I am afraid of some people’s responses, but why is there not an equal time per sport triathlon? An example is approx. an hour each leg…
4000m Swim / 40k Bike / 10 mile run
I know for most good swimmers that is under an hour swim and the for most the bike and run is over and hour, but wouldn’t something like this really show who the best ‘triathlete’ is? Most triathlons it is like why even swim, other than the fact that they don’t want it to be called a duathlon. I’ve seen some that are as little as a 3 minute swim to an hour bike and then a 20 minute run…
Cause Triathletes cannot swim and Race Directors want to grow their races and get money so they favor it towards the so called Triathletes we have today which are floaters, bikers, and joggers instead of swimmers, cyclists, and runners.
Time is irrelevant. It is the medium of movement that counts.
It is much more taxing to swim an hour than it is to bike an hour.
Running for an hour involves stresses on your joints that swimming and biking does not.
Most of the people who reply to this in favor of the idea are going to be from a swimming background… I can see how it would be frustrating to have spent so much time invested in swimming and then have it be so little of the event of triathlon. ITU events and olympic races are definitely the most balanced but even they are way out of balance. However, a former swimmer can become an excellent biker and runner in a year or two of training. I however, without the years of swimming growing up, will never reach the swimming speeds that you or j3ckyl have. For me, I’m avoiding Olympic distance races and am looking forward to Quartermax/Octomax where the swim is a smaller percentage of the race!!
Variations on this idea have been tried. Someone built it but no one came…
As a swimmer, I’d love to see a 4K swim / 40K bike /12K run which would give equal time for all disciplines (:45 for the top dogs, 1:00 or so for the average Joes).
Problem is that only you and I would sign up for such ane event. Check out the open water swims in your area and notice how few people show up. Triathletes only swim to get to the part they like…
Because it would be boring and brutal. What’s the point again? This stuff is suppose to be fun after all. Hey, I like to swim, but when being face down for an hour is anything but…
lol, you are so right! I’ve gone back and forth on my attitude about swimming. It just takes so much stinking time!! Time that I think might be better served running or biking… To date my best swim was a 300 where I averaged 1:21 per 100, j3ckyl beat me by 31" in that swim and 14" in the race…
Most my races are around 1:30 pace. Didn’t start swimming until I was around 27…
A)people would leave the beach and you never see them again. :-/
B)lots of ‘elite’ races wouldn’t do this type of race because they couldn’t come close to winning.
I’ve yet to sign up to race this weekend at innsbrook…I stick to the olympic distances when possible.
Non draft ITU distances would be perfect for the swimmers I would imagine. When you throw the draft into the equation it kind of ruins any swim gain you get since someone can just charge onto your wheel then rest
