Dearest daughter is 12 and I'd like her to have a crack at a triathlon. A few of her friends have had a go and enjoyed it. Now I know its all about the taking part but I'd hate for her to be hammered in her first ever race. She can swim a mile in 35 mins, and made the county cross country trials so can also run. She has also ridden a bike round Forest of Dean and sherwood pines red with no drama. The only thing she hasn't got is a road bike, would this matter?
Will it matter that she hasn't got a rd bike? I've no idea, but if she doesn't do as well as well as she (you!) hope, buy her the Brownlee brothers book, there's a passage where johnny comes dead last in a race youth race (iirc aged about 12), from that inauspicious start...
Type of bike doesn't matter for kids unless they are at a proper serious level. A mate's lad is 10 and trains with a club near Sutton in Ashfield, seem really good with kids, got into it via Sutton swimming club originally.
My mates lad got a signed copy of the Brownlee book for his birthday, never seen a non-academic sports mad kid read so keenly! 😀
Will look for that book! And yes I want her to do well, what's wrong with that? That's cool re the bike however as that's all she's got. Cheers.
dd1 is 11 and races is t2 in the north west championships. race distances are not long full triathlons are 250 metre swim 5k bike ride 2k run.
actually the championship has more aquathlons than full triathlons 250meter swim followed by circa 2k run.
enter online before hand .. turn up and enjoy.. if your daughter can swim the 10 lengths in 4 minutes ish and run 1500m in less than 7 minutes she ll do well.. no one is in it to 'fun run'
the great majority of the tris have the bike race on grass so bike choice isnt critical
for the tarmac though a road bike is essential.. ( i advise against punctures DD has an unfortunate habit of aquiring them..)
some kids can do the swim in 3 minutes.. but cannot run for toffee, so if your daughter fancys her chances ruck up and watch a race and then enter.. dont enter blind without watching first as changeover routines etc are vital and confidence is everything in the first event..
the triathlon england site has all the info..
Hi
My son is 10 and done several triathlons.
Tri suit is a must with number belt, practice transitions, lace locks in trainers.
If it's on Tarmac a road bike is going to be a lot quicker, mtb for grass track or cx bike.
She sounds quick, I think she will be in Tri star 3.
Hope that helps.
My kids are a bit younger and have done the Human Race Scootathlons at Dorney a couple of times and loved them - very relaxed, not overly competitive. They're both fit and good at sport, so thrived on it.
But a mate took his 10yr old to a proper kids tri (also at Dorney) and found it dominated by try-hard wannabe parents (Dads mostly), constantly braying and barking instructions at the kids, most of whom had top-of-the-shop kit regardless of ability. The sort of behaviour that would be frowned upon at a kids football match and a thoroughly dispiriting first-time experience by all accounts, so choose your event wisely!