The triathlon is a multi-sport race consisting of a continuous and consecutive overcoming of its participants in three stages: swimming, cycling and running.
The concept of the modern triathlon was born in France at the beginning of the 20th century. In the newspaper «L’Auto», it was reported on the competition, called «The Three Sports», the condition of which was to pass three stages: 3 km – running distance, 12 km – cycling race and crossing the Marne Canal by swimming . All three parts were overcome without any interruption. Over time, the distance to be covered has increased.
Currently, the most popular modification of the triathlon, included in the Olympic program, is the one that includes a stage of swimming, cycling and running. In the early days of the development of triathlon as a full-fledged sport, the swim leg was the final leg. Athletes who were tired of cycling and running were supposed to be able to rest in the water. But as the number of athletes competing increased, so did the number of life-threatening moments. Tired muscles cramped after running and cycling. Therefore, it was decided to put the swimming stage at the beginning of the competition.
In general, there are many types of triathlon. The most famous are those organized under the auspices of ITU (International Triathlon Union) and WTC (World Triathlon Corporation).
International Triathlon Union (ITU) – was established in 1989 as the governing body for triathlon competitions. The first congress approved the length of the standard triathlon distance, later called the Olympic distance. The main types of distances of the competitions organized by the ITU:
ITU Supersprint: swimming – 300 m, cycling – 8 km and cross country – 2 km
ITU Short Course (Sprint): 750 m swimming, 20 km cycling and 5 km cross-country skiing
ITU Olympic Distance: 1500m swim, 40km cycle and 10km run
ITU Long Distance (double or triple Olympic distance): swimming 3-4 km, cycling 80-120 km and running 20-30 km
World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) is a commercial venture that organizes, promotes and licenses Ironman, Ironman 70.3 and the 5150 Triathlon Start Series. WTC also owns many Ironman-related brands. The main types of race distances run by WTC:
WTC 5150 series: swim – 1,500m, bike – 40km (no head) and run – 10km
WTC 70.3 or Half-Ironman: 1.93 km swim, 90 km bike and 21 km run
WTC Ironman Triathlon: 3.86 km swim, 180 km bike and 42.195 km marathon
Competition Stages
Swimming
The competition starts with the swim. There is a group start for all participants from the shore, the pontoon or directly from the water (in the long triathlon). In case of low water temperature (according to IRONMAN triathlon rules, usually not higher than 24.5 ° C), wetsuits up to 5 mm thick are allowed. Usually, swimming is done on a triangular course, marked by buoys and ropes. For each arbitrary shortening of the course length, penalty points are awarded and disqualification is possible. Competitors may use any swimming style they prefer. This is most often a crawl.
Bike Race.
After leaving the water, athletes change in the staging area, mount their bikes and the bike leg begins. There are refreshment points along the course, but technical assistance to professionals is not permitted. The short triathlon uses regular road bikes for the group races. In IRONMAN Triathlon, the professionals prefer bikes more similar to the split race bikes used in cycling. The International Triathlon Federation (ITU) rules allow the use of short handlebar mounted «loungers» on road bikes. The «leash» must not extend beyond the line connecting the ends of the brake handles. The «lay» itself must either have no protruding parts, or the protruding parts of the «lay» must be connected by a crossbar (plastic insert or just a few layers of electrical tape). Prohibition of long «transats», such as those used in individual bicycle time trial races. This is understandable, as there is no particular advantage of «transats» in short triathlon, due to the possibility of improving their aerodynamics simply by hiding behind the back of the preceding athlete. In the Olympic triathlon, the head is allowed in the cycling stage, meaning that athletes can ride in a group. In the Ironman triathlon, the head is prohibited, the athlete must ride at a certain distance (about 10-15 meters) from the lead bike or the judging machine, so the aerodynamics of the bike becomes quite important.
Functioning
The main rule is that the athlete must move on his feet.
Change between stages
The respect of the order of passage between the stages is strictly regulated (swimming -> cycling -> running). Athletes must not interfere with other athletes (when preparing their bikes or when changing). They may manually move the bikes only in their designated area before and after the race. Helmets must be worn prior to the start of the race and must be removed after the bike has been placed on the designated ramp or area. Naked appearance during dressing is prohibited by competition rules according to world standards. During the cycling stage, the number plate must be on the athlete’s back, during the running stage – on the chest. The athlete must respect the time limit set for each stage.
Penalties
During the competition, athletes must not interfere with each other. If this occurs during the swim, a 30 second athlete stop follows at the end of the swim. If this occurs during cycling or running, the athlete is warned with a yellow card. He must then stop and wait for permission to continue the competition. In case of dangerous actions or repeated violations, the athlete may be disqualified after receiving a red card. Two yellow cards in the same stage automatically turn into a red card and the athlete is disqualified.
Since its inception, the popularity of triathlon has grown at a significant rate and now includes thousands of competitions each year with hundreds of thousands of participants worldwide. So what motivates people to participate in this sport? Some aspire to physical perfection, others dilute their daily routine, there can be thousands of reasons. But the only sure way to find out what you will personally gain from a triathlon is to start doing it.
Chrissy Wellington, the Ironman Triathlon World Champion wrote in her book, «But what elevates Ironman above other sports is the intrinsic nature of competing with an unyielding and unyielding enemy: the race itself. Human nature, its best and worst, is revealed visibly and to its fullest extent. Ironman brings it all to the surface. To finish is to win. People are knocked to the side of the road, they lose control of their bodies, they are delirious, desperately trying to reach the finish line even though it is sometimes miles away. Participants are gripped by the strongest emotions, forcing them to dig deeper and deeper into themselves, both physically and mentally. And then comes the euphoria and relief of reaching the finish line. «Inspiration» is the only word that can describe this state, which cannot be achieved by playing cricket or soccer.»