Dursty
Lifeguard
Games
About These Rules
The Dursty Lifeguard Games is a beach competition combining ocean swimming, paddling, and running events in the tradition of competitive lifeguard sport. This rulebook covers registration divisions, general competition procedure, and the format of each event contested at the Games.
Course formats and officiating procedures are adapted from the United States Lifesaving Association's Lifesaving Sport Rules and Operational Procedures, simplified and scaled for a single-day community event. Where this rulebook is silent on a situation, the Head Official's on-site ruling is final.
Divisions & Registration
Every competitor registers into one division. Divisions determine which events you compete in, whether registration is paid or free, and whether event merchandise is included.
| Division | Events | Fee | Merch |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lifeguard Pentathlon Male Open / Female Open |
Sprint Swim, Sprint Paddle, Sprint Run, Run‑Swim‑Run, Iron Guard — combined score across all five | $30 | Shirt or hat* |
|
Beach Flags Male Open / Female Open |
Beach Flags only — standalone event, not scored into the Pentathlon | Free | Not included |
|
Youth Flags U10 · U12 · U14 · U16 |
Beach Flags, youth format — shorter distance, separate Male & Female brackets per age group | Free | Not included |
| Place | Payout |
|---|---|
| 1st | $500 |
| 2nd | $350 |
| 3rd | $150 |
General Competition Rules
These rules apply across every event unless a specific event description says otherwise.
The Start
Every event starts on a three-step command:
(whistle or horn)
- Moving forward after "Set" and before "Go" is a false start. In every event except Beach Flags, a false start disqualifies the competitor. In Beach Flags, a false start eliminates the competitor from that round only.
- If the Starter isn't satisfied all competitors are ready, the field is called back and the start restarts from "Take Your Mark" — no protest is allowed on a called start.
- Competitors absent when their event starts are scratched from that event and disqualified from the Lifeguard Pentathlon prize purse, but are still allowed to compete in their remaining events.
- No fins, hand paddles, webbed gloves, or other artificial propulsion aids. Wax or grip aid on boards is allowed.
The Course
- Courses are marked by buoys (water) and flags or poles (beach). Competitors must round every marker on the correct side, in the correct direction, and complete the entire marked course to record a finish.
- Buoy and flag placement may be adjusted by the Head Official for surf, tide, or safety conditions — right up until the moment a race starts.
- Touching a buoy or its anchor line is fine; pulling on one to gain ground is not.
The Finish
- Competitors must finish upright, on their feet, running or walking across the line. Diving or falling across the line does not count as finishing.
- Placing is judged on the torso reaching the finish line.
Conduct & Disqualification
- Deliberately impeding, blocking, or interfering with another competitor results in disqualification.
- The Head Official may disqualify any competitor for unsportsmanlike conduct, at any point in the competition.
- Protests must be raised with an Official within 5 minutes of the result in question, before the next heat in that event begins. The Head Official's decision on a protest is final.
The Lifeguard Pentathlon
Five events, one combined placing per competitor. Male Open and Female Open are scored separately.
Sprint Swim
~400m, 2-buoy turn
A running start from the beach into the surf. Competitors swim out and around two turning buoys, then return to shore and finish on the beach.
Sprint Paddle
3-buoy apex
Competitors start on the beach beside their boards, launch on the signal, and paddle a 3-buoy apex course — two turning buoys with a third buoy set out ahead of them, forming a point — before returning to shore and running to the finish line.
Board specs: maximum length 3.2m (10'6"), minimum weight 7.6kg (16.75 lbs) — the official USLA/ILS rescue board standard.
Sprint Run
2 loops
A two-loop run along the marked beach course, turning at flagged points each lap. Total distance is set based on the available course length and posted at check-in.
Run‑Swim‑Run
run · swim · run
Competitors run down the beach to a turnaround point, then run back toward the start, cornering a flag on the way. From there they enter the water and swim out and around a buoy before returning to shore, cornering the flag again, and running back down the beach to finish under the finish arch.
Iron Guard
swim + paddle + run, one race
The Pentathlon's multi-discipline finale — the Sprint Swim, Sprint Paddle, and Sprint Run courses combined into one continuous race, raced back-to-back in that order. Adapted from the classic Ironman/Ironwoman lifesaving format. Worth double points toward the Pentathlon leaderboard — see Scoring below.
Pentathlon Scoring
Each Lifeguard Pentathlon competitor's overall leaderboard placing is the sum of the points they earn across all five events. Male Open and Female Open are scored on separate leaderboards.
The top 20 finishers in an event score points on a descending scale — 1st place scores 20 points, 2nd scores 19, and so on down to 1 point for 20th. Iron Guard scores double across the same scale, since it combines all three individual courses into one race.
| Place | Sprint Swim / Paddle / Run · Run‑Swim‑Run | Iron Guard (×2) |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 20 | 40 |
| 2nd | 19 | 38 |
| 3rd | 18 | 36 |
| 4th | 17 | 34 |
| 5th | 16 | 32 |
| 6th | 15 | 30 |
| 7th | 14 | 28 |
| 8th | 13 | 26 |
| 9th | 12 | 24 |
| 10th | 11 | 22 |
| 11th | 10 | 20 |
| 12th | 9 | 18 |
| 13th | 8 | 16 |
| 14th | 7 | 14 |
| 15th | 6 | 12 |
| 16th | 5 | 10 |
| 17th | 4 | 8 |
| 18th | 3 | 6 |
| 19th | 2 | 4 |
| 20th | 1 | 2 |
Finishers outside the top 20 in an event score zero points for that event but remain eligible to score in their other events.
Prize Payout & Ties
- The top 3 finishers on each overall Pentathlon leaderboard (Male Open, Female Open) are paid from the prize purse.
- If two or more competitors are tied in points for a paid placing, they split that placing's payout evenly.
- A tie occupies as many payout positions as there are tied competitors. Any competitor who would otherwise have placed in the position(s) immediately after the tie is not paid, since those positions were filled by the tied competitors.
Beach Flags
Open to both the standalone Beach Flags division and, in a shortened youth format, the Youth Flags division. Beach Flags is not scored into the Pentathlon.
Beach Flags
Open: 20m · Youth: 12m
Competitors lie face-down on the sand, heels together and visible, hands stacked in front, facing away from a line of flags (batons) planted upright in the sand — always one fewer flag than competitors. On the start signal, competitors rise and sprint to grab a flag. Anyone left without one is eliminated. The field is reset with one fewer flag each round until a winner remains.
Youth Flags runs the same format at a shortened sprint distance, grouped into U10, U12, U14, and U16 age brackets, with separate Male and Female divisions within each bracket.
Refunds & Cancellation
- No refunds are issued for admission or registration fees, and registrations are not transferable — all sales are final.
- If Dursty Brands cancels the event, a full refund will be issued to all registered competitors.
Waivers
Every competitor must read and accept a waiver at registration. Which one applies depends on the participant's age on the event date — the registration form selects the correct one automatically based on date of birth.