Let’s start here: triathlon makes you feel like a badass. It’s true.
You swim, then bike, then run — yes, consecutively. It’s just you and the open water, you and the pavement, and you and a bunch of other badass weirdos draped in spandex and sweat.
Anyone who’s done a triathlon will tell you about the awesome community and supportive race atmosphere, so it’s unsurprising that once you’ve tri’d for the first time, you’ll want to tri again. (Haha! See what I did there?)
So, what is a triathlon?
Triathlon is a swim-bike-run event.
Pro tip: The word triathlons is grammatically correct but also sounds kinda weird, so avoid it at all costs. I originally started this section with ‘Triathlons are swim-bike-run races.’ @me, don’t do that.
Instead of saying ‘I race triathlons,’ say ‘I am a triathlete,’ or ‘I’m doing a triathlon.’
You’re welcome.
Between each sport is a transition. The swim, bike, run, and both transition times, all count toward your total race time. Most races fit into a distance category: Super Sprint, Sprint, Olympic, Half Ironman, and Ironman.
Some races (like the Challenge PTO Championship) are odd distances, but average age group (aka amateur) races are pretty standard.
Local races
Throughout this post, I’ll reference “local races” a lot.
These are your mom and pop shops of triathlon. Local race companies host one or a couple races per season, and usually host the same races every year, in the same state or region.
Some of my favorite races in New England are hosted by companies like Max Performance and Streamline Events.
Other races
There isn’t a technical definition of when a race becomes “not local”. I think of it as a very large event (like Ironman-branded races) that draws participants from other regions and countries, or national championship events.
Most common triathlon race formats
Non-draft triathlon
Local races are usually standard, non-draft events. So, you can use a triathlon bike, but you can’t draft — aka ride within three bike lengths of another athlete.
In a non-draft event, you can ride pretty much any bike — like an adult-sized tricycle — but you should use a road or triathlon bike if you want to go faster than 10 mph.
Draft-legal triathlon
In draft-legal triathlon, athletes have to race on road bikes. They are allowed to draft — meaning they can ride in packs like in cycling races. In the US, draft-legal races aren’t as common as non-draft races. Most are for elites, though some do offer age group races like the Clermont Draft Legal Challenge or USAT Draft Legal Nationals.
Off-road triathlon
Off-road triathlon is like trail running for triathlon. You swim in the open water, bike on mountain bike trails, and then run on trails as well. The bike leg of off-road races is shorter than in an on-road triathlon, because racing on mountain bikes is slower and more technically demanding than racing on the road.
Triathlon race distances
Short course racing
Super sprint, sprint, and Olympic distance triathlon are all short course races. If you’re new to triathlon, start here. A sprint triathlon might only have a 5k of running, but it’s still an endurance event — most people take more than an hour to finish.
Pro life: Professional triathletes — also called elites — usually divide their careers by short course and long course racing. Younger elites with swim backgrounds race short course, draft-legal triathlon. Elites who are weaker in the swim, or elites who spend time in short course and decide to make the jump, compete in long course races.
Super sprint and sprint
A super sprint triathlon is the shortest race distance. There aren’t many of them, so don’t be surprised if you can’t find one in your area. Sometimes workout clubs and gyms will host an indoor winter triathlon, which is basically the same thing.
Of all the triathlon distances, local sprint triathlons tend to vary the most in length, in order to fit with the available body of water and local roads or trails.
You can expect to finish a super sprint in less than 45 minutes. A sprint distance can take only 45 minutes for competitive athletes or up to two hours for athletes who compete for fun.
Olympic distance
Olympic, or standard distance triathlons are the same length as what professional triathletes race at the Olympic games, hence the name. At local races, the bike course varies the most — I’ve seen courses range from 18 to 28 miles. This is much more of an endurance event, with finishing times ranging from an hour and 45 minutes to upwards of three hours or more.
Training for short course triathlon
If you want to try a triathlon just for fun, a sprint or super sprint is the best place to start.
These shorter races require some experience swimming, biking, and running, but not a lot of training. For an olympic, you’ll definitely want to get some consistent preparation and training before race day, as the event is often just under two hours long for the best athletes. Less competitive athletes finish anywhere from two and a half to four hours.
Long course racing
Long course triathlon racing began in 1978, with 12 athletes completing the first “Iron man” distance triathlon in Hawaii. As the race’s notoriety grew through the late twentieth century, long course racing became mainstream and was adopted by race directing companies beyond Ironman’s parent company, the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC).
Half iron distance
In the chart above, I switched from meters to miles in defining this race’s length. That is because the half iron distance, also known as middle distance or a half Ironman, is also termed by its total distance. Ever seen one of those 70.3 bumper stickers?
A half Ironman is 70.3 miles of swimming, biking and running, and can take anywhere from 3.5 hours (for the elite men) to 7+ hours to finish. A half iron distance race can be hosted by the Ironman brand as well as by local or regional racing companies.
Ironman distance
The Ironman, or Ultra distance triathlon, is a bucket list item for many triathletes — and for those who can afford it, a couple Ironman races are an annual calendar staple.
It’s also what your Aunt Betty and neighbor Dennis ask about when you tell them you do triathlon (“Oh did you go to that big one in Hawaii?”) — hint, they’re talking about the world championship.
