How To Start Triathlon - A Beginners Guide To Your First Race

Triathlon is a summer endurance sport involving swimming, cycling and running. In this video, Heather and Fraser talk through the key points to doing your first triathlon if you're a complete beginner!

Once you’ve taken the plunge to enter your first event, make sure you have some time available to prepare without feeling under pressure. If you start with the super sprint distance, and assuming that you're working from a base level of fitness, then it would be good to have at least two months to train for your specific event. This will allow you to wrap your head around the specifics of the sport, such as open water swimming, aerobars and transitions.

Will you be doing your first triathlon this year? Let us know in the comments below 👇

If you enjoyed this video, make sure to give it a thumbs up and share it with your friends. 👍

Submit your content here:

Watch more on GTN...

Music: Epidemic Sound
Charmed Life (Instrumental Version) - Alexander Bergil
Turn It Up (COE Remix) (Instrumental Version) - Johan Glössner

Photos: © Triathlon / Getty Images

The Global Triathlon Network (GTN) is the best triathlon YouTube channel, with videos for anyone who loves triathlon: from seasoned Ironman racers to first-timers – and everyone in between.

With the help of our pro and Olympic medal winning team, we’re here to inform, entertain and inspire you to become a better triathlete; including videos on:

How to swim, bike, and run faster with expert knowledge
Beat your PB with record-breaking expertise
Get the best from your bike and gear with pro-know-how
In-depth, entertaining features from the heart of the sport
Chat, opinion and interact with us across the channel and on social media every week

Join us on YouTube’s best triathlon channel to get closer to the sport and to become a better, faster and fitter triathlete.

Welcome to the Global Triathlon Network.

Thanks to our sponsors:

[gtn]

What year did you do your first triathlon? Will it be 2019? Let us know in the comments below 👇

[mt-nvjd]

75 years old. My personal triathlon is 30 minute indoor swim, 30 minute stationary bike, and 30 minute elliptical. I only pay attention to maintaining good technique, and not breaking anything LOL.

[Knuckles]

I’d recommend doing a sprint tri first, lots of fun, and all finished in 2 hours!

[nanddevk]

I'm from India n have enrolled for my first 70.3 triathlon in Nov 2020. I'm a runner since last 2 yrs, recently learnt swimming n your channel has inspired me to enroll for this triathlon event. I was confused about buying a new bike with a limited budget n thiis video has answered that question. Thank you. You guys are doing a great job!

[mrdennis]

Nice video. I cannot emphasize how important it is to do some shorter distances before embarking on a longer time commitment and a longer distance. I learned and continue to learn a lot about myself, about being efficient, about what is truly important to have on my station as I have raced. I will say that for shorter races, any and all efforts count: short runs of 20 minutes, short swims, short bike rides. The important thing is to get out and do it. Cognitively speaking we can build on these experiences to have the psychological endurance to complete a triathlon. In addition, our bodies, our muscles, and the wisdom of our body will remember movement. People do not realize that, from an evolutionary standpoint, we are designed to do exercise. A lot of it. As you train, take care of yourself, listen to your body, be smart about not taking undue risks and prevent injury. It is definitely important to have support: partner, family, friends. Lastly, remember when you do the race to be grateful to all the volunteers that give up their own training and family time to make the race possible.

[miragenr]

Did my first Olympic size on my own (just took the distance on the watch), in 3h31, swimming in the sea and with a mountain bike. I swear you hate having a mtb after the first 10k ! 😂 Still enjoyed it though! and the feeling when you've done it 😍

[boylegoesto]

Great video doing my first tri next year at Blenheim excited and scared at the same time

[AngrySkipperGC]

I'm 8 weeks out from my first triathlon. I'm super nervous, but super excited. Have been training for 8 weeks purely for the tri; but am only doing the novice/small tri. :)

[annaseyfert]

You're my favorite channel on YT right now! Getting pumped about my first ever triathlon next year!!

[TheBritishActingCoach]

Love your videos - helping so much and filling me with confidence! Thanks everyone! <3

[angrymikko]

I love this channel I do. But you have to admit that it’s pretty funny to see normal sneakers on a FULL ON TT BIKE 😅 Still I think the advice is solid and for an olympic distance the shoes don’t make that much of a difference anyway.

[ronaldzavala]

I'm about to do my first tri (sprint distance), thanks for your tips, it's have been helping me to much.

[jamesbearpark]

The best way to practice swim to bike (as I learnt as a junior) is spin around on the spot 20 times, then run to your bike and go through a mock transition. It replicates the dizzy feeling of getting out the water.
I'd also recommend doing pool based triathlons to start with as well as it gives you more security. And since it's a staggered start for each person with slowest going first you won't be left last out on the course

[tkeogh]

Thanks for Taking away some of the mystery, inspirational stuff. Doing my first Triathlon in Canada, loving all the videos and fantastic tips and tricks. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience. Regards Traolach k😊

[PoetWithPace]

Maybe i should of watched this before my first tri last week?

[cjjaaayyyyyyyy]

Doing my first Triathlon in August 2019 - IM 70.3 Dun L - Let's just say i've a lot of training to pack into the next 10 months

[markvantilborg]

1/8 triathlon in 2015, 1/4 triathlon and Half Ironman Dun Laoghaire 2018. Two half distance races planned for 2019 (in The Netherlands)

[johannesrichter]

Rules: u can't cycle in the transition area (after swimming or before running), can u?
My first triathlon was last August, sprint, borrowed bike, loved it!

[untilidie]

I didn’t know music wasn’t allowed. That’s a little concerning cause a half iron and a full iron are basically all day events so what do people do to keep their sanity?!

[isaacjohnson]

I hope to run one in the next few years.