We posed a question to the Total Intensity Coaches: What are your Top Five “Must-Do Triathlons?”
Each coach came up with their own lists, so it’s important to note that when we all created our lists, we didn’t know what the other coaches were going to pick as their top-fives. The only caveat to our rankings was to NOT include Ironman Hawaii – that one is a given, so we weren’t going to include the obvious.
The Honorable Mention events were in our first installment.
Ironman Wisconsin was ranked as #4
Challenge Roth was ranked as #3
and our coaches’ #2 ranked “must-do” triathlon is
American Triple T
Jenni’s Take (Ranked #3)
This race is off the beaten path and another race where you’ll enjoy Midwestern hospitality. Just when you thought one race was challenging enough, this is an entire weekend of racing, with multiple distances.
Race weekend kicks off with a super sprint on Friday night. Saturday is double Olympic Triathlon day and then you end it all with a half-ironman distance race on Sunday. While you can register for just one race, what’s the fun in that?!
You can also do this as an individual or a team. For the team challenge, each teammate does the full distance, but you are allowed to draft and work together to get a faster time. What a unique challenge!
John’s Take (Ranked #3):
For those of you who are looking for something outside the box and a true challenge, the American Triple T is for you!
What’s the Triple T? It’s a full weekend of racing… FOUR races in THREE days. Done solo or in a team format, athletes start with a super sprint on Friday afternoon. This race has a time trial start, with athletes starting every 3-5 seconds. Then, on Saturday, you do TWO Olympic distance events – a standard swim/bike/run format in the morning and then a unique bike/swim/run format, with a time trial start, in the afternoon. On Sunday, you wrap up the weekend with a half ironman.
Solo athletes do all four events on their own, while team athletes get the benefit of doing it with a partner. Team athletes aren’t doing relays, however. On teams, both athletes complete all of the distances. The caveat is that on the bike/swim/run Olympic distance event on Saturday afternoon, they are allowed to work together as a team. Drafting is allowed between teammates and the team’s time is determined by whichever athlete gets to the finish line second. On Sunday, team athletes both complete the half-iron distance individually. Team times accumulate both team member’s times from each race.
Oh, one other thing, did I mention the courses are extremely hilly? Yes… including some single lane, technical, brake busting descents. When the race website uses the term “bring your climbing gears” multiple times, that should tell you something.
This event sells out fast every year, so don’t hesitate on registering if you want to take on this challenge. I’ll also add that the race directors, Shannon and Jennifer Kurek are the best in the business.
Tom’s Take (Ranked #2)
Put on by HFP Racing – the TTT, simply put, is a mental grind by the time you reach Sunday’s 70.3. The exuberance fades from Friday’s sprint race to the start of the 70.3 on Sunday. For many it’s a practice in survival – with those who have mastered the art of recovery having the easiest time. It’s a unique format that has a sprint triathlon on Friday evening, an Olympic distance Sat morning, an Olympic distance Sat afternoon (but with the bike first and swim second followed by the run) and final a half ironman Sunday morning.
If that isn’t unique enough – you can enter as a team with the first 2 events raced as individuals and the last 2 events raced as a team with drafting allowed between teammates. Set in the Little Smoky Mountains, the scenery is spectacular.
Want to hear more about the American Triple T? Check out this video.
Please leave your own comments below and let us know what your must-do races are!
Coming next… our #1 ranked must-do triathlon…
