How to Become a Triathlete - Inspired to try triathlon by the Olympics but unsure how to get started?

Inspired to try triathlon by the Olympics but unsure how to get started? There are a few different options to enter the world of multisport. Here, we run through them and explain which ones may suit you most...

- By Rob Slade

By the time you’re reading this, the 2024 Olympics will be over. Whether the Brits achieved hero status or not, watching them battle it out over the swim, bike and run is a spectacle to behold. And if you’ve never raced before, it’s one that may get you thinking… ‘Could I do that?’

The answer is a big, fat yes. Everyone starts somewhere, it’s just knowing where and how. People enter the sport in so many different ways. It’s all part of the journey. The beauty of triathlon is that there’s something for everyone. If you don’t swim, do a duathlon. If you don’t cycle, do an aquathlon. “What’s great when you look at the Olympic and Paralympics triathlon teams heading to Paris is the different journeys they’ve taken to get to the top and the role grassroots sport has played in them,” says Dean Pomeroy, British Triathlon Deputy Director Events and Participation.

“Not everyone wants to or will reach an Olympic or Paralympic Games, but there’s an opportunity for everyone in the swim, bike, run community in local clubs and events. There’s no need to worry about spending loads on kit, either, as the beauty of many of these different routes into multisport is that you really can just get started with little more than a swim costume and a pair of trainers. Having said that, Tri Training Harder founder and triathlon coach Philip Hatzis believes joining a local club is worth considering: “Whatever the level, the local community club environment is probably the best place to start off, regardless of the distance and level that you want to be racing at.” This, he says, is so you can tap into local knowledge on where to train and feed off the motivation and knowledge of others.