Duathlon
Encyclopedia
Duathlon is an athletic event that consists of a running
leg, followed by a cycling
leg and then another running
leg in a format bearing some resemblance to triathlon
s. The International Triathlon Union
governs the sport internationally.
, which combines swimming and running but has omitted the cycling part.
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 100km-Duathlon around Dresden
which is the oldest of its kind in Germany.
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 The London Duathlon has grown to just under 4,000 participants, 2010 will see the first running of the Ultra Distance at London which will consist of 20km run, 80km bike and 10km run.
The World's premier duathlon is Powerman Zofingen, in Switzerland
. It's 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. Mark Allen, six time Ironman Hawaii champion, has been quoted as saying Powerman Zofingen is the hardest race he ever participated in.
The longest continually running duathlon series is still organized by the NY Triathlon Club (www.nytc.org) in and around NY 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.
Another use of the duathlon is in cross country skiing where skiers have a mass start using the classical technique and ski a specific distance (men - 15 km, women - 7.5 km), then change their skis, poles, and boots in a pit stop
manner similar to a triathlon, then ski at the same specific distance (men - 15 km, women - 7.5 km) in the freestyle (skating) technique. The winner of the event is the competitor who crosses the finish line first. It was first introduced at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2003 in Val di Fiemme
as a 10 km + 10 km event for men, 5 km + 5 km event for women. The distances for the double pursuit were lengthened to their current length at the following world championships in Obertsdorf. This is referred to as a double pursuit.
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
leg, followed by a cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
leg and then another running
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
leg in a format bearing some resemblance to triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
s. The International Triathlon Union
International Triathlon Union
The International Triathlon Union or ITU is the international governing body for the multi-sport disciplines of triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and other nonstandard variations...
governs the sport internationally.
Relationships to similar sports
Duathlons are most similar to triathlons, with the key difference being the lack of a swimming leg. Another sport derived from triathlon is aquathlonAquathlon
The sport of aquathlon consists of a continuous, two-stage race involving swimming followed by running. The International Triathlon Union and its member federation organizations sanction competitions and govern the sport...
, which combines swimming and running but has omitted the cycling part.
Team 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 100km-Duathlon around Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
which is the oldest of its kind in Germany.
Notable duathlons
Richmond Park
Richmond Park is a 2,360 acre park within London. It is the largest of the Royal Parks in London and Britain's second largest urban walled park after Sutton Park, Birmingham. It is close to Richmond, Ham, Kingston upon Thames, Wimbledon, Roehampton and East Sheen...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. 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 The London Duathlon has grown to just under 4,000 participants, 2010 will see the first running of the Ultra Distance at London which will consist of 20km run, 80km bike and 10km run.
The World's premier duathlon is Powerman Zofingen, in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It's 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. Mark Allen, six time Ironman Hawaii champion, has been quoted as saying Powerman Zofingen is the hardest race he ever participated in.
The longest continually running duathlon series is still organized by the NY Triathlon Club (www.nytc.org) in and around NY 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
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
run, followed by a mountain bike
Mountain bike
A mountain bike or mountain bicycle is a bicycle created for off-road cycling. This activity includes traversing of rocks and washouts, and steep declines,...
leg followed by a final off-road or trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
run. The Dirty Du off-road duathlon series, held in Texas, was made famous by Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong
Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...
, who won it in 2003.
Winter duathlon
Winter Duathlon is a take off Winter Triathlon with Run - XC Ski - Run legs. In 2007 various people including Channel Multisport are trying to grow the sport and encourage more people to participate in the hope that Winter Triathlon will be included in the 2010 Winter Olympics.Another use of the duathlon is in cross country skiing where skiers have a mass start using the classical technique and ski a specific distance (men - 15 km, women - 7.5 km), then change their skis, poles, and boots in a pit stop
Pit stop
In motorsports, a pit stop is where a racing vehicle stops in the pits during a race for refuelling, new tires, repairs, mechanical adjustments, a driver change, or any combination of the above...
manner similar to a triathlon, then ski at the same specific distance (men - 15 km, women - 7.5 km) in the freestyle (skating) technique. The winner of the event is the competitor who crosses the finish line first. It was first introduced at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2003 in Val di Fiemme
Val di Fiemme
thumb|300px|Location of the Fiemme Valley in [[Trentino]].thumb|300px|The [[Lagorai]] seen from [[Passo Lusia]].Fiemme Valley is a valley in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region in northern Italy located in the Dolomites mountain region....
as a 10 km + 10 km event for men, 5 km + 5 km event for women. The distances for the double pursuit were lengthened to their current length at the following world championships in Obertsdorf. This is referred to as a double pursuit.
Men
- Kenny Souza – 1990 ITU world champion
- Benny VansteelantBenny VansteelantBenny 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...
– winner of the World Duathlon, World Long-Distance Duathlon, European Duathlon and numerous Powerman titles. - Joerie Vansteelant – winner of the World Long-Distance Duathlon 2007
- Koen Maris – 2007 Powerman Duathlon World Champion (10km/150km/30km)
Women
- Catriona MorrisonCatriona MorrisonCatriona Morrison is a British triathlete and duathlete of Scottish origin.In 2005 she won the silver medal at the ITU Duathlon World Championships. In 2006 she followed this up with gold and took another silver medal at the Long Distance Duathlon World Championships...
– 2006 and 2010 World Duathlon Champion, 2007 and 2008 World Long-Distance Duathlon Champion, 2007 and 2009 European Duathlon Champion - Andrea "RAT" Ratkovic - 2006 World Long-Distance Duathlon bronze medalist, multiple USA Pro National Duathlon Champion, Elite Duathlete of the Year, Rookie Duathlete of the Year, multiple Powerman wins