How Triathlons Work
Triathlons may feature different distances and venues, but each is organized the same way: swim first, then cycle, then run. The swim will have the most variety as it can occur in a lake, ocean, or even an indoor pool. In a typical triathlon, you will be riding your bicycle on a paved road. Most rides will be out and back, but a loop course is possible. The run will be basically the same — out and back or loop, also on a paved road. Some of the run course might be on a trail or off-road surface, but the cycling part will not be unless your triathlon is specifically an off-road event.
Waves of Swimmers
There are two different ways to start the triathlon swim. The most common is the wave start. In a wave start, groups of triathletes assemble on the edge of the lake or ocean and all enter the water together when a siren sounds or a starter gun goes off. The size of the group depends in part on the size of the entrance to the body of water. Groups can be thirty swimmers or up to fifty or sixty if there is plenty of room.
Many road races allow runners taking part to register the day of the race, some even minutes before the start. Don't expect to do that with a triathlon. Almost all triathlons require preregistration, some with deadlines days before the event. This is because many have only a limited number of slots available, and it's much more complicated to organize a triathlon than a road race.
In a wave start, the first group is usually made up of the fastest swimmers, typically the male “pro” triathletes. This is not unlike the way some large marathons are organized with the elite runners starting out a few minutes ahead of the rest of the pack. If you are participating in a smaller triathlon, you probably will not see this configuration.
In any event, the wave start will have several groups, determined by the race organizers, each entering the water together in turn with a wait of a minute or so before the next group gets started. The last groups to enter the water in a wave start are usually the relay participants and younger swimmers.
Right on Time
The other way of starting the triathlon is by a time trial. In this format, swimmers stand in single file at the edge of the water, starting their swim on cue, with a delay of three to five seconds before the next swimmer starts. The swimmers stand in line in the order of their race numbers, which are displayed on their swim caps and written on their arms and legs with waterproof marker.
Number one, usually the favorite to win the triathlon, goes first, followed by number two, and so on. Time trials can include age groups, with each participant in a particular group standing in line according to his number, starting with the lowest.
In a time trial, the swimmer's race number and time of the start are noted so that person's total time can be calculated from the point of entering the water to crossing the finish line in the run.
It is not unusual for a triathlon to use both formats for starting the swim, with the elite athletes beginning in a time trial and others, especially relay participants, in wave starts by groups.
What if I'm in a time trial start and I miss my turn?
You won't be disqualified, but when your number comes up once the time trial has begun, your time will start then. If you were in the port-a-john when your number came up, you would have to go to the back of the line, however long it is, and wait. As you can imagine, such a lapse could be very costly, not to mention embarrassing.
A Matter of Timing
There are two ways to time the participants in a triathlon: with regular time-calculating machinery augmented by human observation or by computer chip. Larger races use the chips. The chip is a small plastic device with a transponder inside. On the transponder is information that identifies the participant. By using special mats that receive the signals from the chips and send them to a computer, race organizers can tell when each swimmer entered the water and emerged at the end of the swim, when that participant started the cycling portion and when it was completed, and when the run began and the runner crossed the finish line. The mats that receive the information are placed at strategic points on the various courses, picking up signals from all competitors as they pass over them.
Chips in road races are usually attached to the shoes of the runners. In a triathlon, the swimmers won't be wearing shoes, so the chips are attached to a Velcro strap that goes around the wrist or ankle. Relay participants will hand off the strap to their teammates at each point in the competition. In a large race, the chip allows race organizers to post up-to-the-minute progress of each athlete on a website so that friends and family can follow the progress of the athletes.
It wasn't designed specifically for that purpose, but one of the benefits of chip timing for races is that organizers can set up mats at points designed to assure that each competitor completes the required distance. It is impossible for race organizers to police every single participant, and the chip provides a bit of insurance that everyone is playing fair.
Who Are You?
Triathlon organizers go to great lengths to make it easy to identify everyone who is taking part. That's why your swim cap has a number on it, why you are required to wear your race number out front on your singlet (a garment similar to a tank top) or your running shorts when you cycle and run, and why some races require you to lash race numbers to your bicycle in easy-to-spot locations.
Why is the swim the first event in the triathlon?
It's a matter of safety. It would be very dangerous for athletes fatigued from running and/or cycling to get into the water for a swim of even 300 yards, much less a mile or more.
This is especially important when the timing is done by humans instead of by computer. Spotters need to be able to tell who just got out of the water, started biking, and finished running. There are strict rules in triathlons, and judges must be able to identify competitors who break the rules.
When you show up for the race, someone will write your race number on your arms and legs. They might also write your age on your calf so that when you are running and someone comes up behind you, that person will know whether he is competing in your age group.
Most triathlons are set up so that the transition areas are near each other. As swimmers come out of the water, they usually don't have far to go to find their bicycles, just a few feet in many cases.
The bikes will all be in racks with numbers matching the athletes' race numbers. Swimmers will put on shoes and helmets, walk their bikes to the mount/dismount area, saddle up, and take off. When they return to the mount/dismount line, they get off, walk their bikes back to the racks, change into running shoes if necessary, and take off on the run.
The time it takes to change clothes and walk the bicycles around all counts in a triathlete's total time. You can read about transition efficiency in Chapter 14. The triathlon is completed when the athlete crosses the finish line.
