A surge in triathlon participation across the state of Queensland, Australia, has caught the industry and the state’s governing body, Triathlon Queensland, by surprise. According to reports, over the past three years, triathlon participation has increased by 30% and in recent months Triathlon Queensland membership has increased by 10% per month.
Seven new triathlon clubs have also appeared to serve the needs of local triathletes across Queensland. Meanwhile, 20 extra events have been added to the Triathlon Queensland race schedule in 2009.
According to Triathlon Queensland Chief Executive Officer, Jo Weaver, the surge in triathlon participation was evident across all age groups and abilities. As experienced in other countries, many events in Queensland are now selling out within days.
“The participation, numbers-wise, is astronomical – Mooloolaba sold out within five days, Noosa sold out, even the Bribie Triathlon Series is sold out,” Weaver said.
Weaver noted that the growth in tri participation at the entry level was producing huge rewards at the higher levels of the sport. More high-performance coaches have become focused on triathlon and are helping to raise the bar to the benefit of all, particularly those faster athletes who may be close to elite standard.
According to Lisa Pringle of USM Events, which runs the popular Mooloolaba and Noosa triathlons, increasing numbers do present a challenge. “It’s not as easy as it sounds to simply put on more events. The answer is growing through events that already exist.”
Pringle added that ‘The major issue is competitor safety, and some courses just can’t cope with more people than they have already.”
