If you’re wondering what a triathlon transition is or how to do a triathlon transition, we’ve got the answers to all your questions here.
We’ll also be giving you some top tips on how to lay out your triathlon transition and the transition rules to be aware of.
We’ll walk you through what you need to know from before race day through to finishing your race. If you’re new to triathlon and you’ve got lots more questions, you will also find our Top Tips for Beginners article useful.
What is a triathlon transition?
The triathlon transition is essentially the bit between two of the elements of the triathlon. You will transition between the swim and the cycle and again between the cycle and the run.
You may hear people refer to these as T1 (swim to cycle) and T2 (cycle to run).
The transitions take place in a transition area. This is where you will set up all your kit before the race. You will also ‘rack’ your bike with your kit. This means placing your bike and kit in a designated place, according to your race number.
What do you need for triathlon transition?
You’ll need everything in there which you want during the race, but nothing more! You want to keep your area neat and uncluttered.
Here are the basics of what you will want:
- Bike
- Cycle helmet
- Shoes for cycling and running (you might be wearing the same shoes for both)
- Race belt with your number attached
- Sunglasses, Socks, Towel
- Food and drink for during your race
If you’re popping on a top and shorts over your swimming kit for your cycle and run you’ll want to leave those here too.
Some extra items you may have are:
- A waterproof bag – to keep your kit in if it’s raining on race day
- A plastic bag to put your wet swim kit in – so it doesn’t wet the rest of your kit
Top tip: People who aren’t racing aren’t allowed in the transition area. Don’t rely on your family and friends to help you with changing!
Five Top Tips for Triathlon Transition
Now you know what a transition is and what kit you need, here are our five top tips to help with your transitions.
Race day is exciting and everything seems to be happening fast. The better prepared for transition you are the more smoothly it will go.
Tip 1 - Practise your transitions
Firstly, you don’t want to be doing your first transitions on race day! When you’re training make sure you do a few practises to be sure you can change kit effectively.
If you’re wearing a wetsuit, you’ll know they’re not easy to take off at the best of times. Make sure you’ve practised taking the wetsuit off (when it’s wet) and getting ready to go on your ride. To save time between elements you can start to peel your wetsuit off to your waist as you’re heading from the swim to the bike.
You’ll also want to practise going from cycle to run, not least to get used to your legs feeling pretty weird when you first do this. It might seem that it’s quicker to stay standing in transition but sometimes it can be quicker to just sit down when swapping shoes etc. Rather than hopping around all over the place!
We’ve got lots more information on how to get ready for your race in our Top Tips for a Triathlon Event article.
Tip 2 - Know the rules
Each race is slightly different, so make sure you read the race pack thoroughly before race day.
There are certain triathlon transition rules and there can be time penalties for breaking them. These rules are there to keep everyone safe and make transitions as easy as possible for everyone coming in and out of the area.
Don’t worry though – there are always marshals on hand to help advise and guide you. If you’ve got any concerns speak to them before the race for reassurance.
Here are some transition area rules which apply to all races:
- You need to put your helmet on and do it up before you touch your bike. Consider this when you’re setting up.
- There are mount and dismount lines for the cycle. As you come out of your first transition you need to mount your bike after the transition mount line, and you need to dismount your bike and start running with it before the dismount line when you get back to the transition area ready for your run.
- No nudity! In the rush of the race it might seem quicker to just do a full change and forget about the spectators but the marshals won’t let you get away with that! Make sure you do your trisuit all the way up, and don't expose your chest, if you're wearing one.
- Don’t mark out your area – your race number identifies your area so no need to put any bright clothing down to make it more obvious. Officials will put a quick stop to this. Laying out your transition area.
Tip 3 - Lay out your transition area well
We’ve got three top tips for laying out your transition area to make you as efficient as possible:
- Have everything in order – By this we mean the order you will need to access them. Check your socks are ready in your shoes and have your cycle shoes in front your run ones (if you’re changing shoes).
- Ready, ready, ready – Have your shoes facing the right way. Have your helmet open and sunglasses on it. Make sure your water bottles and fuel are on your bike. Check your bike is in the right gear for you to get going easily when you set off on the ride.
- Keep it tidy – respect your fellow competitors by not encroaching on their space. There’s nothing worse than finding someone’s wetsuit flung on top of your kit when you’re rushing to change. You will usually be asked to keep all your kit in the area beneath or just beside your bike.
Tip 4 - Bring everything together on race day
You’re nearly at race time and you’ve got your transition area all neatly set out. Before you set off, we’ve got some final pointers to help you:
- Before you head off for your race start take some time in the transition area to get your bearings. Look at where your bike is in relation to the entrance and exit and look for any landmarks which might help you locate it when you’re in a hurry.
- Check where the mount and dismount lines are for the cycle and which direction you’ll be setting off in and coming back from.
- Keep calm! Remember the old adage, ‘less haste, more speed’. Concentrate on getting your breathing steady and try not to put your helmet on back to front or your shoes on the wrong feet!
Tip 5 - Remember to have fun
Our final tip is to always enjoy yourself. If something takes longer than you think it will, or you can’t find a piece of kit, don’t worry. Just keep going and remember, it’s all part of the experience and practice for the next race!
Those are all our top tips for triathlon transitions. Have a great triathlon!
If you haven’t yet got your race booked yet, now is a great time to do it!
