TriOurWorld

If the traditional triathlon model (swim, bike, run with various distances for different races) is getting to be too second-nature for you, you might be interested in shaking it up a little bit. Many athletes and fans have created well-known variations of the sport, by adding and removing events, changing the order, or by other alterations. Use this handy guide to choose your new favorite event.

• Reverse order triathlon: The simplest of the variations, this triathlon is simply run in reverse (run, bike, swim). This is done when it’s necessary to have a mass start.
• Nauticathlon: This trademarked event was developed by Victor Bauduret of France. It involves a variety of sports, usually equally distributed between land and water.
• Equilateral triathlon: Proposed by Wainer and De Veaux in 1994, this version seeks to give each leg of the race an equal time. Normally, cycling takes the longest (78) of the time, while running takes 19 and swimming 3.
• Off-road triathlon: Composed of swimming, mountain biking, and trail-running, this variation features more difficult terrains and requires more biking skill. You know what they say: the greater the risk, the greater the thrill.
• Ultraman triathlon: This variation is an enhanced endurance event covering 320 miles: 6.2 miles of swimming followed by a 90-mile cross-country bike ride and then another 171.4 mile bike ride, ending with a 52.4 mile double marathon.
• Winter triathlon: Adding snow to the triathlon model can only lead to good things. The events are running, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing, although skating is sometimes substituted for the bike or ski events.
• Aquabike: A normal triathlon minus the running event.
• Aquathlon: A normal triathlon minus the cycling event.
• Duathlon: A normal triathlon where the opening swimming event is replaced with another biking event.