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Racing Ahead

Article: Racing Ahead

by Rob Harvey

originally published in Man Tri Newsletter June 2010

additional information added for web version

 

Introduction

Triathlon has never been more popular with the number of competitors, events and clubs increasing at a rapid rate. What this means is that if you are new to the sport and want to give it a try it's never been easier.  In the North West alone there are now races organised almost every weekend by the local triathlon clubs or professional event organisers such as club sponsors Extra Mile and Uber-Fit.

  • Boundary Breeze - http://www.man-tri-club.org.uk/Events/Boundary-Breeze/
  • XtraMile Events - www.XtraMileEvents.com
  • Uberfit Events - www.UberFitEvents.com
  • Fun 2 Tri - www.Fun2Tri.co.uk
  • Epic Events - www.epicevents.org
  • Tri Hard - www.TriHard.co.uk
  • Liverpool Triathlon - www.liverpooltriathlon.co.uk
  • Tatton Triathlon - www.tattontriathlon.co.uk
  • Chester Triathlon - www.chestertri.org.uk

If you are after something larger scale then the London, Blenheim or Windsor triathlon can give you that big day out buzz of a mass participation event.

  • London Triathlon - www.thelondontriathlon.co.uk
  • Blenheim Triathlon - www.theblenheimtriathlon.com
  • Windsor Triathlon - www.humanrace.co.uk

If having 3 disciplines to think about is one too many then you may want to give Duathlon (usually run/bike/run) or Aquathlon (usually swim/run) at try.  Duathlons usually take place in early spring or late autumn, but for club member we organise a series of training duathlons during the winter:

Man Tri also run the Aquathlon Series at Salford Quays held on thursday evening throughout the summer:

To find a complete listing of British Triathlon affiliated events in England, Scotland and Wales visit: www.britishtriathlon.org/events

But where can you go once your first race or two is under your belt?

Many people enter triathlons as a purely personal challenge to see if they can do it, get fit, lose weight, beat their mates/colleagues/family members/anyone and perhaps get faster over time. If this is what motivates you then any well organised event will do.  However after a season or two, once you've reached your new lean, mean triathlon self, you might start asking, what next?

Unlike more established sports such as rugby, football and athletics, there is no clear competition structure with little place for teams.  This is not to say that there is no structure at all it's just that triathlon is a young sport and constantly changing and developing.  It can also get confusing due to the variety of distances and formats that are now on offer with World Champions being crowned all over the place.

So let's try to make sense of it all. In this article I'll provide some background to the World of triathlon events and look at what 'non-drafting events' are available to you as these are probably of most interest to our members.  I'll touch on aquathlon and duathlon were relevant, but will keep the focus on triathlon. In the next article I'll suggest a few ways the domestic competition structure could be improved.  I've also written a longer version of this article that is available on the Man Tri website with information about draft-legal, junior, children's and Para-Triathlon events.

First though, let's start with a little background on:

  • Drafting
  • Who's the World Champ - ITU v WTC v Team Unlimited
  • Age-Group v Elite

Drafting

The sport began in the 1970's as an individual test of endurance with a non-drafting bike section meaning riders had to stay a defined distance behind the rider in front unless overtaking. This was the same for local up to international races. Many still believe this is the purest form of the sport and is a true test of the athlete's ability across the 3 disciplines (although you've always been able to draft in the swim and run?). It is still the format for all age-group events in the UK as well as middle and long distance events including Ironman and Ironman 70.3 (more on them later).  The introduction of triathlon as an Olympic event was hugely important to its development as a sport, but lead to a number of changes at an elite level for standard distance events, mainly driven by its appeal to TV audiences.  The main one was that drafting was permitted during the bike section of some events, allowing riders to bunch and work together.  This made it easier to film and more of a spectacle for those watching at home as attacks, crashes and team work became part of the event, but split the sport with different physical characteristics required for success in each.

 

Who's the World Champ - ITU v WTC v Team Unlimited

Triathlon like boxing currently has at least 3 organisations that crown World Triathlon Champions at both Elite and Age-Group Level! That's a lot of champions....

