Triathlons are not all created equal
Triathlons? “Oh, I could never compete in something hard like that,” you find
yourself saying whenever you hear about one. Well, that might be true if we’re
talking about the Ironman. After all, most people can’t even finish a qualifier
for an Ironman, the half-Ironman.
Ironman stands above all others
However, not all multi-sport races are created equal. You can compete in a
triathlon and even finish it. You just won’t have an
iron man or iron woman statue to take home with you.
To win an Iron man or Iron woman, you have to swim 2.4 miles, bike for 112 miles
and then run for 26.2 miles. Sounds imposing? Don’t worry, there are lots of
smaller multi-sport races that might work for you.
The Long Triathlon requires you to swim 1.2 miles, bike for 56 miles and run for
13.1 miles. Long triathlons are also often known as the half-Ironman.
The International triathlon is usually half the length of a long triathlon. To
compete in an international triathlon, you’ll need to swim .93 miles, bike for
24.8 miles, and then run for 6.2 miles.
The Olympic or Sprint triathlon weighs in as the lightest of the bunch. To
compete in an Olympic triathlon, you must swim a ½ mile, bike for 12. 4 miles,
and then run for 3.1 miles.
What about your First Triathlon? In beautiful Harrison Mills and Parksville,
British Columbia, Canada, you can start out small...
When?
Harrison Mills, August 6,13,14
Parksville, August 20
Distance?
Swim 400 meters, bike 20 km’s, Run 5 km
Course Descriptions
Swim – Easy meter swim, water temperature between 70 and 75 degrees F. Athletes
swim next to shore in waist deep water enabling them to stand up and take a
break. Those in Parksville can just wait for the tide to go out and walk the
swim course. Athletes can grab onto lane markers at Cultus Lake to take a break.
Bike – 20 KM mile Loop, out and back, from the transition zone located adjacent
to the swim exit area. Harrison is flat. There are some rolling hills at Cultus
and Parksville.
Run – Out and back from the transition zone; Spring Park in Harrison, Main Beach
at Cultus, and Parksville Bay in Parksville.
Awards: All finishers will receive an Official Triathlon Medallion at the finish
line.
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