if the course is straight and there are no obstacles, you should be riding in a straight line.    

3.  Passing and Overtaking.  If you’re passing another rider, it’s not required, but it is courteous to say “on your left.”  If the course is narrow, forcing you to pass somewhat close to the other rider, or if the other rider is weaving or otherwise riding erratically, you should always make an effort to say it.  If you’re the one being passed, you’re required to drop back out of the passing rider’s drafting zone before you can re-pass.  That means you can’t immediately Hammer to set up a nose position joust.  As soon as the leading edge of your competitor’s front wheel passes the leading edge of your front wheel, consider yourself overtaken and drop back.  Once you’ve dropped back the required seven meters, you can then set up a pass of your own.     

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