REMAIN ON LAND WITH DUATHLON
Lee Hassan on his journey into multisport via duathlon:
If swimming is the one thing that’s currently putting you off getting into triathlon, duathlon could be the multisport route for you. As the name suggests, duathlons are made up of just two sports – running and cycling – with the format typically including a bike leg sandwiched between two runs. They’re available in a range of different distances, starting from a sprint (5km run, 20km bike, 2.5km run) up to long-distance duathlons (10km run, 150km bike, 30km run). A sprint is always a good place to start, but if you’re confident in your cycling and running ability, there’s nothing stopping you going long from the off. As for kit, all you really need is your running kit and a bike, while the duathlon season tends to start in early spring and runs deep into autumn. Popular events include the Ballbuster and Escape to Afan. Perfect for: Anyone that wants to try multisport but isn’t tempted by or ready for the swim. Find out more: For tips and training plans, head to 220triathlon.com and search ‘duathlon’. “I saw an advert on Facebook for a new event called Storm the Castle, which was dubbed the hardest duathlon in the UK. I purchased a cheap road bike and dusted off the old trainers. Five months later I took part in my first duathlon and absolutely loved the experience, the atmosphere and camaraderie between all the athletes.
“I was hooked and, as I sat in the bath that evening after the race, I trawled the internet for ‘the next thing’.
As a former lifeguard, triathlon had to be the next challenge and so I entered my first sprint triathlon… I started moving through the distances each year, which took me from sprint in 2015 to full distance at The
Lakesman in 2018.”