2016 USMS Speedo 5K and 10K ePostal National Championships

Registration Schedule

• All individual entries must be submitted by 11:59PM Hawaii time on September 25.
• Completed split sheets for individual National Record breakers must also be received by the Event Director by September 25.
• All relay entries must be submitted by 11:59PM Hawaii time on October 10.

Your online entry is not complete until you have received a confirmation of your entry by email.  If you do not receive this confirmation, please contact the Event Director.

Event Information

Objective:  To swim 5-kilometers and/or 10-kilometers in a 50-meter pool of your choosing, then submit your results online to compare yourself to other swimmers doing the same event.  Some people do these events for competition, some do it for the challenge, some do it for fitness, and others do it for fun—all who wish to participate are welcome.  Your submitted time determines the final order of finish.

Location:  Swimmers must swim the 5-kilometer and/or 10-kilometer ePostal events in a 50-meter pool ONLY—no other length of pool please!

Eligibility: All swimmers must be 2016 full members of USMS (or the equivalent FINA organization for foreign swimmers) on or before the day of their swim!  One-Event memberships are not available for this event.  USMS swimmers will have their membership verified automatically. Foreign swimmers must verify their FINA Organization membership by submitting an electronic or mailed copy of their FINA organization 2016 registration card to the event director by September 25.  Foreign swimmers are not eligible for USMS records or All-American status.  

Fees:  $12 for each individual swimmer ($15 for foreign swimmers) and $16 for each relay ($20 for foreign swimmers).  Fees are non-refundable.  Entries must be paid by credit card, Visa, MasterCard or Discover.  Your credit card will reflect a charge from "ClubAssistant.com Events", our software and merchant account provider.

Rules: 

2016 USMS Rules govern these events, including USMS Rule 102.12.1 regarding swimwear. Drafting, flotation, and propulsive devices (pull buoys, fins, paddles, snorkels, wet suits, etc.) are not permitted. No more than two swimmers should share a lane. If a lane is shared, each swimmer must stay on his or her side of the lane during the entire race (i.e. no circle swimming).

Timing & Splits:

• An adult acting as a starter/head timer/referee shall be present at all times during the swim, having no additional responsibilities during the swim other than acting as a timer if necessary.  Each swimmer must have a timer who shall time and count lengths by recording cumulative split times every two lengths during the swim.  One person may serve as a timer for no more than two swimmers at the same time.
• Event timing may be done with a stopwatch or electronic timing device.
• Cumulative split times must be recorded to the nearest second on the official event split sheet available at http://www.usms.org/longdist/5k_10k_splits.pdf.  Any split or final time submitted without tenths or hundredths will be defaulted to .99 second, and any split or final time submitted with tenths (.x) will be defaulted to .x9 second.  Enter .99 if you have no tenths or hundredths of a second as a documented split!
• No adjustment will be made for swims completed at elevation.
• Save your split sheet!

Unsporting Conduct:  Any act of fraud, deception, dishonesty, or knowingly providing false information (including name, date of birth, age, or gender) in this event may result in disciplinary action by USMS pursuant to USMS Rule 402.3, 402.4.3, and 402.4.4

Individual Events: Men and women compete separately in age groups of five-year increments: 18-24, 25-29, 30-34, and as far as necessary.  The swimmer’s age on the day he or she actually completes his or her swim determines his or her age group.  Swimmers who change age groups during the event time frame may enter twice, once in each age group, only if they swim the event twice, once in each age group.

Individual Entries:  When submitting your results online, you will be asked to enter 500-meter splits for the 5-km swim and 1000-meter splits for the 10-km swim.  Swimmers are not required to submit a completed split sheet unless that swimmer has broken an individual national record.  However, the Event Director may request your entry sheet for verification; failure to do so may result in of individual and relay disqualification, so please retain a copy of your completed split sheet for one year after the entry deadline.  Note the deadline above.

Relay Events:  Cumulative relays will be contested in three categories: Women (3 female swimmers), Men (3 male swimmers), and Mixed (2 female & 2 male swimmers).  Each relay member MUST have entered the individual event and be registered with the same USMS Club (‘unattached’ swimmers are not permitted on relays by definition).  The cumulative time of the individual swims will be the relay time.  Swimmers may enter only one same-gender and one mixed-gender relay in each postal event.  Age groups are 18+, 25+, 35+, and as far as necessary; the youngest swimmer’s age will determine the relay’s age group.

Relay Entries:  All individual entries will be displayed by USMS Club and will include the entrant's time for the Club Relay Coordinator's reference.  You will only be able to view a listing of YOUR USMS Club's entries.  Note the deadline above.

Records: 

• Completed split sheets for individual National Record breakers must be received by November 25.  Scan and email to:  epostal16@coatesatx.net or mail to ePostal National Championships,7004 Fireoak Dr, Austin, TX 78759.
• A 5-km split in the 10-km swim may be submitted for a record if requested in writing and at least two dedicated handheld watches are used to record the record split to the nearest 100th of a second.  However, this result cannot be an entry for the 5-km swim, as the two swims must be done separately.
• Records will be updated on the USMS Long Distance National Records webpage and printed in the 2017 USMS Rule Book.

Awards:  The top six finishers in each age group in the individual event, and the top three relay teams in each relay age group, will receive USMS Long Distance National Championship medals.  First place finishers in each individual and relay age group will also receive a USMS Long Distance National Championship patch--only one patch per event per participant will be awarded.

Event Merchandise:  The USMS 5-km & 10-km ePostal National Championships T-shirt is available for $16 ($20 for foreign swimmers) with entry. NEW ITEM: The USMS 5-km & 10-km ePostal National Championships Towel is available for $20 ($25 for foreign swimmers) with entry.  Event merchandise will be mailed to the address you provided, AFTER the event closes and the results have been finalized in November.

Purchase merchandise AFTER completing event entry. Did you forget to buy an event t-shirt or towel? Would you like support our charitable partners and make a donation ?  You can do this all using the public shopping cart link.

U.S. Masters Swimming is registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions to the USMS Swimming Saves Lives Foundation are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. U.S. Masters Swimming's tax identification number is 31-0999051. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL
INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. USMS's Florida registration number is CH33301. You can find out more about us on guidestar.org under United States Masters Swimming, Inc. 

Colin's Hope is a is registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations to Colin's Hope are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.  Colin's Hope tax identification number is 30-0500004.  You can find more information at www.colinshope.org.

Note: If paying by credit card, your credit card statement will reflect a charge from "US Masters Swimming."