There’s a guy round here (MCA Fitness) who does some proper grass roots duathlons. £5-£10 to enter; stopwatch and clipboard type affairs.
He gets 100-200 per event and isn’t affiliated.
I did one, it was decent.
Then there’s Matlock AC who do the August bank holiday triathlon, with a MASSIVE fruit and veg hamper for the winner
That’s £10-£15 and unaffiliated and also one of the most memorable events I’ve done, loved it both times.
Not sure if the old 1485 duathlons were affiliated either? But they were also ace
Then the Nottinghamshire council ones. Again. All about a tenner a decade ago. Superbly ran. Really simple to just rock up and race
Wasn’t sure where else to put this but it would appear that the French triathlon federation is making the medical certificate optional now for races. The race entry I’ve seen just appears to have a health form that needs completing for a valid entry - not seen the form so no idea what it asks.
That is quite a change for France. Will be interesting how many races choose the option and whether other sports change too - it’s based on a law that was passed in 2022.
I suspect it’s partly the doctors that have instigated it. The demand on them has gone up, as it has here. Adding the annual visit from perfectly healthy people for a piece of paper was always a bit of a farce. Nice break in the day for them for a bit of a chat but I also had a laugh with my GP when I went.
It’s probably a policy which has arisen from looking at stats from other countries. Yes, people can die at events and the medical will catch some of them - but not all. On the other hand, needing to do the medical was maybe enough to dissuade enough not-at-risk people from an exercise program who could well do with one
Found the form in English. It would seem (from my limited interpretation) that organisers have challenged the insurance of whether the form or the med certificate is better. Both are really just forms and anyone could blag it. I suspect there’s been a lot more cases of “forged” medical certificates because doc’s appointments are just as difficult to get in France as they are here.
Which in itself makes a mockery of the medicsl cert need.
You must be seen by a doctor and have a medical certificate to prove you are ok to do this race. Or youve paid some money to an organisation and had no medical checks at all, that will also be fine.
looking at the examples you have been talking about especially the Australin farce, I have just been reading about USAT and they also seem to have lost their way “to participate in the long or standard distance world championships – you have to become a Platinum Member for $400 a year.”
I think there is an assumption that you have taken personal responsibility to check that you are fit to take part - which of course, most people don’t - so it puts the onus on the athlete and not the federation.
Which is interesting now since B***** , because French residents racing here need to arrange their own insurance (£5m public liability cover) to race BTF events
afaik if a French person has FFTRI membership then they can race in BTF permitted events without needing a race licence. it’s a reciprocal arrangement through Europe
