Race Director Certification is offered regionally each year around the country. This page is continuously being updated; please check back soon as more classes will be added as they are confirmed. All class sizes are limited to 20 and the cost is $450 unless otherwise noted and includes all course materials.
This information is updated as we confirm additional certification opportunities. For information on cancellations, refunds, and other policies in place for these programs, please visit our RD Certification page or email Todd Brewer to be added to the email distribution list.
Prior to certification, candidate must complete an online background check. Race Director certification candidates must pass a criminal history check through the NCSI background check application in order to attend a Level 1 Race Director Certification clinic and become certified. The fee is $20 for most U.S. Citizens but does vary by state. International background checks cost more and vary by country. Fees for the background check are not included in the clinic registration fee. Instructions on how to complete the background check are sent to candidates following registration. Each candidate must complete and pass the required background check or entry into the clinic and certification is denied. Any candidate concerned about his or her background should complete the background check prior to registration.
Background checks are based on this criteria (PDF). A failed background check results in the candidate being ineligible for participation in a Level 1 Race Director clinic and certification. You will still be able to sanction events with USA Triathlon with a failed background check. There is no appeal process for failed background checks. This applies to current certified Race Directors as well. There are no exceptions. If the candidate receives red light and believes the red light is in error, the applicant should work with NCSI directly to resolve the matter. Policies and FAQs are also listed.
If a Race Director Certification class reaches its participant limit, a wait list will be started for that specific class. To be added to the wait list, email Todd Brewer and indicate the location that you wish to attend. Additions to the wait list will be made in the order that emails are received. If cancellations occur, participants will be added to the class in the order they were added to the wait list. The wait list does NOT roll over to subsequent courses. Transfers are not available for the class. Should no wait-list exist, transfers may be considered upon the discretion of Event Services.
In order to receive a refund, you must contact Todd Brewer, Event Services Coordinator.
Please note: If you are granted a slot from the wait-list and decide to cancel, this refund policy applies.
A full refund of the class fee ($450) will be issued outside of 5 weeks before the first day of the course.
A 50% refund of the class fee ($225) will be issued 3-5 weeks prior to the class.
A 25% refund of the class fee ($112.50) will be issued within 2-3 weeks of the class.
No refund will be offered if a cancellation occurs within 2 weeks of the class.
If USA Triathlon decides to cancel the class, a full refund will be issued.
USA Triathlon's next in-person certification course will be held in conjunction with the Arts and Science Coaching Symposium on October 24-25 in Tempe, Arizona. This course is recommended for both seasoned veterans and those that are starting their race directing career. The course will go over risk management, course design, event insurance and much much more.
The certification course will take place at Tempe Mission Palms in Tempe, Arizona. Please do not procrastinate in signing up as this clinic will be capped at 20 attendees.
If you are interested in attending please feel free to take advantage of the room block at the Residence Inn Tempe Downtown which is a short walk to the conference center where we will hold the certification course. Please do not procrastinate in contacting the hotel as the room block will expire on September 21st.
Registration for this course will be activated on May 25th, if you are interested in attending please click here.
For questions please contact Todd Brewer.
After a very successful turnout for the last Virtual Certification, USAT has decided to implement a second Virtual Edition of Certification for the month of July. The course will consist of 13 webinars that must be completed within July 2nd and July 31st. The webinars are prerecorded so race directors with busy schedules can view them when convenient. This course is recommended for both seasoned veterans and those that are starting their race directing career. The course will go over risk management, course design, event insurance and much much more.
The virtual edition will go over the same material and like the in-person certification courses attendees will have to submit to a background check and complete SafeSport training along with the online exam.
After significant feedback from you the Race Director, USA Triathlon is proud to announce that the next certification course will be Virtual! The course itself will go from April 8th to April 30th, during this time race directors at their leisure and from the comfort of their own offices or homes can play 13 previously recorded webinars. After April 30th, race directors will not have access to any further webinars. The whole course should take race directors 15 to 16 hours to complete. Registration will be opened this Friday, March 9th at 9:00am and it will close on April 7th.
Like all certifications race directors will have 6 weeks after April 30th to complete the online exam. In addition we will need all attendees to complete SafeSport Training and pass a background screening through NCSI. If you have completed either of these items due to going through Coaching education please let me know. For SafeSport I will need an actual certificate of completion.
What's different? Other than the obvious, we will be imposing a new rule that each attendee to the class will have to volunteer at a multisport race after completing the course. All an attendee would have to do is produce some documentation from a race director that you volunteered your time at their race. Each race director would have until April 1, 2019 to complete this requirement.
The second item that will be different is that we will be creating a google group where each attendee will have access to and have an opportunity to network with other race directors. We would encourage all race directors to be involved.
USA Triathlon is proud to announce the next certification course is now open for registration.
The certification course will be held at USA Triathlon's national headquarters in Colorado Springs. The cost for the certification course is $450 and is limited to the first 20 attendees. Lunch will be provided for both days.
Immediately following Race Director Certification is the Race Director Summit which will be held on the 24th and 25th of February at the nearby US Olympic Training Center. Race Directors that sign up for both sessions will receive a $50 discount.
Click to view all 2016 completed courses.
Click to view all 2015 completed courses.
Click to view all 2014 completed courses.
Click to view all 2013 completed courses.
Click for a list of all completed courses from 2007-2012.