Multisport Transitions Explained

Transition has been called the “fourth discipline” of triathlon, and with good reason.  In triathlon - or any other multisport discipline (such as duathlon, aquabike, or aquathlon) - time spent in Transition counts toward an athlete’s overall race time.  Practicing Transition like you would practice any other discipline of multisport (such as swimming, biking, or running) can help you have a stress-free, smoother, and shorter Transition.

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https://www.fullcircleendurance.com/blog/coach-tip-tuesday-multisport-transitions-explained 

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Chapters

• 0:00 Opening
• 0:16 What is Transition?
• 4:37 What Do Athletes Put in Transition?
• 8:41 How Does Transition Work?
• 11:20 Why Does Transition Matter?
• 13:37 How Can You Improve Your Transition?
• 13:54 Have Everything You Need
• 14:27 Practice Transition in Training
• 15:47 Complete a Pre-Race Walk-Down
• 16:29 Arrange Your Transition Items in the Order You Will Use Them
• 18:02 Advanced Transition Techniques
• 19:08 The Bottom Line
• 19:22 Closing

Transcript

(0:04 - 0:19)
Hello, and welcome to the Full Circle Podcast, your source for insights into the science and art of endurance sports training and racing. I'm your host, Coach Laura Henry. Today is Coach Tip Tuesday.

(0:19 - 0:48)
Transition has been called the fourth discipline of triathlon, and with good reason. In triathlon, or any other multi-sport discipline, such as duathlon, aqua bike, or aquathlon, time spent in transition counts towards an athlete's overall race time. Practicing transition like you would practice any other discipline of multi-sport, such as swimming, biking, and running, can help you have a stress-free, smoother, and shorter transition, which can impact your overall race experience and race time.

(0:49 - 1:04)
Multi-sport, as the name implies, is a sport that has multiple disciplines combined into a single event. There are several different types of multi-sport events and races. Triathlon is the most well-known multi-sport discipline, and it consists of swimming, cycling, and running, in that order.

(1:05 - 1:26)
Triathlons can vary in length, and the most common standardized distances are a sprint distance, which is an 800-meter swim, a 20-kilometer bike, and a 5-kilometer run. Olympic distance, which is a 1,500-meter swim, a 40-kilometer bike, and a 10-kilometer run. Half distance, which is a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike, and a 13.1-mile run.

(1:26 - 5:20)
And finally, the full distance of triathlon, which is a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and a 26.2-mile run. That's known as an Ironman when it's owned by the Ironman Corporation, but it should be noted that full-distance triathlons are not all Ironmans. All Ironmans are full-distance triathlons. 

A Duathlon is a multi-sport discipline that consists of running and cycling. Most often, duathlons are composed of three legs, running, cycling, and running in that order. Duathlons can vary in length, and the most common standardized distances are a sprint, with a 5-kilometer run, a 20-kilometer bike, and a 5-kilometer run, and the Olympic distance, which is a 10-kilometer run, a 40-kilometer bike, and a 10-kilometer run. 

An Aquabike is a multi-sport event that consists of swimming and cycling. Aquabikes can vary in length, but they often align with the standardized distances of triathlons, such as the sprint distance with an 800-meter swim and a 20-kilometer bike, the Olympic distance with a 1,500-meter swim and a 40-kilometer bike, and the half-distance, a 1.2-mile swim and a 56-mile bike ride. An Aquathlon is a multi-sport event that consists of swimming and running. 

This is probably the least common and therefore the least known multi-sport event. Aquathlons can vary in length, but they often align with standardized distances in triathlons, such as the sprint distance with an 800-meter swim and a 5-kilometer run, or the Olympic distance with a 1,500-meter swim and a 10-kilometer run. Aquathlons sometimes have three legs, so you might run, swim, and then run again. 

The term transition actually has two relevant definitions, one as a noun and the other as a verb, in the context of this conversation. The first definition of transition is a location within a defined boundary in a multi-sport event venue that is designated as the place where you can hold your gear and any necessary supplies for the different stages of a multi-sport race. Transition is not a part of the course of any of the legs of the multi-sport discipline. 

So, for example, in a triathlon, transition is not a part of the swim course, the bike course, or the run course. This area is sometimes called the transition area, the transition zone, and sometimes it's just called transition. You use this area as you transition from one discipline to another. 

Thus, you use the transition area one time less than the number of total legs that there are in your multi-sport event. So, for instance, if you have three legs, such as the swim, the bike, and the run in a triathlon, you will use the transition area twice, once in between the swim and the bike, and again between the bike and the run. Transitions are called by the numbered sequence in which they happen in a race. 

So, for example, the transition between the swim and the bike in triathlon is called transition one, and the transition between the bike and the run in a triathlon is called transition two. The process of moving through the transition area is also referred to as transition in the world of multi-sport. Transition areas vary pretty widely in terms of how they are designated and how they're organized, depending on a lot of factors, including the distance of the race, the size of the race, and the location of the race. 

Conduct in transition is governed by the rules that apply to any given race. In the United States of America, those are the USA Triathlon multi-sport competition rules. What athletes put in transition can vary widely, depending on the type of multi-sport event, the length of the event, and the individual athlete themselves. 

