I am keen to take up Triathlon. Where should I start?
The best way to start is by joining a triathlon club. They are straightforward to join and many of them offer taster sessions for people interested in taking up the sport. There are over 750 triathlon clubs in the UK and you can find a local club near you by using British Triathlon’s club finder.
You may ask yourself why join a triathlon club when I can just practise swimming, cycling and running and take it from there?
Thats a fair question, but once you start training you will soon realise that triathlon is actually greater than the sum of its parts. What is vitally important to recognise is that triathlon is one sport – not three independent disciplines. You are not training to be a swimmer, a cyclist or a runner. You are training to race in a triathlon. For starters, you will be with like-minded people from the very beginning, and this alone is a massive help. As in many sports, when you first start the associated terminology can be confusing at the best of times. Can you tell, for instance, what aero bars or transition are? Would you happen to know the difference between drafting and non-drafting? Joining a club will help you find your way through all of this unusual terminology.
As a beginner to the sport of triathlon you may be asking what is the distance of a triathlon?
If you’re new to multi-sports then you might want to consider starting with a hugely fun super-sprint triathlon (400m swim, 10km bike, 5km run). A sprint distance race (750m swim, 20km bike, 10km run) is more challenging for your first introduction to the sport, but very achievable. You will need these types of races under your belt before you attempt to take on an Olympic Distance (1.5km swim, a 40km bike ride, and a 10km run).
If you are a fitness fanatic and want an even bigger challenge, then you could consider entering a long-distance triathlon, also known as an Ironman. A 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon all completed without any breaks. Sounds difficult. It is! Competitors have up to 17 hours to complete all three elements. But be warned this event takes serious dedication and training!
VIDEO: TRANSITION – From ITU to Ironman 70.3
How many hours do I have to train each week to compete in a triathlon?
The answer is that it varies from person to person, but in general around 9 or 10 hours clever training per week are sufficient for a talented athlete to win their age group in some of the shorter distance races. Allow yourself at least 12 weeks of training prior to a race. For a long-course Ironman you will need to increase the training hours to 15 to 20 a week to account for the endurance required for these events. You could look at entering a middle-distance triathlon, also known as a Half Ironman, that is to say half the distance of the Ironman. But don’t be fooled into thinking it means you can automatically half your training hours. Whatever your level, the key here is to start low and gradually increase your training volume to stimulate your body to adapt to new training loads to become fitter and faster. This is the training route elite pro triathletes will take over several years to be in a position to train in excess of 30 hours a week.
How much does it cost?
You can spend a fortune on triathlon equipment, wetsuits, bikes, technical, clothing, shoes & coaching – but only if you really want to. It’s really not necessary, though, the most important investments you make are in time and effort. Most triathlon clubs’ memberships listed on British Triathlon’s club finder are reasonably priced.The kit you can buy second hand (not the trainers!) or you can rent items such as a wetsuit from Yondasports. For your first triathlon, the key is to get yourself fit enough to enjoy and to learn from each leg of the race. Invest sufficient to ensure that you can end the race loving it; that way you’ll be the biggest winner on the day.
Motivation: to become the most that one can be!
Am I too old to take up Triathlon?
This is a common question with a simple answer – No! Aside from elite athlete races, all triathlon races for both men and women have different age group categories, so you will have the opportunity to compete with fellow athletes at your level and age within a 5-year span. (For example: Male/Women Age Group: 50 – 54.) Also, age-group triathlon is a great way to represent Great Britain on the international stage, even if you’re not an elite athlete. With age-group categories from 16-19 years old to 80+, you can qualify for the GB age group team and compete in European and World Championship events in triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon, winter and cross triathlon in a pre-defined age-group. BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin an avid age-group triathlete provides a good example of this route. Visit the Age-group pages on British Triathlon to find out more.
If in doubt – check this out. Hiromu Inada of Japan who competed in his first triathlon at the age of 70, won the Ironman age-group world championship at the age of 85. Deemed one of the toughest endurance sports events, he swam 3.86km, cycled 180.25 km, and ran a full 42.19 km marathon.
Can my children do triathlon?
Triathlon really is a sport for all ages. Young athletes can begin their journey at the age of 8 in the TriStar Start category If your kids are keen to have a go, then get in touch with your local club, lots have a junior section. Mini-kids tri distances start from 50m swim, 800m bike, 600m run and there are a number of children’s races in the British Triathlon event finder. British Triathlon design programme to develop young triathletes within a fun and creative environment. If your child shows promise as a youngster then the next step could be the British Triathlon Youth & Junior Super Series, which aims to pit the best young British triathletes head-to-head in high-performance events.
There are also partnerships between triathlon clubs and sportwear suppliers like the “Yonda Alliance” working seamlessly to remove barriers to physical activity for kids. Here Yonda donate their ex-demo wetsuits to clubs for children to try open water swimming who may otherwise never get the chance.
If I am disabled will I still be able to enter a race?
Triathlon is an inclusive sport, with British Triathlon organising specific paratriathlon competitions throughout the season. Use their club finder to locate a taster session near you. Swimming, cycling and running are all popular sports amongst para-athletes so triathlon is the perfect way to combine the three. If you are looking to take the sport to another level and compete in paratriathlon at either a national or international level, the most important thing you need is a classification.
Can I be involved in triathlon if I do not race?
Absolutely. People become volunteers for a variety of reasons, perhaps a parent wanting to help out with their child’s club; a former athlete wanting to give something back to the sport they enjoy or a partner wanting to be involved in their other half’s chosen sport. The help given by volunteers is invaluable. Volunteers have and always will play a vital part in the development and delivery of triathlon. You can find out more on British Triathlons volunteering opportunities.
If you have any further question about triathlon activities in your local area you can contact your region using the following links
