Duathlon is an

athletic Athletic may refer to: * An athlete, a sportsperson * Athletic director, a position at many American universities and schools * Athletic type, a physical/psychological type in the classification of Ernst Kretschmer * Athletic of Philadelphia, a ba ...

event that consists of a

running Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. Running is a type of gait characterized by an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This i ...

leg, followed by a

cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from ...

leg and then another running leg in a format similar to

triathlon 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 ...

s. The International Triathlon Union governs the sport internationally.

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. *Sprint distance - 5 km run, 20 km bike, 2.5 km run *Standard distance - 10 km run, 40 km bike, 5 km run *Middle distance - 10 km run, 60 km bike, 10 km run *Long distance - 10 km run, 150 km bike, 30 km run

Off-road duathlon

Off-road duathlon is a form of duathlon, where the competitors have to go through a

trail-running Trail running is a sport-activity which combines running, and, where there are steep gradients, hiking, that is run "on any unpaved surface". It is similar to both mountain and fell running (also known as hill running). Mountain running may, ...

stage and a

mountain-biking Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and per ...

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 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 trans ...

, which combines swimming and running but has omitted the cycling part, and

aquabike Aquabiking (also called Aqua cycling) is the combination of water sports and cycling sports. Two activities share the term. One is an underwater indoor cycling, and the other is a race featuring swimming and cycling stages. See also *Internati ...

, 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 The Highland Cross is an annual charity race, established in 1983, across the Scottish Highlands by foot and bicycle from Morvich, Kintail in the west through Glen Affric and Strathglass to Beauly in the east. Although it is known as a ''duathlon ...

in Scotland. The word ''duathlon'' does not appear in the online ''

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a c ...

'' , nor in the 11th edition (2008) of '' Chambers Dictionary'', but a definition available online from

Collins English Dictionary The ''Collins English Dictionary'' is a printed and online dictionary of English. It is published by HarperCollins in Glasgow. The edition of the dictionary in 1979 with Patrick Hanks as editor and Laurence Urdang as editorial director, wa ...

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.

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

100 km-Duathlon 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

around

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...

which is the oldest of its kind in Germany.

Notable duathlons

World Triathlon organizes the

World Triathlon Duathlon 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 firs ...

on a yearly basis since 1990. Since 2017, it has been part of the

World Triathlon Multisport World Championships In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...

although it was run as a separate event again in 2021, as the Multisport World Championships got cancelled

Powerman Duathlon Powerman Duathlons are duathlon events that are competed over middle distance (10 km run, 60 km bike, 10 km run) to long distance (10 km run, 150 km bike, 30 km run) duathlons across the globe at both Age Group and ...

is the major run bike run brand in the world. The

World Series 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. Bart Aernouts Ironman 70

The world's largest duathlon to date is the inaugural London Duathlon, which took place on 17 September 2005 in Richmond Park,

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant ur ...

. 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 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 offic ...

, in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. 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 Kenny Souza is an American duathlete. Career Born in 1964 or 1965 and raised in Hacienda Heights, California, Kenny Souza began his sporting career as a triathlete before moving to the duathlon. During the 1980s and 1990s he was US duathlon cha ...

'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 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 Off-roading is the activity of driving or riding in a vehicle on unpaved surfaces such as sand, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, and other natural terrain. Types of off-roading range in intensity, from leisure drives with unmodified vehicl ...

trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. ...

run, followed by a

mountain bike A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain, which m ...

leg followed by a final

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

– 1990 ITU world champion *

Benny Vansteelant Benny Vansteelant (19 November 1976 – 14 September 2007) 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. Life He was born in Torh ...

– 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 Koen is a Dutch language given name and surname, popular in the Netherlands and Flanders. Although the earliest direct attestation comes from Oudenaarde, East Flanders in 1272, it is known to have been derived from the Proto-Germanic name ''* ...

– 2007 Powerman Duathlon World Champion (10 km/150 km/30 km) *

Rob Woestenborghs Rob or ROB may refer to: Places * Rob, Velike Lašče, a settlement in Slovenia * Roberts International Airport (IATA code ROB), in Monrovia, Liberia People * Rob (given name), a given name or nickname, e.g., for Robert(o), Robin/Robyn * Rob ( ...

– 2008 World Champion Duathlon Short Distance in Rimini *

Bart Aernouts Bart Aernouts (born 23 June 1982 in Essen) is a Belgian former professional cyclist who competed mainly in cyclo-cross races. Aernouts often finished only a few places behind big names such as Sven Nys, Niels Albert and Zdeněk Štybar, but oc ...

– 2010 World Champion Duathlon Short Distance in Edinburgh * Emilio Martin – 2012 World Champion Duathlon Short Distance in Nancy * Gael Le Bellec – 2014, 2015 and 2018 ITU LD World Champion

Women

Catriona Morrison Catriona ("Cat") Morrison MBE (born 11 January 1977, in Glasgow) is a British triathlete and duathlete of Scottish origin. Career In 2005, she won the silver medal at the ITU Duathlon World Championships. In 2006, she followed this up with gol ...

– 2006 and 2010 World Duathlon Champion, 2007 and 2008 World Long-Distance Duathlon Champion, 2007 and 2009 European Duathlon Champion * Emma Pooley – 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 ITU LD World Champion, 2017 European MD Champion

References

Duathlon Ducs et Duchesses www.duathlonducsetduchesses.com This is a unique concept in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, which was developed based on the sport of Duathlon. 2020 : Launched with one event of Duathlon Ducs et Duchesses (DDD) in Valgelon-La Rochette on the 19 and 20 September 2020. 2021 : 3 events across the Region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes ; Seyssel Haute-Savoie (24 and 25 July 2021), Brides-les-Bains (19 September 2021) and Valgelon-La Rochette (16 and 17 october 2021) in Savoie. 2022 : 5 events across the Region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes ; Seyssel Haute-Savoie, 02 and 3 April 2022, Brides-les-Bains 08 may 2022, Culoz Grand Colombier in Ain (23 and 24 July 2022), Passy Mont-Blanc in Haute-Savoie (24 and 25 September 2022) and Viriville in Isère (15 and 16 october 2022) .

External links

London DuathlonNI Duathlon (Northern Ireland)Duathlon.caDuathlon.com
{{Racing Multisports Cycle racing by discipline