Irontwit

Once you have decided to do a triathlon, you’ve done your research and you’ve chosen your distance, what factors make for an enjoyable race, and a successful first triathlon experience?

This post will look at some of the characteristics that make up a triathlon race and some things you might consider when choosing a race for you. I will only talk about races that I’ve done, or had reports on from people whose opinions I trust, so if you’ve enjoyed a particular event, or found it was well organised, why not add a comment?

What type of swim?

The title “open water” can hide all manner of different characteristics and unless swimming is your real strong suit then it is worth paying attention to this aspect of a race above all others. Open water could mean:

• A reservoir or lake, which usually means little or no current, but they can be quite choppy when windy (Llyn Tegid at Bala), and sometimes cold (Llyn Tegid again, and Wimbleball), especially if deep. Shallow lakes can have weed floating about (Boundary Breeze) and can be shallow enough to have the silt at the bottom disturbed by swimmers (Trentham Gardens). Shallow lakes can also potentially get warm enough to make the wearing of wetsuits illegal (happens extremely rarely).
  

  Llyn Tegid

• A river, which may have some current and might require a bit of nouse to find the quietest route. (The only river based triathlon I’ve done is Windsor, at which point the Thames is so benign as to make current barely an issue, although this is not necessarily the case if there has been significant rainfall in the buildup). A good tip is to watch the faster swimmers ahead of you and see where they are swimming: they’ll often be hugging the banks to avoid any current.
• A dock, such as Salford Quays or the London triathlon. These are usually the easiest of open water swims as they are very calm and still. Salford Quays is surprisingly clean, so just because it’s an urban venue, doesn’t necessarily make it a bad one from a swimming point of view.
• A sea swim. I’ve never done a sea based triathlon, and it’s something I definitely intend to remedy. Again these can vary enormously in nature. Some sea swims take place entirely within a harbour (will tend to be easier); others start and finish on a beach (entry and exit can be fun; and some are effectively open sea swims, which I assume to be the most challenging of the lot.

Urban v Country

For some people, racing in the countryside is an important factor, for others, the crowds at an urban venue really help. I think the main difference between an urban and country based triathlon tends to be in the nature of the bike course. Most urban races tend to involve several laps of a circuit and each circuit will have roundabouts, lots of 90 degree corners and plenty of street furniture. This means lots of acceleration and braking, as well as putting a premium on your bike handling. You also need your wits about you as people can dive into corners much faster than you expect. Street circuits can also become extremely slippery in the wet due to oil and petrol on the road.

A country based circuit will often be faster because it will have far fewer sharp corners, but it will also usually be open road, meaning you will be sharing the carriageway with other road users. This has never led to any problems for me as most road users are pretty patient when it is obvious that a race is taking place. Some countryside based races, however can be very hilly, which makes them much tougher (the best example would be UK Ironman 70.3 at Wimbleball whose bike leg is infamous- the Ironman legend, Chris McCormack described it as the toughest half-ironman race he’d ever done). Open bike courses are also prone to being affected by wind which can make a fairly straightforward course really hard. Reading the route description, I would suggest, is a great starting point!

My preference is for the open countryside every time. Hills are a good chance for me to show my climbing speed (most triathletes are hopeless climbers and worse descenders). I actively dislike the stop/start nature of urban courses as they break up your rhythm and the constant accelerations take their toll on your legs.

Local v Marquee

Putting the power down on Winter Hill

Some people love the idea of taking part in the London Marathon or the Great North Run along with countless thousands of others. Already, the London Triathlon has quickly built up into the world’s biggest triathlon, and the UK’s most prestigious race, the Nokia Windsor Triathlon, fills up very quickly as soon as entries go live. Some of the most popular European Ironman races such as Frankfurt and Austria sell out within 24 hours of entries going live. This means that if you want to enter a popular event, you need to be organised and keep an eye on the date when entries go live. These large scale triathlons also have a large scale logistical organisation behind them meaning that the build to race day itself will tend to be much more regimented. Almost certainly you won’t be able to register on the day, meaning that if the event isn’t local to you, you’ll have to organise accommodation etc. Some of the really popular events, such as Austria and Frankfurt will have inclusive accommodation packages available after entries close as tour operators will have bought some entries in order to sell package deals.

