Triathlon

Triathletes compete for fastest overall course completion time, including the two transition phases (T1 and T2) where competitors change equipment for each discipline. Paratriathlon is a variant of triathlon for athletes with physical disabilities.

Athletes compete in six categories according to the nature of their physical impairments, and will often involve athletes racing on handbikes, tandem bicycles with a guide, and racing chairs. There are many different distances, ranging from races for young children over very short distances to long distance Ironman events (3.8 km swim, 180km bike, 42km run).

One of the challenges of putting on a triathlon event is ensuring there are appropriate venues for all three disciplines in the same area, meaning courses often vary hugely. The swim element can be pool-based, but for elite events it is normally in open-water such as the sea, lakes and rivers. The cycling element is normally draft-legal in elite Olympic racing and non-drafting in Paratriathlon racing.

Drafting is a technique used to reduce wind resistance, and save energy, when riding in a pack. The run element is normally on tarmac. There are many other multi-sport events associated with triathlon, the two most common being Aquathlon (swim > run) and Duathlon (run > bike > run).

Did You Know?

• The first modern triathlon took place in San Diego, USA, in 1974 with the first triathlon in the UK taking place in 1983. 
• Triathlon was first introduced into the Olympics in Sydney (2000) with Paratriathlon being a more recent addition in Rio (2016). 
• In 2017 it was announced that the Triathlon Mixed Team Relay would make its Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020. It has been part of the Commonwealth Games since Glasgow 2014. 
• The transition phases are often referred to as the fourth discipline of triathlon, given the importance they can have on how the race plays out. 
• In the 1980’s, before the introduction of the Trisuit, triathletes (male and female) used to compete in two-piece crop tops and trunks - these were often neon pink or yellow!