Triathlon is just percieved as more sexy.
A couple of people have posted this and I still don’t get it. Is it the bathing suit? The neoprene? The most expensive gear and most of the clothing is the same in both events.
It’s got to be the neoprene - some latent fantasy / S&M thing?
If duathlon is the red-haired step child of triathlon; aquathlon is the bastard child with leprosy.
This is gold. If aquathon were my thing I’d be adopting your quote for my signature line.
I’ve done a couple of duathlons with trail running (AmZof, Survival of the Mills) and absolutely loved them. I vastly prefer trail running to pavement or -e-gads - concrete (shudder). Neither of these are block buster events and I can’t say why but can point out the diminished spectator opportunities on those 2 run courses compared to most tri’s I’ve seen.*
Think of how many modifications have been made to full IM courses to improve the spectator experience. Granted, if I’m at a 10+ hr race I want to see my athlete friend go by. I’m just unsure how many newbies want to try something where they can’t have spectators validate their efforts. This doesn’t address why du events held concurrent with tri’s are sparcely attended, but those spectators are probably all turned in the direction of the swim, so even if they are located proximal to transition they may never see the duathlete coming. For the attention seeker, I could see that being pretty lonely - an existance of ‘here I am, busting hump, see me?’ while running by the spectators turned backs.
*AmZof has a gazebo that is heavily used in its race. A great place to hang out as a spectator since all the athletes lap through that area multiple times. Plus folks can hike while the participant is off biking a 2-ish h bike loop. Plus flushing bathroom access… It is bring-your-own-food/beverages, though (for spectators).
Triathlon is just percieved as more sexy.
A couple of people have posted this and I still don’t get it. Is it the bathing suit? The neoprene? The most expensive gear and most of the clothing is the same in both events.
It’s got to be the neoprene - some latent fantasy / S&M thing?
It is called Julie Moss
For all the duathlons I have done, including the DU Nationals in Bend where I did all three races in 24 hours, I 100% went full tilt for all the runs and bike.
Now I am amazed how many crumble on the second run, but I guess this gets back to training. The mental aspect of that second run, when one is dying,
is so so critical.
You can’t physically go 100% full tilt for any long duration, there has to be pacing involved or you’ll crash and burn. If by full tilt you mean going a pace that is fast and known to be sustainable for you then yeah, that’s the point. If you treat the first run as a TT and go into the red zone you’re screwed, you have to resist the urge to out with all the people who sprint the first KM.
The Du i did was 3k/22k/6k, by the second lap of the first run people were slowing down when you’re better off emptying the tank on
the second run if it’s not draft legal.
I run the first run as hard as i can. Usually sub 40 10k. Second run i try to break 20 for 5k. Both are what i call a full effort there is no pacing
Come on Dave, stop being intentionally dense.
You aim for proportionately equal times (just sub 4min/km) for both runs and have a name for that pace “full effort” and yet you claim you do not do pacing? What exactly do you think pacing is?!?!
“Full effort” is not max effort if you’re doing it for more than a few seconds, so what does it mean? It obviously means the max pace you think you can sustain. i.e. you’re pacing yourself.
Why or why does your use of words for something have to be the only legal way to say something. And then you have to resort to personal attack to try and make your point that your word chose is the only one.
I know what full effort means. I could care less about equal times. When I race, I leave it all on the course. When you can do 3 in 24 hours, and run sub 7 at 60 for all the runs, then lets talk.
I do a lot of both. 9/10 times I’ll race the DU if both options are offered.
We are pretty lucky here in the North East. We have 3 GREAT stand-alone ones (Fly-by-Night, AZ DU, West Point) and a bunch of good ones and some others as well as a bunch of Tri’s that also offer du’s.
I’ve found that the stand-alone ones get some very good (great) talent and are usually well run. Sadly, this year the weather was terrible for a few of them. They also tend to have “better” courses as you are not forced to be near water.
As for when there is a tri and du:
Talent - It seems the winner of the DU would usually not win the Tri.
“Value” - Some RD’s are awesome at valuing the tri and du equally: i.e. same awards, same announcements etc.
However, Some RD’s treat the du as “extra cash”
2 examples:
One du I did, the shirt mentions the tri and not the du (I don’t care, but some might - probably the ones that the sport needs to “hook”),
Another one this spring the 1’st person across the finish line was a duathlete. As he approached the finish line, the announcer said "Here is your winner, o-wait, never mind, he did the duathlon"
Damn. Way to take the wind out of the winner’s sails.
For all the duathlons I have done, including the DU Nationals in Bend where I did all three races in 24 hours, I 100% went full tilt for all the runs and bike.
