Welcome To South Yorkshire Sport

What is Triathlon?

British Triathlon is the national governing body for the sport of Triathlon in Great Britain.

Triathlon has come a long way since its beginnings in 1974 when a group of friends began to train together. The group consisted of swimmers, cyclists and runners, and before long they were organising competitions combining the three sports.

Triathlon is an exciting multi-discipline sport involving a continuous race over various distances in the three disciplines of swimming, cycling and running. A standard triathlon is made up of a swim, followed by a cycle ride, followed by a run.

Competitors race against the clock, which starts as they enter the swim and stops as they cross the finish line after the run.

For this reason, triathlon is often reported as having a 'fourth discipline' known as the transition. The transition is the point in the race when competitors change from swimming to cycling, and from cycling to running.

Race Distances

Distances of individual events may vary from race to race, but there are some standard triathlon distances, quoted in terms of swim/bike/run:
Super sprint - 400m/10km/2.5km
Sprint distance - 750m/20km/5km
Standard distance - 1500m/40km/10km
Middle distance - 2.5km/80km/20k
Ironman distance - 3.8km/180km/42km

Triathlon Clubs

Belonging to a club is an excellent way to get more involved in triathlon. There are around 350 affiliated triathlon clubs in Great Britain ranging in size from five or six members to well over 100. Clubs cater for all levels of ability and experience, and either have their own coach or access to one.

What kit do I need?
Swim:   swimsuit & goggles
Bike:     any bike (in good working order), cycle helmet
Run:      trainers, t-shirt/vest & shorts

How Do I Get Started?
If you are interested in getting started in Triathlon this is what you can do

• Find your nearest Triathlon Club by looking on the British Triathlon website www.britishtriathlon.org or by looking on the Yorkshire and Humberside regional website www.yorksandhumbertri.org.uk and see the clubs list. Contact the club and start going to their sessions.
• Contact your Regional Programme Manager, Rebecca Rowley
• Go along to a local event and either watch or have a go (you will be given full instructions in the race information pack)