Though, if the author had read this forum, they’d know that triathlon is the sport for triathletes that hate swimming 
See a WSJ Article from today
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Lol.
This is my idiotic piss and moan about it:
I’m probably eventually moving that direction. I like bike racing stuff, but ain’t much road and TT near me that isn’t crit racing a speedway. Need to learn to grit my teeth through some running.
I will say, in du or tri I still feel like the run draws a disproportionate time versus ability advantage versus the bike or swim. Even though the bike leg is almost always at a 4.3 : 1 ratio. A minute per mile difference running in a 1/2 IM is 13min. The equivalent difference in bike ability over 56mi is certainly not 13min worth. I’d say in quicker bike speeds 1mph is about 1min/mi equivalent in running.
I wish the ratio was more like a metric century bike ride for a 1/2 IM or equivalent duathon distance.
I’m going to get excited anytime duathlon is mentioned.
Sincerely,
Forever drowner
And it seems almost nobody does it.
Case in point: Last year I went to nationals. Last minute decision. I got stomped on the bike (as I always do), but on the run, I managed to get second in my age group on both runs.
That is higher than I would place in my age group within my own running club. There I’m 3rd or 4th in my age group at best.
i doubt this…
sprint division (which includes a 3.1-mile run, 12.4-mile bike and .3-mile run
And it seems almost nobody does it.
Case in point: Last year I went to nationals. Last minute decision. I got stomped on the bike (as I always do), but on the run, I managed to get second in my age group on both runs.
That is higher than I would place in my age group within my own running club. There I’m 3rd or 4th in my age group at best.
This is the sad reality for duathlon which is typically put on as a sideshow to a triathlon with maybe 90%+ doing the main course. It’s a lot easier to make the podium in local duathlon (or even nationals in your case) when the fields are so thin, and nobody really cares. Duathlon is a very difficult sport in its own right, but stand-alone, quality duathlons are a rare commodity in the U.S.
And it seems almost nobody does it.
We have 2 races locally put on by the same group of people. Reasonably priced, good course, well run, and they have been on the same weekends for years. Yet they never sell out when more expensive sprints do, and the seasoned multi-sports people shy away from them, and I’m not sure why. It could be that the team that puts on the duo’s don’t do tri’s, and vice versa, and its a territory thing. I know that you get a much more “pedestrian” group at the duo’s. You also see a lot more beach cruisers, bells, and baskets.
Don’t worry, triathlon’s also a sport for people who don’t like biking and running either.
well done! 10 internets for you…
Don’t worry, triathlon’s also a sport for people who don’t like biking and running either.
Duathlon…the ugly, red headed, bastard stepchild of multi-sport…
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Yet they never sell out when more expensive sprints do, and the seasoned multi-sports people shy away from them, and I’m not sure why.
- Duathlons are more of a sufferfest
- They don’t carry any prestige. If I tell people at work I did a triathlon they assume I did an Ironman and they’re impressed. If I tell them I did a duathlon I either get a blank stare or they think I did some combination of skiing and shooting.
Yet they never sell out when more expensive sprints do, and the seasoned multi-sports people shy away from them, and I’m not sure why.
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Duathlons are more of a sufferfest
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They don’t carry any prestige. If I tell people at work I did a triathlon they assume I did an Ironman and they’re impressed. If I tell them I did a duathlon I either get a blank stare or they think I did some combination of skiing and shooting.
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Don’t agree. They are just different --the pain level has never been greater/lesser throughout any of the duathlons I’ve done, vs an Ironman. In fact, I’d say several Ironman races have been more miserable–or 70.3’s for that matter. Had a 70.3 last summer that was worse than any du I’ve done from a misery standpoint.
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Agreed. Although duathlon used to be called biathlon (until the skiing/shooting sport got P.O.'d it was stealing its name). Doesn’t matter in the end, it’s still bike/run.
not being a great swimmer i enjoy du more.
typically i’m around the 40% mark on any triathlon. the swim was cancelled the last race of my last season and i was 4th out of 40 people (in my age group) with the 2nd fastest bike split. i either need to start doing dus or learn to swim!
LEAVE KENNY ALONE!!
Anyone who raced duathlon will tell you how much more it hurts! Go do a few DU races and a Tri is so much easier.
Anyone who raced duathlon will tell you how much more it hurts! Go do a few DU races and a Tri is so much easier.
Genuinely curious as to why this is, as I’ve heard it a few times.
My strongest leg is the swim, but I need to train my run more, so I was considering doing an early season duathlon as a training race more than anything else.
The problem is most triathletes do just one duathlon and realize that a 10k/40k/5k du is a hell of a lot harder than a 70.3 race. I mean most triathletes would cry but not instagram it if they did a 10k/60k/10k duathlon.
70.3 racing is like meeting the drunk sorority girl who tells you she wants to get laid. It’s so easy.
Duathlon is like meeting the girl who is sober, has pledged her virginity to her eventual husband and her Dad goes on every date with her.
Yeah, so I think duathlons, when you actually race them, are tough as shit. It’s brutal. Two runs? Sure.
But come on, let’s not compare and contrast. Adding the swim makes many great duathletes mere mortals. It’s triathlon. I would agree that a 10/40/10 is hands down “harder” than a half. But that’s only because of pacing. If you can’t swim then (a) don’t bitch about it and (2) don’t think your event is somehow superior. They’re just plain different.
I like them both. And I’m a swimmer. It’s OK to enjoy them both for what they are.
Are there a lot of options for duathlons? I’ve done two duathlons (same one last two years) it was all off road. Short but very fun. Just notice I have one close to me which is 3.1m/56m/13.1m. Might have to check that out some year
I like them both too but I agree completely that duathlon is more of a sufferfest than tri.
I’m weakest at the swim, slightly better at the bike and good at the run. I don’t know if relative strengths have anything to do with it but the few duathlons I’ve done have all been gut-busters.
Don’t worry, triathlon’s also a sport for people who don’t like biking and running either.
I couldn’t believe the amount of people who dropped out of a triathlon when the swim was canceled and replaced with a 5k run to start. They just didn’t want to do that much running.