  • International Triathlon Union (ITU)
  • World Triathlon Corporation (WTC)
  • Team Unlimited

However the nature of the ITU is quite different from WTC and Team Unlimited:

The International Triathlon Union (ITU) is the World Governing Body for the sport of triathlon and as such a not-for-profit organisation.  In co-operation with Continental Organisations (E.g. European Triathlon Union) and Nation Governing Bodies (e.g. British Triathlon Federation, French Triathlon, Swiss Triathlon, etc) they are interested in the development of the sport at all levels, disciplines and distances but most of their work revolves around the standard distance of the event.  The ITU is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and is responsible for the inclusion of triathlon as an Olympic Sport. They are ultimately responsible for the organisation of the World Series, World Cups and Continental Cups as well as World and European Age-Group champs: www.triathlon.org

The World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) is a business that owns and develops the Ironman brand. Their key products are the Ironman and Ironman 70.3 events which culminate in World Championships in Kona (Hawaii) and Clearwater (USA) respectively.  Whilst they don't have a monopoly on middle and long distance triathlon events they have developed a reputation for quality with almost cult status including competitors frequently getting an Ironman tattoo on completion of their race! More on Ironman later: www.ironman.com

Team Unlimited, like the WTC, is a business that develops the Xterra brand of off-road triathlon and running events.  They have been going since 1996 and their off-road triathlons are regarded as the best organised and most competitive events of their kind and therefore the World Champion, crowned in Maui, Hawaii each October is a highly sort after prize. The majority of Xterra events are in the USA, but there is a developing Global and European Tour with an ever growing following. The ITU is beginning to develop its off-road triathlon competition structure with a European Championship begun in 2010, but this will take some time to develop: www.xterraplanet.com

The table below shows popular triathlon distances:

ITU

WTC

Team Unlimited

Novice Sprint

Sprint (pool)

Sprint (Open Water)

Standard

Long 02 (Middle)

Long 03 (Long)

Ironman 70.3

Ironman

Xterra

Swim

200m

400m

750m

1.5km

3km

4km

1.9km

3.8km

1.5km

Bike

10km

20km

20km

40km

80km

120km

90.1km

180.2km

30km off-road

Run

2.5km

5km

5km

10km

20km

30km

21.1km

42.2km

10km off-road

 

Winter Triathlon consists of a run, MTB and cross country ski over various distances and usually over mountainous terrain.  Standard Duathlon and Aquathlon distance can be found in the British Triathlon Rule Book although event organisers can and do use other formats at their events.


Age-Group v Elite

You will see the term age-group related to events all the time.  I've already used it a number of times in this article.  If a triathlon is an age-group event it means that competitors will receive their position against other people in their age category.  Age-categories are broken down into 5 year bands such as 25-29 or 30-34. This tries to level the playing field and motivate younger or older athletes to keep involved with the sport. The format of the bike section of age-group events is usually non-drafting.  Prizes in age-group events are usually small and you could think of it as the amateur side of the sport (although the training and performance level of many age-group athletes is anything but amateur).

These days the term Elite is often used to refer to races where competitors are allowed to draft on the bike. Elite is an appropriate term as there are often tough entry requirements to be allowed to take part and prizes tend to be considerable. Many of the athletes that compete in these events are high performance athletes funded through UK Sport or professional training full-time living off sponsorship and prize money. There are a number of non-drafting events, such as Ironman, Ironman 70.3, Xterra or the Life Time Fitness Series that have Elite Fields (or Pro Fields) that usually go off in a separate wave just before the age-group race.  Again there are usually strict entry requirements to take part in these fields as prizes are much larger.


Non-Drafting Events

Now we have an overview of the triathlon event landscape, let's consider the competition structure for non-drafting events as this is probably more relevant to the majority of members:

North West Championships & Series

Each year the North West Committee for Triathlon highlights an event as regional championships events at: Sprint, Standard and Middle Distance Triathlon, Duathlon and Aquathlon.  Anyone can enter the events but only Triathlon England member who are registered with a North West club (like Man Tri) can be crowned champions.

