How do the age groups work.

[vo2max 34]

I'm just wonder ing what age group I will be in next year.  I turn 54 in December this year.  Does that mean I go up from the oldies to the really oldies.

[Cat Lady 827]

Nope still a youngster - it’s 50-54, then 55-59.  And it’s the age you are at 30 December.  Next year you can join the truely decrepit ones.

[Nath. 405]

It depends on which races you do.

IM branded races it is worked out on how old you will be when the world champs for that event are held. Eg if you race an IM it is how old you’ll be when Kona is raced.

For other races it is by Tri Aust rules which is different. Something to do with age at end in season, but I think they use the duckworth Lewis system...

[Rob 365]

Not sure, but I thought IM branded races are based on your age for the actual race.

Whereas Local races and ITU keep you in the same age for the whole season based on your age as at 31st December. If trying to qualify for ITU Worlds (which will be in the next season), you race under your current age group, but qualify for the age group you will be for the Worlds (which can be different).

[MissJess 687]

All Australian based age group races are based on your age as of 31st December in that financial year. So if you race on July 1, 2018;

• If you are turning 30 before 31/12/2018 you will be 30-34
• If you are turning 30 after 31/12/2018 you will be 25-29

The exception are ITU Juniors - An athlete’s age is determined by their age on December 31st in the year of competition, they age up on January 1;

• Athletes aged 15 to 17 years old are eligible to compete in the Youth category;
• Athletes aged 16 to 19 years old are eligible to compete in the Junior category;
• Athletes aged 18 to 23 years old are eligible to compete in the U23 category;

[trifun 446]

2 hours ago, MissJess said:

All Australian based age group races are based on your age as of 31st December in that financial year. So if you race on July 1, 2018;

• If you are turning 30 before 31/12/2018 you will be 30-34
• If you are turning 30 after 31/12/2018 you will be 25-29

The exception are ITU Juniors - An athlete’s age is determined by their age on December 31st in the year of competition, they age up on January 1;

• Athletes aged 15 to 17 years old are eligible to compete in the Youth category;
• Athletes aged 16 to 19 years old are eligible to compete in the Junior category;
• Athletes aged 18 to 23 years old are eligible to compete in the U23 category;

After years of different races using age on race day - and independent series' eg the ""Qld Tri-Series " (run by "The Event Crew Pty Ltd" not TQ) also choosing their own arbitrary determination dates - making the situation for athletes confusing as they raced different people each week and really challenging for people running pointscores across multiple race directors' events (eg the old: Tri Qld point score, the MSM Races of Excellence" poinscore or the TA Cadbury Series pointscore) . After many meetings, the state associations decided to adopt standardised racing AG determination dates (a bit like all racehorses having the same birthday). So then for many years TA used the "race in the AG that you are in the year of competition" using 1 July as the demarcation date (makes sense as our (southern hemisphere) competition season is from basically 1 Sept through to 30 May and therefore everyone was in the same AG as they were on the first tri of the season, and lined up nicely with the Australian financial year as well. Then a while back some sycophants in TA decided we should sync our AG date with the northern hemisphere AG determination date  (31 Dec) which in the Northern Hemisphere is outside of their competition season (just like ours was). So now we have a hybrid. of using the 31 Dec as the determination date which sucks if you are born Jan 1 (someone is always going to come out of this worst) but for the oldies it can start to really impact (55-59 really IS a cruiser group compared to 50-54 for example).  

Here ends my little history speech....

[plugga 16]

Geeeez you speak some shit Ron !!

55-59 cruiser group ?????  I guess that will change when you reach that age group!

I raced Kawana yesterday 55-59 , came 2nd would have came 3rd in 50-55,

The guy who won Noosa 55-59 was a minute quicker than the winner of 50-54

yep certainly the cruisers !!😡

[A2K 920]

I think Hervey Bay 100 55-59 winner was faster than 50-54. I'd say there's less depth though as you age up. 

[Rob 365]

Every age group can have freakishly fast athletes. I pity those who are the same age as Kevin Fergusson.

My observations are that the depth of talent is thinner as you move up the age groups. Someone who used to finish just outside the top 10 in M35-39, will get regular top ten finishes in M40-44, then top 5 in M45-49, maybe sneak an occasional podium M50-54 and be regularly on the podium in M55-59.

[trifun 446]

1 hour ago, Rob said:

Every age group can have freakishly fast athletes. I pity those who are the same age as Kevin Fergusson.

My observations are that the depth of talent is thinner as you move up the age groups. Someone who used to finish just outside the top 10 in M35-39, will get regular top ten finishes in M40-44, then top 5 in M45-49, maybe sneak an occasional podium M50-54 and be regularly on the podium in M55-59.

As you say, winning is hard in just about every cat esp at the higher profile events.

Making the top 20 though gets cruisier (IMHO) - if you can stay fit.