Can anyone be a triathlete?

Yes, absolutely anyone can be a triathlete. Any one who can swim, bike and run can participate in a triathlon, which also means that physically challenged people can race. The most famous team in the triathlon world is Team Hoyt, comprised of a father who races with his physically challenged son in marathons, duathlons and Ironmans (triathlons) all over the world. Check out Team Hoyt for more information or for a life time's worth of inspiration.

Do you have to be a life time athlete to be a triathlete?

Nope! Triathletes come in all shapes and sizes. When you see the brochures or visit the race website, you'll only see pictures of a super fit muscle man wrapped in a wet suit and a great tan. In reality, the average person that comes in after he crosses the finish line is the average Joe and Jane. They are mother, fathers, grandparents, full-time job holders and other people like that. They don't train full time and have sponsors; they work 9-5! Be assured that there are only a few "ken" dolls out there. The average triathlete participating in mini-triathlons looks like that guy sitting next to you at work.

Why would I want to compete in a triathlon?

Because triathlons are only THE best race you can do! No, really, they are. Triathletes tend to be very healthy individuals; they are very organized in daily life; and are very fit. Who can say they are too healthy and can't afford to be any healthier? Who can say that they are very well organized in their daily life and can only suffer from being any more organized? Who, out there, can say that they are as fit as they would like to be and would not like to be any fitter? Enough Said!

Also, triathletes tend to be a great group of people to hang out with. They are like minded and normally have a majority of interests in common. The average triathlete is a 30+ professional who balances a job, three sports and possibly a family.

How long are triathlons?

• Sprint or Mini-Triathlon: Among the three categories, Sprint or Mini-Triathlons are the shortest in distance. The swim distance can fall anywhere under a 1 mile, the bike is less than 15 miles and the run is less than 5 miles.
• Olympic or International Triathlon: The distance for the swim is .93 miles, the bike is 24.8 miles and the run is 6.2 miles.
• Half Ironman: This is half the distance of a full Ironman. It consists of 1.2 miles of swimming, 56 miles of biking and 13 miles of running.
• Ironman: Famous for being the ultimate test of endurance, the swim is 2.4 miles, the bike is 112 miles and the run is 26.2 miles (yes, a marathon).

What are the bare basic equipment needs to compete in a triathlon?

• Swim: Bathing suit, cap and goggles and maybe a wet suit if the water is super cold. More in-depth info can be found here: What to Wear for a Triathlon Swim
  
• Bike: Road bike (if the tri is on a road) or Mountain Bike (in the tri is off-road), bike shorts, helmet & sneakers. More in-depth info can be found here: What to Wear for a Triathlon Bike
• Run: You can wear your sneakers, bathing suit and bike shorts as a bare minimum. More in-depth info can be found here: What to Wear for a Triathlon Run

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