On the other hand, a local race might only have a few hundred athletes taking part. You can register on race morning and setting up at transition is a far more relaxed affair.

Entering a marquee event will inevitably have a more stressful build up than a local or regional race, and while these big races may be your ultimate goal, for many people, using smaller low key races can be the best way to learn how to handle all aspects of  your race craft from pre-race organisation to executing your race plan. It will also help you get over the nerves of your first open water swim and maximise your chances of performing well when you get to your big race.

My favourite races

These are my favourite triathlons. Most of them I’ve done more than once, and you’ll notice that they are all lake or reservoir swims (except Windsor). They also all have countryside based bike legs. These might be a starting point for you, but there ask local triathletes about quality events in your area, or check out the British Triathlon events database.

Sprints

The Boundary Breeze is run by Manchester Tri Club and is a very fast course, the bike and run could hardly be flatter, and the swim is very sheltered, in a lovely lake, so it’s a great event for beginners. It’s a popular race, too, so you need to get your entry in early. Usually run in July.

Grendon Triathlon. Based upon a gravel pit near Northampton, it’s a very well organised race. The bike leg is quite prone to wind so it can be tough (also a shade longer than the standard 20km) and not a place to set a PB. I think there is also an Olympic distance race on this course. Usually run in May.

The Royal Windsor. I’ve done the sprint at Windsor twice, including my first ever race. Windsor is a fantastic race to do. The bike leg is very fast through some lovely lanes and the return through Windsor Great Park is fabulous (although the bike leg is much longer than the standard 20km. The run through the town attracts loads of spectators and has a great atmosphere, although 3rd time up the castle hill will be a real stamina test. Very popular, so enter as soon as it goes live. Usually run in mid-June.

Olympic distance

The Royal Windsor. As per the sprint, this is a great race to do. I did this on the hottest day of that particular year and found the run very demanding indeed. Very popular, keep an eye on the date when entries go live. Mid-June.

Bala standard distance. Llyn Tegid is cold, and can be quite choppy so the swim can be pretty hard. The bike course is very fast, although far from completely flat. It’s also unusual in that it now takes place on closed roads. The old run route was very tough, but now it’s a lot easier (and faster). You can register on race day, but Bala is a lovely place for a weekend away. Note: they also run a half-ironman on the same course. This year the Olympic distance race ran in September.

The Dambuster. This race is based on Rutland Water in Leicestershire. The bike route is quite open and has a number of rolling hills on it. It’s mostly on A roads but they are smooth and wide making it ideal for strong bike riders. The run is fast and flat around the lake itself. A June race.

Half-Ironman

UK Ironman 70.3. This race takes place at Wimbleball Lake on Exmoor. It’s a beautiful venue but far from population centres, so quite a trek. It’s also not great for spectators. The bike course is legendary (2 15% hills per lap and many other tough hills) and the run is pretty hard too. Finishing Wimbleball is a real achievement on any triathlete’s palmares. The race has sold out for the last few years so don’t leave entry too late. Expensive. Run in mid-June, often on the same weekend as Windsor (note: 2010 has sold out already and only has charity places left).

The Vitruvian. This is a popular race that sells out every year and has won several awards. It’s run over the same course as the Dambuster making it demanding, but nothing like as hard as Wimbleball. The run is pretty flat: a good one to set your half-marathon PB on (assuming you’ve got enough left in your legs). Early September – a great season finisher.

Ironman

I’ve only done one! The Bolton course has a fairly fast bike route despite the triple ascent of Winter Hill (long, but never steep). The run, however, is hard with some steep inclines to test the will. This was the first year at the Bolton venue, and the race sold out a few months ahead. It is very expensive to enter: £280, so you won’t be tackling this one on a whim. I’ve written quite a few posts about UK Ironman, which will help you make your mind up about Bolton, or whether to take your Ironman ambitions overseas. This year it was at the beginning of August.

Entering these races won’t guarantee success, but they were all well organised and I think will give you a good idea of the demands that triathlon makes at each distance. I would be happy to receive recommendations for races I’ve not listed. I’m especially interested in recommendations for a sea swim based triathlon to do. I’m thinking that the Castles Challenge in Northumberland looks like a great race.