What do the World Triathlon Winter Championships entail?
Andorra will play host to the 2022 World Triathlon Winter Championships but what do the races entail.
The Winter Triathlon World Championships have been held annually since 1997, however, unlike normal triathlon races the Winter Triathlon discipline takes place in snow-covered terrain. The snow therefore means the normal disciplines of swimming and road cycling do not take place, instead the championship typically involves running, mountain biking and cross-country skiing. This competition is organised by World Triathlon and is now an event that attracts thousands of athletes across the globe.
The World Triathlon Executive Board have chosen Sant Julià de Lòria one of the parishes of Andorra to stage the three days of competition between February 3rd and 6th where the best run-bike-skiers in the sport will go head-to-head for the world titles in the Junior, Elite, Para and Age Group categories.
Sant Julià de Lòria, is the lowest-elevation town in the country of Andorra at 900 metres above sea level. Surrounded by mountainous landscapes that are great for walking or training camps. It’s a beautiful environment with lot of facilities to take a break in nature, which makes Andorra an extraordinary place. This is a country with an average altitude of 1.996 m and 90% of the land is forest, which means you can fully discover it, stress-free and comfortably, thanks to its small size.
The chart below gives distances for the various winter triathlon races, which are typically run, bike and ski.
| Cross Country Run | Mountain Bike | Cross Country Ski | Minimum age required | |
| Team Relay | 2 to 3 km | 4 to 5 km | 3 to 4 km | 16 |
| Sprint Distance | 3 to 4 km | 5 to 6 km | 5 to 6 km | 16 |
| Standard Distance | 7 to 9 km | 12 to 14 km | 10 to 12 km | 18 |
In winter triathlon, the running is normally contested on hard-packed snow courses (usually packed ski trails) with distances ranging from 5-9k. Racers typically wear normal running shoes or cross-country spikes.
The mountain bike leg is held on packed ski trails for a distance of 10-15k. Competitors ride standard racing mountain bikes, often equipped with relatively wide tires run at low (about 15-20 psi) pressure. Tires with spikes are legal, though most competitors shun their use because of the additional weight.
The final event of winter triathlon is cross-country skiing. Courses are usually 8-12k in length and are contested on groomed Nordic ski trails. Classic or freestyle (skating) techniques are allowed, though most serious competitors use the freestyle technique as it is faster.
Most race courses involve multiple laps of each leg to add to the spectator friendliness of the races. There is also a mixed team relay race at the world championship. The mixed team relay involves four athletes per nation and follows the format of men-women-men-women, meaning it will be a woman who takes the tape for the first time in a triathlon
If you are not sure of the rules of Winter Triathlon then you can find them here.