The North Series takes the results from the championship events and finds the strongest performers across 3 of the 5 events. Like any series, consistency is the key.  More information about the Northwest Championships & Series can be found on the North West pages of the Triathlon England website: http://www.britishtriathlon.org/triathlonengland/northwest/

National Championships

The pinnacle of the domestic age-group calendar has traditionally been the National Championships.  These are held over sprint, standard, off-road and middle distance as well as aquathlon and duathlon. There is also a hugely popular Club Relay Champs which is the only current event in which you can compete for your club or team.  Anyone is able to enter the races but only Triathlon England/Scotland/Wales members can come away as Champions.  More information can be found on the British Triathlon website under Events: http://www.britishtriathlon.org/events/

Manchester Triathlon Club is organising the 2010 National Aquathlon Champs on Sat 17th July.  If you haven't already done so, enter today via the club website.

National Ranking Series

Whilst the National Championship events find the best athlete in each age-group on that day, there's also a National Ranking Series for Standard distance triathlon and duathlon to find the best performers across the season.  5 Key events from around the country are chosen with peoples best 3 results to count with points awarded based on finishing times behind the winner.  They are usually large capacity established races where you can guarantee a quality field. Anyone can enter the events but to be included in the National Ranking you must be a triathlon England/Scotland/Wales member.  More information can be found on the British Triathlon website under Events: http://www.britishtriathlon.org/events/

European & World Age-Group Championships

In few other sports would so many people get the opportunity to compete for Great Britain, but in triathlon that is what the age-group system enables you to do.  The Great Britain Age Group team offers all Home Nation members a chance to compete at the international level in triathlon and enjoy the experience of representing Great Britain in the International Triathlon Union (ITU) World and Continental (European) Championships at sprint, standard, off-road, winter, middle and long distance.  With up to 20 places in each age-group category this makes the dream challenging but achievable.

The team selection process for each championship is published on the British Triathlon website: http://www.britishtriathlon.org/age/

For off-road, winter, aquathlon, middle and long distance the selection is usually based on past performance. For sprint and standard distances there are selection races.  The events that act as qualifiers tend to be some of the most competitive of the season with so much at stake.

We are currently compiling a list of club members that have competed in the World and European Age-Group champs on our website.  If you have competed then check to see if you are listed:

Non-Drafting Sprint and Standard Races Abroad

In the UK we now tend to think that our Professional/Elite compete on the ITU draft-legal race circuit or in Ironman and Ironman 70.3 events, however in the USA events such as the Life Time Fitness and Rev3 series attract the world's best to race for big prize money. We might start to see a resurgence of more of this in the UK and Europe with new event organisers entering the market:

USA

Europe

It's also worth mentioning the super challenging Powerman Duathlon Series which like Ironman and Xterra offers its own World Ranking, World Championships and European Championships.  Distance vary from 10k run, 60k bike, 10k run upto 10k run, 150k bike, 30k run! Ouch.

Ironman Qualifiers and World Championships

Since it began as a challenge between friends in 1978, the Ironman has grown to become one of the most recognized endurance events in the world. Originally a combination of the Waikiki Rough Water swim, the Around Oahu Bike Race and the Honolulu Marathon, the Ironman consists of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run.  For more background on Ironman see:

The Ironman qualifying series includes 22 events throughout the world that qualify athletes for the Ford Ironman World Championship held every October in Kona, Hawaii:

Whilst the ITU offers its own Long Distance World Championship each year becoming Ironman World Champion still remains the key goal of all great Long Distance triathletes. The age-group competition is equally fierce with a number of members having qualified in the past and ex-MTC member Doug Clarke winning his age-group in the 2009 event!

Ironman 70.3 Qualifiers and World Championships

Since its inception in 2006, the Ironman 70.3 series has become the fastest growing triathlon series in the world. Now there are 30+ events around the world that qualify athletes for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Clearwater every November.  Ironman 70.3 races consist of a 1.2 mile swim, a 56-mile bike and a 13.1 mile run, which adds up to 70.3 miles of total racing. www.ironman.com

Other middle and long distance series

WTC events aren't the only choice for middle and long distance events.  As I've already mentioned there are national middle distance and World / European middle and long distance championships held each year.  There are also now a number of companies organising middle and long distance events that attract large, world class fields with large prize money for the winners.  Notable series include:


Conclusions

Hopefully that should give you some ideas if you are looking for a new challenge.  We've only looked at non-drafting events so far and there are enough options to keep you in the sport for a very long time.  To prove a point the oldest competitor signed up so far for this year's National Aquathlon Champs is over 80 years old! If you are interested in Draft-Legal, Junior, Children's or Para-Triathlon competitions then there is more information on the racing section of the Man Tri website.

