What is Triathlon?

Triathlon is an activity that combines swimming, cycling, and running in one event

Triathlon is not an extreme sport, it's not a sport for elite athletes and it's not an unachievable target. Long Course Triathlon is one tiny part of the sport, and whilst attractive to some individuals, not representative of the entire sport!

Triathlon Australia is for people of all ages and abilities, providing lifelong participation in the sport of triathlon.

Some of the best ways to get involved in the sport can be to:

a) Join a triathlon club.

Triathlon clubs are a great way to meet other triathletes and coaches, get involved in a regular training programme, or sign up for a skills development course. Clubs will often keep their members updated on local or state races and events, and provide a great social aspect to the sport.

CLICK HERE to find your nearest club

b) Enter a Race, with your club mates

Enter a short distance enticer /novice race. Such events are usually delivered as low-competitive, fun for all events.

c) Consider a team for your first race

Enter as a member of a two or three-person team. This can be a great way to try out the sport with your friends, and get to know the three disciplines of a triathlon.

Different Distances of Triathlons

There are many variations of a Triathlon or multisport event, the table below gives a good overview of the various types of events and distances:

Type	Name	Distance
Triathlon	Enticer / Novice	Swim – less than 750m Ride – less than 20km Run – less than 5km
	Sprint	Swim – 750m Ride – 20km Run – 5km
	Olympic or Classic	Swim – 1500m Ride – 40km Run – 10km
	Long Course / Half Iron Distance	Swim – between 2500 and 3800m Ride – between 80km and 120km Run – between 20km and 30km
	Iron Distance	Swim – 3800m Ride – 180km Run – 42km
Duathlon	Enticer / Novice	Run – less than 5km Ride – less than 30km Run – less than 5km
	Sprint Distance	Run – 5km Ride – 30km Run – 5km
	Standard Distance	Run – 10km Ride – 40km Run – 5km
	Long Course	Run – 10km Ride – 60km Run – 10km
Aquathlon	Various Distances	Swim - run or Swim – run - swim