Athena Weight

Good point, here where I live, one race org has cyldes as 190+.  I dont like that at all.

why not?  how does that affect you?

Here's the wording from the USAT site.  Looks like 160 pounds for an Athena is fine, but using 190 lbs as a Clydesdale is not.

What are Clydesdale and Athena categories? Are they required?
Clydesdale (for men) and Athena (for women) are categories that are based upon age and weight. The divisions are: Clydesdale 200 lbs, 39 yrs and under, Clydesdale 200 lbs, 40 yrs and over, Athena, 150 lbs 39 yrs and under, and Athena, 150 lbs, 40 yrs and over. They are not required. However if a race director chooses to offer the categories, they must follow the weight guidelines above. They may be combined into one age category per weight class, but the 200/150 lb weight guideline is a required minimum. Participants in these categories should be weighed at packet pick-up.

I have questioned this myself, as I weigh just under 160 (?something like that), but I'm 5'8" and did not consider this to be category I would fall into. If it's strictly a weight thing without considering "size," (not to put too fine a point on it) then maybe that's how I should have entered. In any event, I did not and my first tri is next month. There was a fellow in another post who is 6'3" and 210. He would be a clyde by weight even though he's pretty skinny. It's sort of confusing.

Clyde/Athena is simply a weight category, that is how it originated and all it was ever intended for. It was not designed to be a category for overweight people to avoid competing against fit people. "Size" has nothing to do with it. So the 6'3" 210 "skinny" guy can enter the Clyde category without worrying about if he is in the "right" category. Just like you could enter the Athena cat without worry. There are those that think that skinny, fit, tall people don't belong in the Clyde/Athena cats, but those people are WRONG. The skinny, fit, tall people belong in the Clyde/Athena cat if they want to race against people based on weight. They belong in their AG if they want to race against people base on age.  Actually, that is true for people of any weight/size. No one is "supposed" to enter the Clyde/Athena cat, it's just an option available to those that want it.

Now, I do believe that some races have created the super-clyde cats to give overweight people their own division. But that is more of a marketing decision by the RD.

Edited by lodewey 2009-08-21 8:49 AM

That makes sense. Thank you for clarifying.

Surprisingly there is a tri here in September that has the Athena weight listed as 135! 

the rule only applies if it is a USAT sanctioned race.  there are lots of independent tris out there that can call athena and clyde whatever they want!