About Virginia Triathlon
The Virginia Triathlon Club consists of student-athletes with a passion to learn the sport of triathlon. The goal of our club is to provide training and racing support for athletes of all levels. The club is open to all undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled at the University of Virginia. The club competes intercollegiately at local and national events, but is not limited to triathlons. Members also compete in other multi-sport, endurance and adventure races, as well as marathons and ultra-marathons. The Virginia Triathlon Club aims to provide support for beginner and experienced athletes with similar training or competition goals. If interested, please contact an officer, stop by a team workout, or email the president to get your name on the email listserv. Check us out!
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Triathlons: Recreation and Performance
Many think that the only triathlon is the famous Ironman, and are intimidated by the thought of racing a triathlon. This is not true! A triathlon is any event made up of three blocks: swim, bike, run. There are four certified lengths to accommodate all abilities:
Many think that the only triathlon is the famous Ironman, and are intimidated by the thought of racing a triathlon. This is not true! A triathlon is any event made up of three blocks: swim, bike, run. There are four certified lengths to accommodate all abilities:
- Sprint 0.5 mile swim / 12.0 mile bike / 3.1 mile run
- Olympic/ Int'l 1.0 mile swim / 26.7 mile bike / 6.2 mile run
- Half-Ironman 1.2 mile swim / 56.0 mile bike / 13.1 mile run
- Ironman 2.4 mile swim / 112.0 mile bile / 26.2 mile run
Just for Fun
Our team has people from all levels. Joining is a great way to meet people who just love to swim, bike and run. Practices are open to anyone and our team events are meant to be different than training- dinners, outings, parties, etc. There's no minimum level of fitness required to join, and we encourage beginners to give it a try.
CompetitionFor those serious about triathlon competition, our team has members who have competed in every triathlon distance and members who have placed extremely well in prestigious races such as Collegiate Nationals and Ford 70.3 races. Each team workout normally breaks into groups based on ability, and we use the email listserv regularly to contact each other about impromptu workouts. You should have no trouble finding a training partner to improve your training!
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Equipment
You'll need a swim suit, goggles, decent shoes to run in, a bike and helmet to train in each discipline independently. Not having a bike will make training and racing much more difficult, but not impossible. Usually people race on a road bike or time trial bike, but mountain bikes are not unusual for first-timers. Bikes can be rented at local bike stores such as C'Ville Bike and Tri. Members have lent their spare bikes occasionally for races, so if you really want to do a triathlon but don't want to buy a bike at the moment, come to a meeting and talk to one of the officers. If you have questions about more advanced equipment, ask one of the officers.