Aquathons...?

I get the logistics behind it but for people like me that are SO SLOW on the bike - it would be kind of fun to do an event like that - swim and then run. 

I'm not even sure how to spell it!! Is it an aquathon? or aquathlon??

If you are looking to do an Aquathon, Sheri Fraser - a well known triathlon coach in SW Ontario - runs something called a Splash 'n' Dash every Wednesday night in Lake Whittaker, which is near Belmont, just east of London.  This is a very fun, OAT-sanctioned training event, where you swim a set distance, quickly change in to your shoes and head out on to a run.

Information can be found here:  http://sherifraser.net/?p=504

I attend this every week each summer - a great way to get your open water swims in.

Hi Marcia,

Bopper has pretty much hit the nail on the head. The logistical consequences of a Swim/Run would be challenging. A race is like a 10 act play with all of the players needing to take their cue at certain points during the day. Here are a couple of examples.

One of the biggest pieces is the deployment of police. In some instances the same police officer will be used on the bike and run courses. We provide them with timelines to be sure their post on the bike would be clear so they can relocate to a run location which needs police control. Police costs are approximately $80 per hour with a four hour minimum. For every four police we usually also have to pay for a Staff Sgt. and cruiser. All of this means we have to be very careful with police resources and the associated expenses. 

Then their is the need to deploy volunteers to the various courses just before they are needed. We do that so they are not out on a course for hours on end, they are volunteers after all and we need to respect them. 

There are also a number of issues with crew deployment, timelines for awards, post-race food etc.

I hope that answers your question.