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BRJ Huntingdon Road Running Club
The sport of Triathlon has been around since the mid 1970s, and is increasing in popularity every year. It is now one of the fastest growing sports in the world. It's a sport most people can take part in regardless of age, gender or shape. There are a wide variety of race distances and types of events, from sprint to Ironman, from pool based to open water events and also woman only events; together this is what makes triathlons so popular.
Competing in your first triathlon is exciting, but can also be overwhelming, however fear not you don't have to be 'super fit' to take part, in fact you don't even have to excel at any of the 3 sports individually -that's the beauty of it. It's also the perfect sport for developing all round health and fitness as training across the disciplines strengthens and tones your body, it also keeps the boredom at bay with the variety of the sessions.
Variety and inclusiveness are key to the appeal of triathlon. Firstly you get a mixture of environments, perhaps a lake or pool swim, followed by a cycle through the countryside, followed by an off-road run. It can require some careful planning to get the balance right, but it is both invigorating and motivating, and the mixture of training sessions reduces the risk of injury. Many races are run in age groups, meaning that you compete directly against athletes of the same age and sex. There are many beginner and novice triathlon races out there and with over 150 new races every year you will easy find one that fits your abilities. Good advice for your first triathlon would be to start with a sprint or super sprint triathlon.
Cool gear is the great part of starting out in triathlons, but for your first triathlon it does not need to be a costly. Here's what you need to get started:
| Event | Kit | Notes |
| Swimming | Swimsuit/Trunks | Close fitting rather than loose to avoid drag |
| Goggles | Not always required, but most people will aim to swim front crawl. | |
| Towel | For drying off before putting any cycle or run clothing on. Tip - use the brightest colour one you can find so your transition area will be easy to spot. | |
| Swim Hat | Mandatory when swimming in open water so you can be seen easily. Many race organisers will provide you with a swim hat which you must wear for identification. | |
| Wetsuit | This is compulsory at all open water triathlons to a certain temperature. You must buy a triathlon specific suit that is design to give you maximum freedom of movement and aid buoyancy. | |
| Cycling | Bike | Which is in good working order - having your bike serviced would be a good start. Whilst the majority of triathletes use "road/ tri" bikes, it is optional for most triathlons and some of the novice/ beginner triathlons allow the use of a mountain bikes. You may wish to have a water bottle and bike computer attached to your bike. |
| Helmet | You will not be allowed to race without one and it must meet safety standards. | |
| T-Shirt & Shorts | Again you are advised for them to be tight fitting to avoid drag. | |
| Running | Running Shoes | Worn without socks if you want to save time when competing, but remember to train without socks too, as you may end up with blisters! |
As you progress in your triathlon racing, you may also find the following items useful.
| Kit | Notes |
| Trisuit | All-in-one suit with a padded short that you can swim, run and bike in without having to take off or add any layers! |
| Race Belt | Made from elastic, these are quick to put on and enable you to easily attach your number, it also means that you can spin it round to your back for the bike and to your front for the run. |
| Elastic Laces | We all know what a pain it is to tie up you laces in a hurry, so these will take this worry away and speed up your transition. |
| Triathlon Specific Running Shoes | This type of trainers have elastic laces built in, friction-free lining for sock-less running and drainage holes to let water out. |
| Name | Swim | Bike | Run | Notes |
| Super Sprint | 400m | 10km | 2.5km | These are the shortest distance. |
| Sprint | 750m or 400m if a pool sprint | 20km | 5km | Probably the most the most common triathlon events, and are an achievable goal for a beginner to aim for. Maximum training time for sprint would be 5 hours per week. Beginner races generally always take place in a pool and it is a good idea to gain your confidence here before progressing to open water. |
| Olympic | 1500m | 40km | 10km | This distance is ideal for newcomers with good endurance in one of the three disciplines, or someone who has stepped up from sprint distance events. Expect the race to take anything from two to three hours to complete, and typically you need to train for 6 to 12 hours a week. |
| Middle Distance/Half-Iron Man/70.3 | 1900m | 80km | 13.1M | A good endurance event for most seasoned triathletes. This is an excellent stepping stone for moving up to Iron Man, and should feature as part of your ironman training schedule. Races generally take 5-7 hours, and you could expect to be training for 8-15 hours per week. |
| Long Distance/Iron Man | 2.4M | 112M | 26.2M | The ultimate endurance challenge! This should only be attempted by very experienced triathletes or endurance athlete, with significant time to invest in training. Typical weekly training hours for ironman would be between 13-25 for age-groupers. |
| Related Events | ||||
| Duathlon | Run/Bike/Run. Generally take place in the autumn and early spring when the weather is too cold for swimming | |||
| Aquathlon | Swim/Run. Take place in summer months, great events for everyone to take part. |
A list of local and not so local races can be found here. Our training schedule for the next few months can be found here.
The British Triathlon Federation is the sport's governing body within the UK, and although this is not a requirement, we advise that any member who wishes to take part in triathlons to join. As a member of the TRI BRJ, you are entitled to a reduction on British Triathlon membership. The current Club Member fee to join the British Triathlon is on the British Triathlon website. By joining the BTF you can enjoy a range of benefits including reduced entry fees to races, insurance and you will also be contributing towards the sports present and future development. For full details of membership, and to join online, go to: www.britishtriathlon.org
| British Triathlon membership entitles you to: |
| Reduced entry fees for British Triathlon sanctioned events |
| A copy of the British Triathlon Handbook which includes the years events calendar |
| Regular copies of the British Triathlon magazine, Tri-News |
| Civil liability insurance both in training and competition |
| Personal accident insurance for training and competition |
| Discounts on bike and travel insurance |
| Eligibility for selection for national squads and teams |
| Advice and information on triathlon training and competition |
| Eligibility to compete in the National Championships and the Challenge Series |
| Free car sticker for all new members |
| Special offers and discounts exclusive to members |
| Access to the members only section on the British Triathlon website |
| In addition, all members are expected to follow the Club's Code of Conduct when conducting themselves in training and racing |
www.tri247.com
www.tritalk.co.uk
www.britishtriathlon.org
www.220triathlon.com
www.trifinder.co.uk
www.intelligent-triathlon-training.com
