Duathlon

Last updated
Duathlon
Rad 100425 3999 cut.jpg
Rheintal Duathlon April 2010, Ronnie Schildknecht
Highest governing body International Triathlon Union
First contested20th century
Characteristics
ContactNo
Mixed-sex No
TypeEndurance sport
EquipmentBicycle
Presence
Country or regionWorldwide
Olympic No
World Games 2013 (invitational)
Duathlon, 2014

Duathlon is an athletic event that consists of a running leg, followed by a cycling leg and then another running leg in a format similar to triathlons. The International Triathlon Union governs the sport internationally. [1]

Contents

Distance and format

Duathlons are conducted at sprint, standard, middle and long distances. The following distances are considered typical for the sport; however, individual races may vary.

Off-road duathlon

Off-road duathlon is a form of duathlon, where the competitors have to go through a trail-running stage and a mountain-biking stage, finishing with a final running stage. Off-road duathlons are distinguished from conventional duathlons in that the terrain for the cycling and running stages are generally unpaved, rough, and very steep and hilly. They require different techniques than conventional duathlon races, and the athletes employ mountain bikes rather than road bikes.

Relationships to similar sports

Duathlons are most similar to triathlons, with the key difference being the replacement of the swimming leg with a second run. Other sports derived from triathlon include aquathlon, which combines swimming and running but has omitted the cycling part, and aquabike, with the swim and bike and no run.

The word duathlon is also used for some events which comprise running or walking and cycling, but not in three stages, such as the annual Highland Cross in Scotland. [2] The word duathlon does not appear in the online Oxford English Dictionary as of March 2020, nor in the 11th edition (2008) of Chambers Dictionary , but a definition available online from Collins English Dictionary defines it as "an athletic contest in which each athlete competes in running and cycling events" without specifying the three-stage structure of the International Triathlon Union's definition. [3]

Team duathlon

The run-bike transition zone at a duathlon USMC-120414-M-0482P-036.jpg
The run-bike transition zone at a duathlon

In this variation, the cycling and running segments need to be undertaken simultaneously by a team consisting of a predetermined number of individuals. Only one of the team members is running while all others are cycling. All the members of a team must be together at any given point of time but exchanging the tasks of running and cycling amongst the team members themselves is permitted.

The challenge is to rotate the task of running at an optimum rate such that the time from start to destination is minimized. This demands a smooth coordination amongst all team members which makes the sport more exciting. An example is the 100 km-Duathlon around Dresden which is the oldest of its kind in Germany. [4]

Notable duathlons

World Triathlon organizes the World Triathlon Duathlon Championships on a yearly basis since 1990. Since 2017, it has been part of the World Triathlon Multisport World Championships although it was run as a separate event again in 2021, as the Multisport World Championships got cancelled [5]

Powerman Duathlon [6] is the major run bike run brand in the world.

The Powerman Duathlon World Series [6] is the major international duathlon series with 10-20 middle to long distance races across the globe each year. The series incorporates National, Continental and World Championships as well as numerous series races awarding points to crown an overall series winner at the end of the season after the world championships in September. [7]

Bart Aernouts, 2013 European duathlon champion Bart Aernouts Ironman 70.3 Austria 2012.jpg
Bart Aernouts, 2013 European duathlon champion

The world's largest duathlon to date is the inaugural London Duathlon, which took place on 17 September 2005 in Richmond Park, Surrey. Approximately 2,500 people took part. The main race consisted of a 10 km run, 20 km cycle ride and 5 km run. Since 2005 London Duathlon has grown to just under 4,000 participants, 2010 saw the first running of the Ultra Distance at London which will consist of 20 km run, 77 km bike and 10 km run. Now in its 9th year, London Duathlon will be taking place on Sunday 14 September 2014 offering athletes of all abilities the chance to race through the stunning surroundings of Richmond Park while on closed roads. "Classic" distance consists of a 10 km run, 44 km cycle ride and 5 km run.

The World's premier duathlon is Powerman Zofingen, in Switzerland. It is a hilly 10 km run, mostly on trails, followed by a very hilly 150 km road bike consisting of three 50 km loops each of which feature the Bodenburg ascent (scene of Kenny Souza's DNF in a snow storm when he raced in a neon Speedo and small tank top), and finally a very hilly 30 km two loop trail run.

