Choose your age group and gender (e.g. F40-44 for a 42 year old female).  The Open category is for the quickest on course.  There may be a “mates” or “friends and family” wave, where you can start with your friends, but it is a mixed ability and gender group and can be full of people “racing” against each other.

– Aquathlon – run/swim/run
– Aquabike – swim/bike
– Cross Triathlon – off road triathlon
– Duathlon – run/bike/run
– Multisport/adventure race – sometimes include a paddle and an off road element
– Triathlon – swim/bike/run

Each event distance will vary slightly due to the course layout.  The events in bold are a standardised race where there is very little variation in distance

– Kids 100m swim/4km bike/1km run (distances vary depending on age)
– Enticer – 300m swim/10km bike/2.5km run
– Super Sprint – 400m swim/12km bike/4km run
– Sprint – 750m swim/20km bike/5km run
– Standard (Olympic) – 1.5km swim/40km bike/10km run
– Long Course – 2km swim/80km bike/20km run
– Half Ironman – 1.9km swim/90 km bike/21.1km run
– Ironman – 3.8km swim/180km bike/42.2km run

You can find the full rules here:

http://www.triathlon.org.au/Assets/Triathlon+Australia+Digital+Assets/RCR2017.pdf

Here is a summary to get you started

– Look out for your fellow athletes on course & show good sportsmanship.
– Don’t do anything that will give you an unfair advantage over everyone else.
– Only accept help from fellow athletes and officials during the race (not friends and family).
– Don’t use anything that will help you float in the swim – unless your race specifically allows it.
– Stay left on the bike course and keep 10 meters behind the bike in front of you.  If you are overtaking someone, do it within 20 seconds (Video example).
– You must always have your helmet on and done up before you unrack your bike and until the bike is racked again at the end of the bike leg.
– You must wear shoes and have your torso covered on the bike and on the run.
– Don’t throw anything away on course (unless it is a marked “discard zone”).
– Smile as you cross the finish line.

Yes – you can have a team of up to 3 people each doing a leg of a triathlon. Get a group together to share the fun and cross the finish line together.  One person swims, one rides and one runs – and you can run down the finish chute together.  It’s the perfect way to get fit with friends.

A team triathlon is a great way to try your first triathlon – and an easy way to step up to a longer distance tri. And the best part – the team race debrief over breakfast!

One person swims, then runs to transition and tags the cyclist, who runs to the mount line and rides the bike course. At the end of the bike course, they run back into transition and tag the team runner, who completes the run leg. The other two team members wait at the start of the finish chute for their runner & then join them to cross the finish line together.

You can also put together a team of 2 where one person does a leg of the tri and someone else does the other 2.

T1 is tri lingo for the first transition from swim to bike, where T2 is bike to run. In most races, this is in the same place. However, in some long distance events, T1 & T2 have different locations, so event organisers will transport separate bags of your equipment to the transition locations and back to the event precinct.

You can start your triathlon journey on any type of bike. This also includes different types of pedals. Try using your standard recreational bike first with pedals that you can just push down on, or have a single strap over your forefoot. Once you are confident on the bike, or are upgrading to a road bike, you can look at different options for clip in pedals. Your shoes will connect to the pedal and these can come in a number of different types. Ask your friendly bike store operator for more information.

Everyone has a stack at some stage and most of the time, it’s in the most simple way – like standing around with your friends before you clip in, or at the traffic lights, or getting on to your windtrainer. If you feel ok, try and get straight back on, reflect on how it happened and add it to your training notes so it doesn’t happen again. If you feel yourself rolling off, don’t try and break your fall with your hand – you could end up with a bad arm/wrist injury. If you think you have damaged your bike in any way, head into your bike shop and ask for them to check it over – you could have slightly bent the wheels or frame, so best to check before your next event.

Triathlon has a lot of rules to make sure all races are fair and everyone races under safe, fair conditions. Your event guide will give you most of the specific rules that you should know. But if you want more information, read the Triathlon Australia Race Competition Rules.

A triathlon is an endurance sport, however, it is also a very achievable goal if your health and fitness is on track. You should check with your GP to eliminate any issues that could hold you back – especially if you have any existing injuries or illnesses and get them sorted before you take on the challenge.

Triathletes do need a bit of expensive kit, like tri suit, bike, helmet, water bottle, etc. However, while you’re just getting started, use your existing equipment, see if you like it, then start investing in some better quality items. The most important thing is safety, so don’t scrimp on a helmet!

Certainly not – triathlon training is a great way to get fit and healthy. Training is easier though if you have a goal in mind. You can set yourself benchmarks and celebrate your achievements along the way. If you have a goal, it will make it easier to get out of bed on those rainy, cold mornings!

Triathlon Australia has many different age group categories. At some events, if there is a small field, you will be grouped into waves of similar ages. The age category depends on your age at 31 December of the year you are racing. Most ages are grouped into 5 years – 20-24, 25-29 etc.

Triathlon clubs play a vital part in creating a fun, supportive environment for athletes to prosper and perform at their best. In Queensland alone, there are nearly 80 clubs with benefits such as club races, insurance coverage, discounted race entries, coaching support and often the best part – the socialising. The fourth leg of the triathlon – the after party is the best part!