Disciplines

    Or some combination of the three: that's what multisport is. With so many versions of these three sports (and more), there are several ways to compete in multisport.

    Swim, Bike, Run. The most common multisport event, triathlons allow athletes of all ages to challenge themselves by covering various distances by swimming, biking and running.

    DisciplineSuper SprintSprintOlympic-DistanceWorld Triathlon Long CourseHalfFull/Long Course
    Swim400 meters750 meters1.5 km2 km1.2 miles2.4 miles
    Bike10 km20 km40 km80 km56 miles112 miles
    Run2.5 km5 km10 km20 km13.1 miles26.2 miles
    Total12.9 km25.75 km51.5 km102 km70.3 miles140.6 miles

    Note: Distances are categorized by using the category in which two of the distances fall. If all three are in separate categories the distance is categorized by the bike.

    Run, Bike, Run. In this most popular variant of triathlons, athletes complete two runs with one longer cycle leg in between. No water? No problem as no swimming is necessary in a duathlon.

    An athlete rides a bicycle during a race.

    Run, swim, run. Aquathletes don't need two wheels to compete, they just run and swim. The format of aquathlons may differ depending on water temperature. If the swim will require a wetsuit, athletes will swim first and run second. If no wetsuit is required, they'll do a short run, hit the water and finish back on the run course.

    DisciplineSprintStandardLong
    Run 11.25 km2.5 km5 km
    Swim500m1,000m2,000m
    Run 21.25 km2.5 km5 km
    Total3 km6 km12 km

    Swim, bike. Low impact, high fun! Aquabike allows athletes to compete in the two lower-impact multisport disciplines. Everyone everyone is welcome in aquabike waves, and this variation allows those who cannot run or prefer not to run to still participate in multisport.

    DisciplineStandard MiddleLong
    Swim1,500m1,900-3,000m3,000-4,000m
    Bike40 km80-90 km90-200 km
    Total41.5 km81.9-93 km93-204 km

    An athlete rides uphill during the cycle portion of a gravel triathlon.

    Swap pavement for trails and get a little dirty with off-road races! Primarily triathlons, off-road events swap road cycling and running for mountain biking and trail running. Off-road races demand plenty of skill in navigating the course safely.

    Gravel events are a variant of off-road events that feature gentler and, typically, wider trails. They can be mixed surface, dirt, gravel or other surfaces and typically won't have obstacles such as rocks, tree limbs or sharp turns to navigate over or past.

    Run, Bike, Ski. Winter triathlons are by far the coolest multisport variant around (temperature-wise, at least). Leave the wetsuit at home and pack your ski poles as winter triathlons consist of running, mountain biking and cross-country skiing, all on snow. Not just a way to stay fit over the winter, World Triathlon has held world championship races since 1997.

    Other race types use other disciplines in place of the swim, bike and/or run. Paddle boarding or canoeing can be a popular substitute for the swim leg.

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