The longest continually running duathlon series is still organized by the NY Triathlon Club [8] in and around New York City, USA.

With the popularity of extreme sports, a new form of duathlon has become popular in the last few years. Referred to as an off-road duathlon, or "Dirty-Du", it consists of an off-road or trail run, followed by a mountain bike leg followed by a final off-road or trail run. The Dirty Du off-road duathlon series, held in Texas, was made famous by Lance Armstrong, who won it in 2003.

Notable duathletes

Men

Women

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triathlon</span> Swimming, cycling, and distance running race

A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the time transitioning between the disciplines included. The word is of Greek origin, from τρεῖς or treis (three) and ἆθλος or athlos (competition).

XTERRA is a series of cross triathlon races, i.e. three-sport races which include swimming, mountain biking, and trail running. The XTERRA Global Tour is owned and produced by XTERRA Sports Limited. The XTERRA race series is the best-known series of cross triathlons, and is considered by most to be the de facto world championship of the sport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Triathlon</span> International triathlon governing body

World Triathlon, previously known as the International Triathlon Union (ITU), is the international governing body for the multi-sport disciplines of triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and other nonstandard variations. It is recognised as the international federation for the sport of triathlon and its derivatives by the International Olympic Committee, and it organises Olympic triathlon events on behalf of the IOC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquathlon</span> Continuous, two-stage race involving swimming followed by running

An aquathlon is a multisport race consisting of continuous run and swim elements. Competitors complete a swim immediately followed by a run over various distances. Athletes compete for fastest overall course completion, including the time transitioning between the disciplines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cross triathlon</span>

Cross triathlon, or off-road triathlon, is a form of triathlon, or three-stage race, consisting of a swim stage, mountain-biking stage, and a trail-running stage.

Conrad Willem Stoltz is a triathlete from South Africa. He is a four time XTERRA Triathlon World Champion and a three time ITU Cross Triathlon World Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benny Vansteelant</span> Belgian duathlete

Benny Vansteelant was a Belgian duathlete. For the first decade of the 21st century he was the uncontested icon of Duathlon, winning more than 80% of the races he started at.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emma Pooley</span> British cyclist

Emma Jane Pooley is a British-Swiss athlete in multiple sports. A former professional cyclist who specialised in time trials and hilly races, she later transferred to endurance running, duathlon and triathlon, and was four-times world champion in long-distance duathlon. She competes in long-distance and uphill mountain running and has represented Switzerland at the world trailrunning championships.

The World Triathlon Duathlon Championships is a duathlon championship competition organised by World Triathlon. The race has been held annually since 1990. The championships involve a continuous run-cycle-run, with the format since 1994 being a first run of 10 km, a cycle of 40 km and a second run of 5 km.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Powerman Duathlon</span>

Powerman Duathlons are duathlon events that are competed over middle distance to long distance duathlons across the globe at both Age Group and Elite level. All events are draft illegal allowing competitors to compete utilising time trial or triathlon bikes following the Powerman and ITU race regulations

Melanie Burke is an athlete from New Zealand. She has been a national champion or New Zealand representative in rowing, road running, cycling, duathlon, and Ironman triathlon.

The 2011 ITU Duathlon World Championships was a duathlon competition held in Gijón, Spain from 24 to 25 September 2011 and organized by the International Triathlon Union (ITU). The championship course included a 10k run, a 38.4k bike, and a 5k run. Titles for amateur duathletes, elite paraduathletes, and elite duathletes were awarded during the two days of competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triathlon at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's</span>

The men's triathlon was one of the triathlon events at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. It took place on 7 August 2012, featuring 55 men from 32 countries. It was the fourth appearance of an Olympic men's triathlon event since the first at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. The race was around Hyde Park, a 1.42 km2 park in central London. The race was held over the "international distance" and consisted of 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) swimming, 42.959 kilometres (26.693 mi) road cycling, and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) road running.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triathlon at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Women's</span>

The women's triathlon was one of the triathlon events at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. It took place on 4 August 2012, featuring 55 women from 31 countries. It was the fourth appearance of an Olympic women's triathlon event since the first at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The race was around Hyde Park, a 1.42 km2 park in central London. The race was held over the "international distance" and consisted of 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) swimming, 43 kilometres (27 mi) road cycling, and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) road running.

