A triathlon is a distance race consisting of 3 parts:
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Running
the following chart outlines the difference between each of the four races:
Sprint Olympic 1/2 Ironman Full Ironman
Swim .5 mile .93 mile 1.2 miles 2.4 miles
Bike 13 miles 24.8 miles 56 miles 112 miles
Run 3.2 miles 6.2 miles 13.1 miles 26.2 miles
Many times the different types of races are run on the same day with staggered starting times. This way racers of all levels and abilities can enjoy any given course on the same day as anyone else.
One of the best things about this is that many newcomers to the sport can enjoy the performances of the more seasoned athletes and get tips, tricks, and hints about how to improve their talents from those who have been in the sport longer.
In fact, many of the articles I've read of people writing on their first race experience tells of how each of the athletes verbally supported and encouraged the each other to not quit and to keep pushing themselves. The great thing about these types of races is, while there is a prize for winners of each race, most of the racers are only out there to race against themselves and to accomplish a task that they have set out to achieve.
Many people also associate the Ironman with a race in Hawaii. While there is an Ironman competition in Hawaii, that is not the only one. The Hawaiian location is only the Ironman championship. You have to compete in another Ironman competition elsewhere in the world in order to qualify for Hawaii. I would be lying if I said I didn't want to compete in the tropics like that, but that would be a ways off after I complete my first triathlon.
Till next time.