Now I am amazed how many crumble on the second run, but I guess this gets back to training. The mental aspect of that second run, when one is dying,
is so so critical.
You can’t physically go 100% full tilt for any long duration, there has to be pacing involved or you’ll crash and burn. If by full tilt you mean going a pace that is fast and known to be sustainable for you then yeah, that’s the point. If you treat the first run as a TT and go into the red zone you’re screwed, you have to resist the urge to out with all the people who sprint the first KM.
The Du i did was 3k/22k/6k, by the second lap of the first run people were slowing down when you’re better off emptying the tank on
the second run if it’s not draft legal.
I run the first run as hard as i can. Usually sub 40 10k. Second run i try to break 20 for 5k. Both are what i call a full effort there is no pacing
Come on Dave, stop being intentionally dense.
You aim for proportionately equal times (just sub 4min/km) for both runs and have a name for that pace “full effort” and yet you claim you do not do pacing? What exactly do you think pacing is?!?!
“Full effort” is not max effort if you’re doing it for more than a few seconds, so what does it mean? It obviously means the max pace you think you can sustain. i.e. you’re pacing yourself.
Why or why does your use of words for something have to be the only legal way to say something. And then you have to resort to personal attack to try and make your point that your word chose is the only one.
I know what full effort means. I could care less about equal times. When I race, I leave it all on the course. When you can do 3 in 24 hours, and run sub 7 at 60 for all the runs, then lets talk.
So if neither of my interpretations is correct would you please tell us what “full effort” means to you?
I didn’t resort to personal attack. What is the personal attack you are referring to?
I said you were being intentionally dense. i.e. misunderstanding on purpose. That’s not a personal attack. It’s an accusation, as is your comment that I made a personal attack. I explained the reason for my accusation. Can you do the same please?
Now my next comment may perhaps be construed as personal but you can hardly take offense since you’re the one who called my right to comment into question:
Your repeated suggestions that since you place reasonably well in events you should be considered an authority despite the fact you talk utter nonsense on a regular basis is pathetic. I’ll judge your arguments on their merits. They often have none. I’m not interested in your performances. They are not germane to the discussion any more than mine are.
While I agree that the field sizes in Du is usually smaller than the Tri at most events, I find most Duathlon fields are as competitive if not more so (you get a few newbies and people who are afraid of the swim, but the rest are people who can seriously run and bike)… I’m lucky in that most events in Ontario have both Du and Tri options. I primarily race Dus, and the odd Tri as well. While I’ll admit that the swim is my weakest link, that’s primarily because with a busy schedule, I prioritized my run and cycle training. This year I have been swimming more, and did add a Tri to the race schedule (finished much higher overall in the tri than I have in a Du in a very long time…).
But one of the reasons for lack of visibility in the public, is that there are few stand alone Duathlon events, most are triathlons that offer a Du option… That leads to the conversation if you wear the race shirt “So you did a triathlon on the weekend?” “No, I just did the Du”… I have heard of Powerman Zof, and AmZof (both on the bucket list, once I get a season where I have the time to get in long course shape again)… The few standalone Du events I have done were great, and often have larger fields, since you get some triathletes crossing over to use them as training events too, when there are not local tri options around on the same weekend.
That may be the way in Western Ontario, but Eastern Ontario is a different scene. I have $700 in cash up for grabs at our Duathlon. It attracts a field anywhere in size from 30-50. Last year a triathlete who regularly finished in the 8-18 range at our Olympic event won the Duathlon. Our Olympic and Sprint will sell out this year, the du number are up this year but it is basically 10-1 for triathlon to Duathlon at our event
I compete in duathlons and not triathlons, so I can’t answer the original question, so I’ll make stuff up to explain why everyone else is messed up by getting all wet before jumping on a bike.
I think there is a marketing issue for duathlon, which is something others have pointed out, but I think part of the problem is that duathlon is seen as a modified triathlon, rather than a distinct event. It is marketed primarily to triathletes, who are not just not going to be as interested in trying it out when the bragging rights of age-group glory are in the triathlon.
I think the marketing efforts really should be focused on getting runners and cyclists to try another discipline rather than on getting triathletes to drop one of theirs. The Europeans here seem to have no problem going straight to duathlon, which is easier since there are well-known events such as Zofingen and the London Duathlon. You don’t need to explain what a duathlon is to your friends and family.
My understanding is that USAT is doing some of this marketing to runners and has flyers they distribute at running events. That needs to be done to bring some real talent into duathlon. Many aging runners are biking here and there and would be interested in hearing about an event that allows them to compete with both disciplines.