The World Triathlon Championship Series is World Triathlon's annual series of triathlon events used to crown an annual world champion since 2008. There are multiple rounds of competitions culminating in a Grand Final race. Athletes compete head-to-head for points in these races that will determine the overall World Triathlon champion. The elite championship races are held, with one exception, over two distances, the standard or 'Olympic' distance and the sprint distance. The ITU world champion between 1989 and 2008 had been decided in a single annual championship race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Triathlon Long Distance Duathlon Championships</span>

The ITU Long Distance Duathlon World Championships is a long-distance duathlon race, held annually since 1997, except for a break in 2009 and 2010. The championships involve a continuous run-cycle-run. The distances are typically around two to three times those of the shorter ITU Duathlon World Championships, in both cases varying according to the venue; they have also varied over the years. The championships are organised by the International Triathlon Union (ITU).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Smith (duathlete)</span> Australian duathlete (b.1996)

Matt Smith is an Australian duathlete from Perth, Western Australia. He is the 2015 Sprint (16-19) and 2016 Standard (20-24) Age Group Duathlon World Champion. He was also the Australian Duathlon Champion in 2014 and 2015 (16-19), and 4th place elite in 2016. He is currently ranked number 15 in the Powerman Duathlon world rankings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Powerman Zofingen</span>

The Powerman Zofingen is a duathlon event in Zofingen (Switzerland) within the Powerman Duathlon World Series. On September 3, 2017, the world championships in the long distance was held for the tenth time in Zofingen, canton Argovia. The official name is ITU Powerman Long Distance Duathlon World Championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Ellis (duathlete)</span> British duathlete

Peter Ellis is a British Elite and Age Group duathlete from The New Forest, England. Competing at Elite level he is a four time Powerman Duathlon World Series race winner with wins in Gothenburg, Michigan and Hawaii, securing further podium finishes in Putrajaya, Panama City and Arizona. He finished the 2016 Powerman Duathlon World Series in 29th, 2017 in 7th, 2018 in 11th and 2019 in 2nd reaching a Powerman Duathlon World ranking of 2nd in June 2019 and World Triathlon long distance Duathlon ranking of 2nd in September 2019. Selected by British Triathlon to compete for the Great Britain Elite team at the ETU European Elite middle-distance duathlon Championships Copenhagen, St Wendel and Viborg, the ASTC Asian Elite middle-distance duathlon Championships Putrajaya, and the ITU World Elite long-distance duathlon championships Powerman Zofingen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Yee</span> British professional triathlete (born 1998)

Alexander Amos Yee is a British professional triathlete and distance runner. He won the silver medal in the Men's Triathlon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and the gold medal in the Triathlon Mixed Relay at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Saturday 31 July 2021. He is also the 2022 Commonwealth Games triathlon champion in both the men's and mixed team events. He is a double World Championship medalist over the World Triathlon Championship Series, with silver in 2022, and bronze in 2021

References

  1. "International Triathlon Union: Duathlon". ITU . Retrieved 2009-02-19.
  2. "The Highland Cross". Highland Cross. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  3. "Duathlon definition and meaning". Collins English Dictionary. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
  4. http://100km-duathlon.de/index.php/infos-rund-um-den-100km-duathlon/die-geburt-100km-duathlon.html%5B%5D
  5. "2021 World Duathlon Championships" . Retrieved 2012-12-06.
  6. 1 2 GmbH, LaRaSch. "Powerman World Series". larasch.de.
  7. "Ranking & Results – POWERMAN – the Official Website". Archived from the original on 2018-02-28. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  8. "New York Triathlon - NYT - www.NYTRI.org". Archived from the original on 2012-06-20. Retrieved 2012-07-01.
  9. Sport, SWR (2023-11-07). ""Ein großer Traum": Jonas Deichmann durchquert die USA per Duathlon". swr.online (in German). Retrieved 2023-12-12.
  10. "Double Cross: Jonas Deichmann to Cycle and Run Across America for Charity". Trizone. 2023-05-13. Retrieved 2023-12-12.
  11. "Emilio Martin Bolts to First Duathlon World Championship Title". 22 September 2012.
  12. Triathlon, World. "Gaël Le Bellec (FRA)". World Triathlon.

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