It’s not the longest endurance event available to us fitness masochists, but it is the longest event considered socially normal by average amateur racers.
Training for long course triathlon
While some athletes can get by with just a training plan, I highly recommend hiring a coach if you want to race a half or full Ironman. It’s overwhelming to balance training, plan race day nutrition, manage stress, and understand the logistics of a long course race, even for experienced athletes. Beyond managing the details, you can set yourself back (or even seriously damage your health) if things go wrong on race day.
Triathlon relays
Lots of events also offer relays — a great way to drag your friends along (or just introduce yourself to the sport). Two or three people can register as a relay team. One person can do each event, or one person can do two events. This is great if you’re mortally afraid of open water, or don’t know how to ride a bike (I def recommend learning both things, eventually).
On the race course
While there are many different race distances, non-draft triathlons are often pretty similar in how they’re managed.
A triathlon basically goes like this:
- Swim in the open water
- Run into transition, grab your bike (this is called T1)
- Bike on the open road
- Trade your bike for run shoes (this is called T2)
- Run
- Finish!
Open water swimming
Starting the course
Race starts vary — there’s on-beach or run-in starts, an in-water starts (swimming or standing), or a pontoon dive-in. Most local races start you on the beach, or in the water.
During a run-in start, athletes begin on the beach. At the signal, they run into the water and start swimming. Some athletes do “dolphin dives” when the water is too shallow for swimming but too deep for running. Don’t even worry about it; do what you gotta do.
Making “friends”
Usually, you’ll start with other athletes. Some races do rolling or time trial starts, where small groups of athletes will start on five-second intervals. Other races (like nationals) will start your entire age group — every competitor within your designated five-year age range (aka race-designated enemies).
This is a battle, so be ready to fight.
At the smallest races, you’ll start with everyone in your gender or classification, or the whole race field will start together.
Beginner tip: Mass starts can be chaotic, so if you’re nervous about the swim, find a spot on either side of the group, rather than in the middle.
Staying the course
Swim courses are always marked by sighting and turn buoys, which are large and brightly colored — and also soft-ish, in case you hit one.
Beginner tip: The race director will explain the direction of the course in the pre-race meeting. Some races require you to keep all buoys on one side. Other races allow you to swim on either side of the sighting buoys, but require you to keep the turn buoys to one side.
In T1 — the swim-to-bike transition
In T1, leave your swim cap, goggles, and wetsuit in your designated spot. Put on your helmet, bike shoes (if they’re not already on your bike), and grab your bike before heading out onto the bike course.
Non-draft races let athletes throw their swim gear on the ground. If you’d like to keep your transition area tidy, you can place a bucket or bin next to your bike. Draft-legal events require athletes leave all of their used gear in their race-provided transition box; failure to do so results in a penalty.
What’s a transition area?
Every athlete receives an assigned spot within the transition area, which is fenced off from spectators. In transition you’ll rack your bike and place your running shoes before the race. It’s also where you leave your swim gear during the race.
Take someone else’s transition spot and you’ll receive a penalty (or get disqualified). And other athletes will probably hate you.
During the race, transition area entrances are labeled “swim in” and “bike in”. Exits are labeled “bike out” and “run out”. These signs direct traffic so that athletes at different stages of the race avoid collision when moving in and out of transition.
On the bike course
Bike courses vary from race to race — and even for different years of the same race. Races often place volunteers along the bike course to signal turns. They may also hire police officers to monitor major intersections along the course.
However, bike courses are usually not closed to traffic, so always be aware of your surroundings, especially when passing other riders. In long course events, there may be aid stations along the bike course, providing water, electrolytes, and gels.
Mount and dismount lines
You actually need to run with your bike until you pass the mount line. Some races tape or paint an actual line on the ground. Other races have cones or volunteers waving flags. It’s your responsibility to know where the mount line is — you’re not allowed to ride your bike until you’ve crossed it.
Races also have a “dismount line”, where riders must get off of their bikes before crossing the line.
Pro tip: Failure to abide by either the mount or dismount line results in a time penalty — a certain amount of time added to your finishing time).
In T2 — the bike-to-run transition
Once you’re off the bike, run with it back to your designated transition spot, and re-rack your bike. Remove your helmet, put on your running shoes and race belt, grab fuel (if needed), and head out to the run course.
On the run course
The first mile of any triathlon run is difficult. Your legs are heavy. Your lungs hurt.
But that’s the fun of it!
Triathlon is tough, but the run is the home stretch — you’re almost there. Run courses are pretty straightforward. Signs or mile markers guide you through the course, and most races have aid stations with water and electrolytes.
The finish line
You made it! Celebrate… but don’t forget to grab your finisher medal and give back your ankle chip. Most races (pre-Covid) offer finish line snacks and beverages. Grab some goodies and relax, because you earned it.
The awards ceremony
Another pre-Covid tradition is awards. Races usually give awards to the top three athletes in each age group; Ironman events give awards to the top five finishers in each. Races will typically have finish times and rankings posted, so be sure to check and see if you’ve placed!
Welcome to triathlon
This 2000+ word post is just an introduction to the sport, so hopefully you feel pretty well-acquainted with the basics! Was this post helpful? What questions do you have? Feel free to let me know in the comments.