Triathlon 101 - Basics of the Olympic Sport

Triathlon 101

By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Multisports; Triathlons, Duathlons, Aquathlons,IronMan

This presentation is meant to provide a brief overview.

By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Multisports; Triathlons, Duathlons, Aquathlons,IronMan

Triathlon: The Basics • Triathlons typically consists of running, biking, and swimming • Triathlon has several racing distances, from youth events through ultra distance events • Typically each stage of the race is directly following the other stages • A competitor’s completion time includes each stage of the race and the time to transition between each stage • Events can range from below 50 to over 3,000 competitors

By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Multisports; Triathlons, Duathlons, Aquathlons,IronMan

By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Multisports; Triathlons, Duathlons, Aquathlons,IronMan

Multisport Disciplines • Triathlon: Swim, Bike, Run • Duathlon: Run, Bike combination (Sometimes confused with biathlon which is really the Olympic sport f skiing and shooting)

• Aquathlon: Run & Swim - Sometimes in two stages or three stages; Swim/Run or Run/Swim/Run

• Off-Road: Popularity due to XTERRA series • Winter Triathlon: Run, mountain biking, cross-country skiing • Aquabike: Swim/Bike combination

By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Multisports; Triathlons, Duathlons, Aquathlons,IronMan

History of the Triathlon • The first event that resembled the modern triathlon was held in France in the 1920s • According to USA Triathlon, the first known swim/bike/run triathlons were held at San Diego’s (Calif.) Mission Bay in 1974.

• The first known triathlons were held as training sessions for runners that were gearing up for marathons • The first modern triathlon was the Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon • The Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon included a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run (ouch!)

By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Multisports; Triathlons, Duathlons, Aquathlons,IronMan

By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Multisports; Triathlons, Duathlons, Aquathlons,IronMan

Some Key Triathlon Regulations • Many triathlons require racers to register before hand and attend a pre-race meeting • Races are typically separated into amateur and professional categories • Amateurs makeup the majority of triathletes • Most amateur races are divided by sex and age • Athletes cannot receive help from anyone during the race • Complete USA Triathlon Rules can be found here

By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Multisports; Triathlons, Duathlons, Aquathlons,IronMan

Triathlon Fitness • All three events are endurance sports, so triathletes tend to be in excellent cardiovascular health • Typically, triathletes have whole-body muscularity from training for three different sports • Triathletes tend to use their legs less vigorously than typical swimmers to conserve energy for the whole race • Athletes tend to run slower than typical “race pace” during the marathon portion of the race, since they have already swam and cycled

By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Multisports; Triathlons, Duathlons, Aquathlons,IronMan

By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Multisports; Triathlons, Duathlons, Aquathlons,IronMan

Well-Known Triathlons • Hawaii Ironman World Championship • Nice Triathlon • Escape from Alcatraz • Wildflower Half-Ironman • Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series • Hy-Vee World Cup

By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Multisports; Triathlons, Duathlons, Aquathlons,IronMan

Triathlon Organizations • The World Triathlon Corporation organizes the Ironman races • The International Triathlon Union is the international governing body of the sport and was founded in 1989 • The ITU focuses more on shorter races, rather than longer triathlons, and does not recognize the Ironman races • The triathlon was introduced into the Olympics in Sydney in 2000 • USA Triathlon - Governing body for triathlons in the USA

By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Multisports; Triathlons, Duathlons, Aquathlons,IronMan

By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Multisports; Triathlons, Duathlons, Aquathlons,IronMan

Triathlon Online Registration • Just as with marathons, triathlons tend to have a large number of participants • Many multi-sport events have switched to online registration to keep track of all the registrants • Compete-At has a tailored, turn-key platform for triathlons: http://www.compete-at.com/ multisport/index.html

By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Multisports; Triathlons, Duathlons, Aquathlons,IronMan

Content Credits • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triathlon • USA Triathlon

Image Credits http://www.flickr.com/photos/nantaskart/254635821/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/the-lees/89172778/

By Compete-At: Online Registration Solutions & Event Planning Software for Multisports; Triathlons, Duathlons, Aquathlons,IronMan