Are Triathlons the New Marathon?

For the last two years, running culture has surged, with participants embracing everything from 5k fun runs to a marathon distance of 26.2 miles. For a lot of people, long distance running became the ultimate athletic challenge. Social media buzzed with discussions about training, race recaps and detailed debates over the best running shoes, shorts and mid-run fuels. However, there’s been a noticeable shift. Former running influencers and enthusiasts are increasingly turning to biking and swimming as their new activities of choice. The triathlon appears to be the latest trend in athletic accomplishments.

What is a Triathlon

The Olympics describe the Triathlon as “a multi-sport event that combines three disciplines: swimming, cycling and running. In triathlon, competitors compete in a race to the finish line with the first past the tape declared the winner.” Although the event includes running, the training can look a lot different than the training for a marathon. Changing from swimming, biking and running offers an exciting switch up and change of pace while allowing you to train and build a wider range of muscles than long distance running.

Switching Sides

So why are so many people turning away from running alone? One of the biggest reasons for this switch could be because there is a huge amount of injury associated with long distance running – especially for first time runners. Many people don’t know how much their body can handle, how to properly fuel, or important strengthening and injury prevention exercises.

On the other hand, biking and swimming are a great cross-training alternative to running. The idea of cross-training means switching up your activities to work new muscles and give other muscles a break. Swimming and biking both release a lot of weight and pressure from muscle and bones that running does not. They also both offer the same endurance training that running does, just with different surfaces. This way, you can have more full body workouts as compared to solely running. Many sore and injured runners have found comfort in these forms of cross-training and are sticking to them!

The idea of a triathlon can also just be seen as a newer and bigger challenge for some people. Running, especially at the marathon distance of 26.2 miles, is an endurance sport. People can take that same endurance mindset and fitness and apply them to new exercises. Similar to running, triathlons offer a wide variety of distances. One of the most famous distances is the Ironman: a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run. Although this is considered the most challenging types of triathlon – you’re literally running a marathon at the end. Many notable celebrities including Pete Buttigieg, Gordon Ramsey and Cody Ko have completed this challenge. Most triathlons offer varying levels of competition distances, and some even have relay races where each member can pick to either run, swim, or bike.

The Access Debate

One aspect that a lot of people love about running is that everyone can do it. All you need to get started is a pair of running sneakers and a phone. Triathlons however, are a whole other story, expenses add up quickly both for training and race day. For the swim, you might just have to purchase a few suits, goggles and a pool membership, but racing bikes can cost anywhere upwards of $1,500. You also have to train a lot more than you would for running, which means more fuel, food and recovery tools. Many people have begun to argue that the shift in popularity to triathlons is because of the elite feeling that comes with the sport. A smaller group of people has access to the materials they need to properly train and compete in the races which asks the question of how accessible the sport really is.

What do you think is next? Will everyone move from triathlons to the ultimate Ironman? Maybe the trends will fall back to running, focusing less on road races and more on ultramarathons and trail running.

Which do you prefer? Biking, running, swimming, or maybe just a hot girl walk every few days does the trick. Let us know by tagging us @VALLEYmag on X!