And another thing…
In the Standard Distance Duathlon, it’s important to note that the longer 10k run comes before the bike. The final 5k run really is a grunt fest. This makes duathlon an event suited more to runners than cyclists or triathletes. That should be kept in mind when marketing to potential talent. The draft legal set up makes this even more so.
I’ve done several Duathlons. For me, since I lacked any recent swim training at the time, I felt that’s how I could jump immediately into “Multisport” and still be competitive. Learning about transitions, managing fatigue, the entire race environment, etc…Dus can be a great building event, and since I was redlining the entire time, a pretty good training day.
I’ve seen a few in Minneapolis and always thought they’d be interesting. Out of curiosity, are there any rules on bike type? As in, are time trial/triathlon bikes typically OK to use?
I do them when they are stand alone races, but I will always chose to do a Tri over one. Duathlons, aquabikes, and aqua jogs are simply triathlons for people who suck at one of the sports.
I’ve seen a few in Minneapolis and always thought they’d be interesting. Out of curiosity, are there any rules on bike type? As in, are time trial/triathlon bikes typically OK to use?
As with triathlon, it depends.
Most of the one’s I’ve done have permitted TT/tri bikes. Some were draft legal, thus I assume TT/tri bikes are not permitted for those.
I’ve seen a few in Minneapolis and always thought they’d be interesting. **Out of curiosity, are there any rules on bike type? **As in, are time trial/triathlon bikes typically OK to use?
No rules different from triathlons. I’ve seen all types of bikes used in duathlons. You can use a mountain, road, tri or cross bike. The only exception are the Draft Legal races USAT puts on. This race does not allow tri/TT bikes.
…Duathlons, aquabikes, and aqua jogs are simply triathlons for people who suck at one of the sports.
They’re just different events. What makes triathlon the reference format? - Nothing, It just happens to be the most popular of these in most places. Triathletes typically complain when runners or cyclists say triathlon is for people who aren’t good enough at either running or cycling. I’d hope then that triathletes would be able to see the error in making similar comments about other multi-sport events. There’s no hierarchy of legitimacy. They’re just different events albeit they differ in popularity.
Would it be reasonable for pentathletes to mock swimmers for being pentathletes who suck at running, shooting, fencing and horse riding? Your suggestion appears just as silly to me.
Multi-sport events overlap with other sports by their very nature. To claim supremacy of one format over the other seems like tribalism and nothing more.
There’s a reason that all of these other sports are governed by a body called USA Triathlon. They didn’t exist until triathlon was created. They are simply off shoots of the sport. They’re also wildly less competitive, even at the top level.
To say that these sports are equally legitimate to triathlon is to lie.
There’s a reason that all of these other sports are governed by a body called USA Triathlon. They didn’t exist until triathlon was created. They are simply off shoots of the sport. They’re also wildly less competitive, even at the top level.
To say that these sports are equally legitimate to triathlon is to lie.
Why aren’t the equally legitimate? I’ll debate whether golf is a sport but run-bike-run and swim-run are hard (I’ve never done a swim-bike race). These races do appeal to certain classes of athlete, though. Swim-bike draws people who don’t like to or can’t run. Duathlon is big with us non-swimmers. I like Swim-run because it combines my weakest and strongest legs.
There’s a reason that all of these other sports are governed by a body called USA Triathlon. They didn’t exist until triathlon was created. They are simply off shoots of the sport. They’re also wildly less competitive, even at the top level.
To say that these sports are equally legitimate to triathlon is to lie.
Guess you have never race Du at Nationals. The top talent kills most triathletes. The guy that killed me, at 63, runs a 6:15 pace for the first 10K, crushes the bike, and was around 7 pace for the 5K. He just does not swim so never does triathlons.
**Me Ranting- ** Doing these types of races when a Tri is offered is a cop out. Not being good at one of the sports is a terrible reason for not doing a triathlon. I was never a good swimmer, so I got better.
Me Ranting -I think another problem that a lot of people have with duathlons and such are how the athletes associate themselves with triathletes. Almost like they’re on the same level. No one cares if you crush two of the sports and get last in the other.
Me Ranting- Choosing to do these sports when a tri is offered at the same event is like showing up to a Decathlon and cherry picking your 6 (~2/3) best events and only compete in those.
**Actual Argument **- Another dumb thing about these sports is that the top guys in tri’s would destroy these two-sport athletes in their own sport. It doesn’t say a lot for a sport when the people who are best at it don’t even compete in it.
Please don’t argue with my rants. You will not change my option. Have fun with my argument.
I’m not interested in AG. My argument concerns overall contenders. Otherwise, yes, you have a fair point.