What is Triathlon?

The first triathlon was held in September 1974, Southern California, and was conceived by a group of friends who began training together. Some were runners, some swimmers and some were cyclists.

However, four years later, in Hawaii, an argument arose regarding which of the three disciplines required the greatest endurance. At the time Hawaii hosted the Waikiki Rough Water Swim (2.4 miles), the Oahu Bike Race (112 miles) and the Honolulu Marathon (26.2 miles). These were rolled into one event to become what is now the legendary ‘Hawaii Ironman Triathlon.’

So a triathlon is a continuous event, starting when you enter the water, and finishing when you end the run. Incorporating the three disciplines of swimming, cycling and running. The fourth discipline is often referred to as the transition stages, T1 (swim to bike) and T2 (bike to run). However, whilst always completed in that order, the distances vary greatly depending on the format, as shown below:

Within the first three distances, there are a number of races held throughout the UK during the season, which runs from April to October.

There are a number of other variations of multi-sport events, including Duathlon (Run, Bike, Run), Biathlon (Bike/Run), Aquathlon (Swim, Run) and Quadrathlon (the extra element being Canoeing).

There are also a number of x-country races that take place across the country incorporating mountain biking and cross country running.

There are many events over all distances throughout the country. For dates, and entry details, check the British Triathlon Association (BTA) website (www.britishtriathlon.org) or a Triathlon Magazine/website such as 220 Triathlon Magazine, check out the forum’s such as this one on Mass Start Swimming, Lol, its not all hand bags at twenty paces.

The number of competitors taking part in local events can range from 40 up to 250 and the levels of ability can cover everything from complete novice (breast-stroke and mountain bike) all of the way through to National Age-group champions. In National events the field may exceed 1000 competitors, although these are normally broken up into separate, smaller ‘waves’.

The entry fee for events is likely to be £12 - £20 for most Novice, Sprint and local Standard distances, rising to 40 - £50 for most National events and may be over £100 for major long-distance events. Non-members of the BTA will pay a surcharge (around £3 - £5) to provide ‘day-membership’ with insurance cover.