What is a Triathlon?
Triathlon, some might say, is the ultimate modern day sport and one that is ideally suited to Australians and our environment.Triathlon is an exciting and unique Multi-discipline sport involving a continuous race over various distances in three disciplines of swimming, cycling and running. It challenges and inspires athletes from the most novice beginner just making it across the line in their first event to the most skilled and talented elite athlete racing their way towards a spot on the winners podium! Anyone can participate in triathlon and that is exactly what seems to be happening in 2008! Australians, being the typical sports lovers that we are, cannot get enough of triathlon! Whether it is the challenge of actually finishing a swim, ride and run all at the same time or making the important decision to adopt a healthier lifestyle, up to 160,000 individuals motivate themselves each year to get out and train to make themselves feel better. And that is what this sport is all about- GIVING IT A GO!Triathlon appears to have no boundaries. Athletes come from everywhere and anywhere, the city, the country or the beach! Whether it be at training or in a race, triathletes encourage others to achieve their best while being pushed to the limit and having fun!
Race Distances
Distances of individual events may vary from race to race, but there are some standard triathlon distances, quoted in terms of swim/bike/run:
- Super sprint - 400m/10km/2.5km
- Sprint distance - 750m/20km/5km
- Olympic distance - 1500m/40km/10km
- Half Ironman distance - 1.9km/90km/21.1km
- Ironman distance - 3.8km/180km/42km
Competition Status
Triathletes fall into two categories:
Elite- the professional triathletes who compete at an international level.
Age Group - triathletes who are non-professional. The Age Group system allows you to compete against other triathlete entrants of the same age (within a five year band) and sex.
Triathlon and duathlon World Championships give all triathletes the chance to enter - they have an Age Group category as well as an elite category.
