Competition distances
There are different distances in triathlon. The most common distances for each discipline are listed below:
-
Super sprint distance for young athletes, various categories:
25 m – 0.5 km (swimming), 1 km – 13.3 km (cycling), 250 m – 3.3 km (running) -
Sprint distance
0.75 km (swimming), 20 km (cycling), 5 km (running) -
Olympic distance / short distance
1.5 km (swimming), 40 km (cycling), 10 km (running) -
Middle distance / half distance
1-3 km, usually: 1.9 km (swimming), 80-100 km, usually 90 km (cyclling), 10-21.1 km, usually 21.1 km (running) -
Long distance
3.8 km (swimming), 180 km (cycling), 42.195 km (running)
Minimal deviations in distance may occur in individual disciplines due to local conditions (size of lake, course layout, topographical location, etc.) or extreme external conditions (very cold water temperatures, snow on the cycling course, etc.).
In addition, there are other special types of competition distances, ranging from short races to 20 times the long distance.
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Classifications
Competitors are divided into different age groups (also known as age categories) according to their gender. In addition to the various junior classifications (schoolchildren, youth, juniors), there are subdivisions into under 23 (U-23) and 24-29 years. From the 30-34 age group onwards, all subsequent age groups are divided into 5-year intervals (30-34 years, 35-39 years, 40-44 years, etc.). In many competitions, the composition of the participants and a fairer structure result in 10-year intervals.
photo by Quino Al on Unsplash