Bathurst Wallabies Triathlon Club can start planning for 2020-21 season

On Thursday, June 4, Triathlon Australia released its COVID-19 Smart Racing guidelines, to help support event organisers to create safer events amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

It has also permitted the sanctioning of events and races, but they are required to comply with the local state or territory guidelines and regulations.

Bathurst Wallabies Triathlon Club vice president Luke Patterson said the club is working towards having its first race of the 2020-21 season on the first weekend in November.

"Triathlon Australia are now open to sanctioning races. For us, that means we can look forward to a club season which is nice," he said.

"By and large, we're planning for a season, we're certainly headed in the right direction, but it remains to be seen what it's going to look like.

"We need to plan for that because they've offered some extra guidelines about appropriate distancing and hygiene measures and so on for training and racing.

"Triathlon Australia being the peak national body can't offer any advice at a state level. We still have to abide by whatever the social distancing rules are for each state."

While other state and territories may be able to host events, Bathurst triathletes may be unable to participate in them as many boarders remain closed, such as Queensland.

"Anyone wanting to travel interstate pretty much can't do it," Patterson said.

"Also, community sport hasn't been opened up which means we're still limited - at this point - to 10 people at any sporting event.

"We're just waiting for that to open up.

"Right now, you'd be heading into duathlon season and the big clubs and events aren't happening at the moment."

When the local season starts up in November, Patterson said the club will have to introduce some new hygiene protocols.

"Hopefully, the infection numbers remain low and the numbers we can run at any one time increases," he said.

"Some of the guidelines that'll will have to include is limiting the number of spectators.

"Online registrations - we'll be really pushing that this year - as well as online payments, so we're not dealing with cash.

"We'll probably lobby Triathlon Australia about signing our race waiver online because we don't want to sharing pens or bits of paper."

The Wallabies' season was cut short back in March when strict restrictions came in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Its final two races - one set for March 29 and the Carroll/Scott Memorial round planned for April 5 - did not go ahead.

And while it was a disappointment that the season was able to finish because of the coronavirus pandemic, the club considered the 2019-20 a success.