4 ways racing triathlons could be more fun

We know that you love triathlon just the way it is. You wouldn’t still be doing the sport if you didn’t love it. But just because something is already enjoyable doesn’t mean it can’t become even more fun. We have a few ideas that could transform triathlon races. You might not love the ideas, but you can’t deny that it would be interesting to see them implemented at a race or two.

At least one non-triathlete per race

Many triathletes know someone who plays another sport and says that, with their superior athletic ability, they could beat you in triathlon. It would be fun for all triathletes to see at least one of these people at every race. The designated non-triathlete (DNT) would be different from the rookie triathletes, as they wouldn’t have trained specifically for the race beforehand, but rather only done whatever training they normally do for their own sport. Some DNTs would maybe perform well on race day, but for the most part, they would all be humbled. They can even have a head start.

Shortcuts

It would be fun to see shortcuts added to the run legs of races with lapped courses. Imagine a run course that requires you to complete four laps before the finish. If every athlete was permitted to take a shortcut on one lap, all of a sudden there would be so much more strategy in the final leg of the race. You would have to decide if you wanted to get an advantage on your competition early in the run or save it for a final-lap getaway.

Of course, this would be tough to monitor with hundreds of age group athletes in one race (you wouldn’t necessarily know in real time if someone took multiple shortcuts), but triathletes are an honest breed. Sure, some people might decide to cheat, but for the most part, everyone would play fair and have fun with it.

Stage races

One day of racing is fun, but what if you could do a three-day stage race? Imagine a super-sprint on Friday, a sprint on Saturday, and an olympic triathlon to finish things off. There would be winners for the individual stages, but the person with the lowest cumulative time would win the weekend.

Tour de France prizes

One reason the Tour de France is so much fun to watch and follow is because the race is not only a competition for the fastest racer over the three weeks, as there is a sprinting title and a climbing title up for grabs. Races could add these to certain sections of the course. Maybe there is a big hill on the run that can be timed, or perhaps a one- or two-kilometre stretch of road on the bike could become a mini-race within the event. People might not win the race as a whole, but they would be able to compete for the mini-race awards.