How To Pick Your First Triathlon

By Lily Jones | The Vegan Triathlete | 12/26/2023

Deciding to train for a triathlon is a big commitment, but the next step is picking which triathlon you are going to do. This depends on several factors, such as location, travel costs, wetsuits, pool or open-water swim, race category, race distance, and more. Personally, I chose my first triathlon to be the Tri The Swamp Rabbit triathlon, because it was one of the closest races to my house and seemed to have a hometown and community feel. It was an excellent first race because it didn’t have a huge crowd, and consisted of a pool swim, road bike, and road run. I fell in love with the sport at that race, but if you pick the wrong one, you might rethink your choices.

Location

Firstly, you need to consider what triathlons are in your area and how far you are willing to travel for a triathlon. This will narrow down your search. For example, I live in Florence, SC, so I would want any triathlon I do, especially my first one, to be in-state. You also need to consider the weather you will be competing in. If you choose a race during late spring, it will be cooler than a race in the middle of the summer, but, you might end up needing a wetsuit if it’s an outdoor lake swim. I’d recommend using a website like trifind.com to search for triathlons in your area. 

Open-Water or Pool Swim

Next, a major decision to make is if you want a pool swim or an open-water swim. I’d strongly suggest, especially if swimming is one of your weaker disciplines, to pick a triathlon with a pool swim first. Not only does this eliminate the possibility of needing a wetsuit, but swimming in a pool is likely more similar to your training environment and is safer than open-water swimming. Open-water swimming also requires a special breathing and sighting technique to ensure you go in the right direction, which is another thing to add to the long list of things you need to learn for your first triathlon. So, overall, a pool swim is the way to go. 

Distance

The next choice to make is if you are doing a sprint, Olympic, or Ironman race. This will depend on the training you do. Most people start with sprint triathlons, typically consisting of a 250-1,000 m swim, 15-20 mile bike, and around a 5k run. But, if you’re one of those who dive headfirst into the triathlon world with a half or full ironman, provided you’ve done the grueling training for it, go for it! A full Ironman consists of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run.

Cost

A major factor determining which race you choose is the cost. Will you need a hotel room overnight? Will you drive or fly? Will you buy food there, or pack meals? What kind of equipment will you need, depending on the distance? Race fuel? All of these things need to be considered when choosing a race. You may find it helpful to set a budget to limit your spending on all of the race day “necessities”.

Size of Race

A few nitty-gritty decisions you might have the freedom to make is considering the overall size of your event. Some triathlons are small, hometown-style events, whereas others are massive productions. You could be looking at 50 other athletes or 500. Consider how you do with crowds under pressure to make this decision. it might be helpful to check the race website and social media from past years of the race to get an idea of the number of athletes, the size of the transition area, etc.

Time to Sign Up!

Now we’ve established how far you’re willing to travel, what distance your race will be, and what kind of swim you want. This will likely narrow down your results quickly. Now look at when the races available to you are, plan your training around the race you pick, and sign up!