Short Course Season Heats Up

Welcome to Build Week #1.  And what better way to kick it off than with Race #5 of the 2XU Series right here in our own backyard! Elwood has traditionally been one of our favourite races of the season: familiar, unpretentious, community-fuelled, and honestly a great test of all three disciplines.

This year’s schedule is a bit unusual, with Race #4 and Race #5 both landing in February and a longer gap before Race #6 in March, but we’re ready for it. Elwood rewards smart racing: strong swimming out front, a deceptively punchy bike course and a run that tests patience and grit before giving you that familiar home stretch finish. Elwood conditions tend to favour those who can race with awareness and controlled aggression.  And thanks to training on our home sand and open water, we know this place like the back of our goggles.

The weather is looking warm all week (and likely warm on race day too), so hydration is more than a buzzword. Think pre-session and post-session hydration, electrolytes and strategies that put you ahead of the curve rather than chasing from behind.

Race Recon & Logistics

• Race recon session: 7:00am, Saturday @ Elwood Beach

• TA tent set-up: Immediately after recon (we need as many hands as possible!)

• Tips & Tricks session: 12:30pm

• Kids’ Race volunteers needed:
  Line-up starts 7:10am in Kids’ Transition.  Big help needed if you can start early

🌏🚴‍♂️Give It Up for Andy (Champion Adventurer!)

This week we’re also cheering on our own, Andy Wood-Rich, who’ll be heading to IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo on Sunday 22 February. That’s a big trip from Melbourne on its own, and the Colombo course isn’t a “run-in and hit the bike” affair.  It’s a serious half-distance test against heat, travel fatigue and a fast, competitive field.

Andy isn’t afraid of novelty.  Whether it’s racing somewhere off the beaten track or trying a new discipline, that’s exactly the spirit that keeps this sport alive beyond the stopwatch. So, here’s wishing Andy smooth travel, clear water, tailwinds on the ride and strong legs on the run.  Go get it!  And keep an eye on the Symposium for updates from Jo.  

🏗️ Long Course Crew - The Build Continues

For our long distance athletes, race season might feel like it’s kicking off for the short course team, but your work is still being built. Build Week #1 isn’t a sprint; it’s layering strength, endurance, adaptations and confidence for that start line later on.

The truth is simple: no one else will do your work for you. Your race day is earned one session at a time, and the consistency you build now is what will separate effort from performance.

🏟️ MSAC Closure – What’s Actually Happening

We now have confirmed details regarding the upcoming MSAC closure from 23 February to 16 March, and we want to be completely transparent about what’s driving it.

For the first time ever, MSAC will be unavailable to external user groups for an extended three-week period during the Formula 1 Grand Prix bump-in and event period.

This is not an MSAC decision alone.

The Victorian Government has passed specific legislation granting the Formula 1 Corporation extended control of the Albert Park precinct, allowing a longer occupation period than in previous years. Historically, access restrictions have been around one week. This year it has expanded to three weeks.

As part of that precinct control:

• External lane bookings at MSAC will not be permitted.

• There will be limited access for casual member swimming only, around high-performance squads.

• Regular club and squad bookings (including ours) cannot operate.

MSAC have advised they will use this enforced shutdown to:

• Close the outdoor pool

• Conduct roof works

• Repaint structural framing

• Remove rust

• Complete scheduled maintenance and cleaning

While maintenance upgrades are positive long-term, the timing and length of closure are clearly challenging for all sporting groups who rely on the facility.

To be clear:
This decision sits at a government precinct level, not with Tri-Alliance. We share your frustration, but we do not control access to the venue during this legislated period.

Our Plan

The good news? It’s still summer.

We will move swim squad sessions to Elwood Beach (open water) during this period and aim to maintain:

• Monday evening

• Wednesday morning

• Friday morning

We will monitor attendance and adjust responsibly if needed. Updates will always be communicated via the newsletter and online timetable.

For athletes who prefer not to swim open water during this time, we believe it’s fair and reasonable to offer the option to temporarily change to a “without swim” membership category for this period. If that applies to you, please make the change via your dashboard or contact us and we’ll assist.

We are disappointed. But we’re adaptable. And if there’s one thing triathletes do well, it’s adjust and get on with it.

📈 PTO + Challenge Family...Triathlon’s Next Chapter

Off the race build track and onto the sport industry track, big news dropped this week as the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) has acquired a majority shareholding in Challenge Family. This is part of a plan to launch a new Triathlon World Tour starting in 2027, aiming to bring multiple major series into a unified competition structure.

The move is about simplifying the landscape for pros and age-groupers alike, uniting the T100, World Triathlon Championship Series, and now Challenge Family under one umbrella while preserving what makes each special.

What it doesn’t necessarily change (at least not immediately):

• The legendary Challenge Roth will remain independent, as it sits outside the new World Tour structure.

This development is exciting for the sport’s visibility, commercial growth, and opportunities for athletes, even those of us who are purely recreational or age-group focused, because it points toward a future with more clarity and global engagement in the sport we love.

⏳ Race Season Countdown (From 16 Feb)

There’s no hiding from how fast the calendar is moving!  Here’s your friendly reminder of what’s coming:

• Race #5 – Elwood (Sun 22 Feb)
  ⏱️ 0 weeks, 6 days

• IRONMAN 70.3 Colombo (Sun 22 Feb)
  ⏱️ 0 weeks, 6 days

• Japan Marathon (Sun 1 Mar)
  ⏱️ 2 weeks, 6 days

• IRONMAN New Zealand (Sat 7 Mar)
  ⏱️ 3 weeks, 5 days

• Gold Coast T100 Festival (Sat–Sun 21–22 Mar)
  ⏱️ 5 weeks, 5 days

• Race #6 – St Kilda & IM 70.3 Geelong (Sun 22 Mar)
  ⏱️ 5 weeks, 6 days

If that list looks long... good. If it looks short ...even better: perspective is everything.

🔁 Wrap-Up

This week’s theme is intentional momentum: finishing Build Week #1 strong, racing smart at Elwood, and planning around the changes ahead (MSAC and beyond). Challenges are part of the journey, whether they come from the course, the calendar, or the industry, and how you navigate them is what turns effort into progress.

Stay consistent. Train smart. Hydrate early. Show up.
This is where the work turns into results.

💙💛 Team TA