Triathlon relays are a dynamic and fun way to enjoy the sport by teaming up and taking part with others. 

In this article we'll help you understand the different formats triathlon relays can take and where you can find a triathlon relay event near you. 

Whilst traditionally triathlon is an individual sport within a community setting, relay triathlon enables you to work together with friends or team mates to complete the race. Triathlon relay events are available over different distances across England, Scotland and Wales, providing plenty of opportunities for all levels and abilities to get involved. 

If you’re new to triathlon it’s a great way to dip your toe into multisport by grabbing your friends and working together to complete a triathlon. You’ll be able to experience the atmosphere of an event and get the taste to go for an individual triathlon challenge yourself next time around. 

What format do triathlon relays take? 

There are three types of triathlon relay: 

• Standard Relay Triathlon – a team of two or three people each take on one or two elements of triathlon each. Dividing and conquering the swim, bike, run between each person to reach the finish line.
   
• Mixed Relay Triathlon – the fast-paced event, now seen in the Olympics, and the  World Triathlon Championships Series, where a mixed team of four (two female and two open participants) all take it in turns to complete a super sprint triathlon before tagging their teammate.  The first time it’ll be included in a paratriathlon is at 2024 World Triathlon Para Championship.
   
• 3 x Relay Triathlon – four competitors each complete a full triathlon, with all four completing one discipline before moving on to the next one. 
   

What is a standard relay triathlon? 

In a standard relay, usually a team of three people take it in turns to complete the triathlon disciplines, with

one team member changing over to the next as they finish their discipline. So, one person does the swim, the next takes on the cycle and the third completes the run. 

Sometimes the team may have two people in, with one person completing two of the disciplines and the other doing one. The changeover always happens in the transition area. 

The Standard Relay looks like this: 

• Team Member 1 completes the swim and passes over to… 
• Team Member 2, who completes the cycle and passes over to… 
• Team Member 3, who completes the run and crosses the finish line. 

If there are just two Team Members one will complete two disciplines and the other will complete one. 

There are lots of reasons people choose the standard relay triathlon. It’s a great way to have fun with friends in a team situation, can be less intimidating than going straight into a full triathlon on your own, and is a good way of playing to the strengths of you and your fellow athletes. It’s also a good way to raise money and for teambuilding in your workplace. 

The standard relay is the most commonly seen relay option. A lot of triathlons offer a standard relay option so you can take part as a team instead of an individual. 

What’s a mixed relay triathlon? 

The mixed relay sees two female and two open participants, take it in turns to complete a supersprint distance triathlon. The distances are usually 250-300m swim, 5-8km cycle and a 1-2km run. 

As one athlete finishes, they tag their next teammate who then completes the same course. The timer starts when the first person sets off and stops when the last one finishes, with the fastest team winning – all handovers and transitions contribute to the total time. 

It’s most commonly seen at the elite level and is the newest Olympic triathlon format, however grassroots opportunities are starting to appear in Britain. 

The Mixed Relay looks like this: 

• Team Member 1 completes their swim, bike, run and passes to… 
• Team Member 2 who completes their swim, bike, run and passes to… 
• Team Member 3 who completes their swim, bike, run and passes to… 
• Team Member 4 who completes their swim, bike, run and crosses the finish line. 

Mixed relay at the Olympics  

Mixed relay Triathlon was added to the Olympics for the first time at Tokyo 2020. The speed at which athletes complete the course and hand over to the next competitor on their team makes for a thrilling watch! 

At the Tokyo Olympic Games Great Britain were triumphant, winning Gold in the mixed relay. 

For Tokyo, the first athlete to set off was a woman, meaning the final athlete was a man. At Paris 2024, the running order will be man/woman/man/woman, so that one of the female athletes will cross the finish line at the end of the race. 

The distances for each discipline in the mixed relay at the Paris 2024 Olympics are a 300m swim, 8km cycle, and a 2km run. 

What’s a 3x relay triathlon? 

The final format of team relay still involves four people, all completing each discipline. But this time they each take turns to complete the swim, then each do the bike, finishing with the participants running one by one. 

Again, the timer starts when the first team member starts their swim and finishes when the final athlete completes their run.  

The 3 x Relay looks like this: 

• Team Members 1, then 2, then 3, then 4 complete the swim. 
• Team Members 1, then 2, then 3, then 4 complete the bike. 
• Team Members 1, then 2, then 3, then 4 complete the run, with Team Member 4 crossing the finish line at the end of their run. 

Feeling Inspired by Triathlon Relay? 

Time to pull your trainers on and take part yourself? If you’re feeling inspired by triathlon relay you can find lots of events in our Event Finder. Simply filter on ‘Relay’ or ‘Mixed Team Relay’ – whichever takes your fancy!