The competitors will race in a 1.5-kilometer swim, 40km bike ride and 10km run. The course will take them by many famous Sydney landmarks, including the Sydney Opera House . The race is held with a continuously running clock and therefore the changeovers or transitions between the swimming and biking and between the biking and running will be crucial to a triathlete's success. The first person to complete the full course is the winner. The swimming event starts the race.
Competitors begin in a large mass, diving off a pontoon into the water.
They swim a triangular course marked with buoys and ropes and can use any swimming stroke they prefer. Once they get out of the water, the racers don their helmets, grab their bikes, and start pedaling. They must ride the bike the entire way unless they get a flat tire. In that case, they can run with the bike to one of six tire-changing stations. In most triathlons the competitors must change the tire themselves but at Sydney, specially trained teams will perform the task for them.