Next issue we'll look at a few ways to improve on the present competition structure including the role of clubs, brining the team into triathlon and developing a domestic structure to rival any country in the world.

If you are out there racing, don't forget to send us your race reports so we can put them on the website to inspire motivate (or scare) other members.

Bye for now

 

Rob Harvey

Head Coach

Manchester Triathlon Club

Coaching@man-tri-club.org.uk

 

Draft-Legal Events

If you are a strong swimmer and runner then you may consider the draft legal format of triathlon. This is because anyone behind the main group out of the water will find it difficult to keep up on the bike. How fast you need to be depends upon the level of competition, but the guidelines below will give you a general idea of the entry point to domestic draft-legal racing:

Women:

  • Swim: Sub 21:00 for 1500m swim
  • Run: Sub 40:00 for 10km run

Men

  • Swim: Sub 20:00 for 1500m
  • Run: Sub 36:00 for 10km run

British Triathlon Super Series

This 5 race series organised by British Triathlon is a great entry point for anyone looking to get into draft legal racing.  It brings together elite fields at UK events including London, Windsor, Blenheim, Strathclyde and Parc Bryn Bach with established international athletes competing against the best British elites, junior athletes and talented age-group athletes trying to get into draft-legal racing. Your best 3 results count and with races televised on Channel 4 it's doing a great job at increasing the profile of the sport in the run up to 2012 Olympics and the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

A number of Man Tri members have competed in series events including:

  • Jacqui Slack
  • Vicki Wade
  • Amy Backhouse
  • Nina McArthur
  • Paul Hawkins
  • Alex Young
  • Jeremy Gilmour

Jacqui Slack is currently leading the 2010 British Super Series rankings after 3 events after winning Strathclyde and coming 5th at Blenheim and 3rd at Windsor.

French Grand Prix

French Grand Prix offers the opportunity for British athletes racing well at National Elite level to travel and compete against athletes of a similar standard from other nations.  As athletes compete as a team for one of the French Clubs it makes the races even more exciting with everyone needing to do well for themselves but also their teammates. The standard in the French Grand Prix in particular is world class with top athletes from around the world paid well to race.  The races are usually held over the sprint distance making them a fast and furious affair. Other European nations such as Germany and Switzerland have their own series with fierce competition between teams.

Continental Cup Series

Each ITU region has their own race series.  In Europe this is the European Cup with similar series for Oceania, Africa, Asia and the Americas.  This is the entry point to international elite racing for athletes performing well in domestic elite.  Applications to race must be made to British Triathlon following their selection criteria.  Depending upon your finish position, points can be gained towards your European ranking which help towards selection for World Cup and World Series events.  In Europe there are actually two classes of event know as European Cup and Premier European Cup which differ based on the amount of prize money on offer which tends to attract more athletes towards the Premier races.

ITU World Cup Series

This used to be the premier international triathlon race series before the introduction of the World Championship series, but can now be thought of as the second tier of competition. Today it consists of 8 races staged from March to November at destination all across the world.  There is still significant prize money, world class fields and the chance to earn all important ranking points that count toward World Series selection.  British Triathlon selection criteria is available via their website.

World & Continental Championships

Whilst there is no longer a one-off World Championship event at standard distance, there are still Continental Championship for each region with the European Championship being the most competitive and highly prized.  As the ITU drive the sport forward there are now sprint distance and Team Triathlon World Championships on the annual calendar with a view to inclusion in future Olympic Games.

ITU World Championship Series

In 2009 the ITU introduced this new series of 7 races including one grand final do replace the one-off annual World Championships.  The idea is to bring the world best athletes together 'head-to-head' at a select series of events held around the world. Points are earned at each event with the series decided at the Grand final where extra points are on offer. The series has been a great success so far with Great Britain's Alistair Brownlee winning every event he has entered so far and taking the overall men's title last year: http://wcs.triathlon.org/

Olympic Games

Held once every 4 years this event is the pinnacle of any standard distance athlete's career.  Few get the chance to take part and even fewer are lucky enough to be at their peak when the race comes around.  Selection varies from nation to nation with the number of places available to each country dependent upon the countries number of placing in the ITU World Series Rankings.  Selection for those places is a complicated and sometimes controversial affair usually dependent upon performance in one or more selection event.