Womens Triathlon for Newbies

Women competing in triathlons is nothing new. We've been participating since the first organized triathlon was held in 1974 by a San Diego running club. The Ironman competition evolved 4 years later and in its 2nd year, Lyn Lemaire, the sole woman participant, beat two-thirds of the other racers.

Triathlons then were very competitive events filled with hard-core athletes, sometimes collegiate swimmers or marathon runners. But even early on, there were many women who were athletic and enjoyed the challenge, but were not trying for a spot in the Ironman. And groups of these women all over the world organized triathlon events just for women.

Womens triathlons have gotten bigger and more organized since. The Danskin Triathlon, one of the larger women's triathlon series, have some of the greatest participation rates in the world. And smaller groups in every US state and around the world organize smaller women's only triathlons.

Why participate in a womens triathlon? There are a few reasons.

1. Many of them don't focus totally on competition. Yes, you want to do your best, but these are for introducing women to the sport without stress. Effort is made to let participant know how the competition goes and there is tons of encouragement. Your goal is to finish.


2. Some of these competitions, in order to encourage newbies, have distances shorter than sprint length.


3. You may feel less self-conscious about competing with a) other women, b) many who are not Olympians but regular women like you.


4. The camaraderie of racing with other women like yourself who have similar challenges and goals is comforting and inspiring. You will likely befriend someone.

There are many triathlon events for newbies. If you are women new to the sport, I do recommend entering a womens triathlon event for a very positive first experience.