Human Race, which is celebrating 25 years of organising triathlons, has revealed a new statistic today, which shows that 27% of those athletes taking part in Human Race triathlon events since 2012 are trying out the sport for the first time ever.
That figure equates to over 7,560 people who are new to the sport of triathlon getting on board with Human Race, since the home Olympics of London 2012.
The safe, flat course at Eton Dorney, where Human Race holds many of its events, appeals to first timers. Human Race notes that there are lots of event marshals and water safety support, great facilities for spectators and the atmosphere is fantastic.
Human Race Events, CEO Nick Rusling said “Triathlon has been at the heart of Human Race for the past quarter of a century. We have seen the sport grow from something niche and new to the mainstream activity it is today. We feel we share the responsibility to helping to grow the sport even further in the coming years.”
To coincide with the 27% of first-timers statistic, and to encourage even more people to try the sport of triathlon, a new video has been launched online to try and dispel some of the most common fears and misconceptions surrounding triathlon events.
The three minute long video features questions asked on social media by those considering trying a triathlon, with answers from the training experts at RG Active.
The video can also be viewed online at http://hrtv.silverlinenow.tv/detail/videos/latest/video/4107396222001/introduction-to-triathlon.
With over 15 triathlon events to choose from within a train ride of London, Human Race notes that there is something suitable for everyone, regardless of experience or ability. For anyone new to the sport who doesn’t want the expense of costly kit, there will be wetsuit hire available from blueseventy and bike hire available on the day.
There are also lots of opportunities to take part with friends as well as in traditional age group structures.
For those looking to tackle their first triathlon, early season races such as the Garmin Eton SuperSprints weekend on 16-17 May, or Eton Sprints on 23 May are seen as a great option. Human Race also offers The Mixed Distance Triathlon on 24 May or HSBC Triathlon on 13 September for those who want to use the summer to train; the HSBC Triathlon also offers a duathlon for those who prefer not to swim.
For athletes looking for events to tick off of their bucket lists, Windsor Triathlon is celebrating its 25th birthday on 14 June. The event is set to see a number of elite winners from races dating back to 1991 return to the start line again.
Wiggle SteelMan on 4 July and Lidl BananaMan Triathlon on 11 July are also events offering something a little bit different in 2015 and both have a wide ranges of challenges and distances to choose from. There are also Aquathlon (swim and run) and AquaBike (swim and bike) options at Wiggle SteelMan and the option of a duathlon at BananaMan.
With the number of women partaking in triathlon growing year on year, Human Race is offering both the Shock Absorber Women Only Training Day on 24 May and the Shock Absorber Women Only Challenge on 12 July in 2015. The WomenOnly events create a supportive and encouraging environment just for women looking to tackle triathlon.
