I would like to know, in general, what the race times are like (fast and slow) for a mini triathlon In my case it will be a .5 mile swim 12 mile bike and 5K run.  I am 48 and this will be my first mini triathlon and I am wondering what I should expect.

Lee M. from Pennsylvania

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Hi Lee,
Thank you for contacting TriathaNewbie.com!

This is a really tough question to answer, probably the toughest of all. First of all, times vary from age group to age group and within that, it varies on gender. From there, every single triathlon course is different. Very few mini-triathlons are exactly the same distance and the terrain differs vastly between races.

For example, ocean swims tend to be the longest due to currents and waves. Lake and pond swims have fewer obstacles and swim much more smoothly. The biking and running depends on whether the course has many hills, few hills, intense hills, rolling hills or no hills. It also depends on whether the race is on-road or off-road.

Another factor that can play a huge part in your finish-time is weather. You can actually participate in the same mini-triathlon several times, have different weather conditions and get very different times.

Our suggestion is that you research the the times from the race by going to race website and looking at the previous year's results. Find your gender and age group and get a range of times, but be kind to yourself and run your own race -- don't compare. Triathlons are an individual sport and should be based on the individual. Remember, only one person comes in first, then there is the rest of us!

Be well,
~Niki

Niki Jamieson
TriathaNewbie.com

You can also ready more on Average Triathlon Times here.

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