That being said, there are some general commonalities that are good to ensure that one does put into transition. Here are some of them. A bicycle, a bicycle helmet, sunglasses or prescription glasses, depending on what you need, bicycle shoes, nutrition and hydration for the bike leg, and you can actually store that on the bike itself. 

A race bib, running shoes, your running hat or visor, nutrition and hydration for the run leg, socks, and sunscreen. Out of all those items that I just listed, only three of them are actually required. A bicycle is required, a bicycle helmet is required, and a race bib is required.

(5:20 - 6:32)
The bicycle and the bicycle helmet are obviously required for the bike leg of a multi-sport event, and the race bib is actually only required to be worn on the run leg of a multi-sport event. So, while the other items on this list are certainly very, very nice to have, they are not required per the rules. In fact, the USA Triathlon competition rules state that you may run barefoot, you don't even need running shoes. 

So, these items are things that are really nice to have, as well as the three items that you must have. And this list does cover the most common items that athletes put at their designated spots in transition. You may feel like you need more than what I've just listed, but be wary of the temptation to bring everything plus the kitchen sink with you to a race. 

Transition is a very Goldilocks place, and this means that having exactly what you need, not more and not less, is what is best. Athletes enter transition and set up things at their designated spot prior to race start. Some races, such as Ironman and Ironman 70.3 events, assign spots in transition that are based on athlete bib numbers, meaning that if your bib number is 721, you will have a marked spot in transition labeled as 721, where you must put your bike and all of your other stuff.

(6:33 - 13:37)
Other races, which are usually small, local, or grassroots events, have what are known as open transitions, and this means that athletes may self-select their spots when they arrive at the race venue. So, there's no organization on the races part to where athletes can put their stuff. Athletes place their bikes in transition on a bicycle rack. 

These bicycle racks can vary in how they look and how they function, but the most common ones look like A-frames. Athletes rack their bicycle on the bicycle rack by hanging it from the seat or from the brake hoods, and they rack it in such a manner that the majority of the bicycle is on one side of the rack. At races where rack numbers are assigned, the majority of the bicycle must be on the numbered side of the rack, meaning that, again, if we have that example of your bib number 721, your bicycle must be on the side where the label 721 is. 

Some races require that athletes rack their bikes the day before race day. Other races have athletes bring all of the gear that they will need, including their bicycles, into transition on the day of the race. Once the bicycle is on the rack, athletes set up the rest of their gear and their equipment on the ground next to the down wheel of their bicycle. 

The down wheel is the wheel that is touching the ground, or, for our shorter friends who ride smaller bicycles, the wheel that is closest to the ground. If rack numbers are assigned, then the down wheel must be on the number side of the rack, and athletes must place all of their gear on the number side of the rack. The amount of space that each athlete has to place their gear, other than their bicycle, is approximately 24 inches wide. 

The length of the space that athletes have to place their gear is basically from the front of where that down wheel is up into where the bar on the bicycle rack is. An athlete cannot take over another athlete's designated spot or interfere with another athlete's gear or equipment by putting their belongings down in such a way that it spills over into another athlete's designated spot. And this actually applies even if the space next to you is empty in transition. 

You don't just get bonus space and have two spaces of transition. You still have to always act like there is a bicycle right next to you in transition and you have that, you know, approximately 24 inches of space. At some point prior to the race start, transition will close, and it will remain closed until after the race ends. 

Once this happens, the only people that are going to be allowed in transition are race personnel and racing athletes. Athletes flow through transition in a very specific way. If we take an example of a triathlon transition, we have transition one, and after the swim, athletes enter transition via an entrance that is known as swim in. 

After entering transition via swim in, athletes go to their designated place in transition where their equipment and gear is stored and waiting for them. Once they arrive at their spot in transition, athletes remove any gear and equipment from the swim that they no longer need, such as their wetsuit, their goggles, their swim cap, and they place it in their designated spot in transition. Once they place their swimming gear at their transition spot, athletes start to collect the items that they will need for the bike. 

The most important of these is the athlete's helmet. Multi-sport competition rules are very strict about the fact that an athlete may not even remove their bicycle from a bicycle rack unless they have a helmet on and the chin strap is secured. So you can't just put on the helmet and leave this chin strap unsecured. 

That does not count. You have to have the helmet on your head and the chin strap secured before you even grab your bicycle off the rack. Once the athlete has what they need for the bike and their helmet is properly secured on their head, the athlete grabs their bicycle and proceeds towards the transition exit, which is a very specific exit known as bike out. 

In a triathlon, bike out is always on the opposite side of the transition from swim out. This ensures that athletes all have to cover the same distance in transition no matter where their designated spot in transition is. And this is so that one athlete does not have an unfair competitive advantage over another athlete. 

Once the athlete exits transition, they continue running with their bicycle until they reach the bicycle mount zone. Once the athlete crosses the bicycle mount zone, and this is usually designated by a visible line that is colloquially known as the mount line, they are allowed to get on their bicycle and begin riding it on the bicycle course. For transition two, athletes must dismount their bicycle before they cross the mount line at the end of the bike course. 

Once they dismount their bicycle, they enter transition via an entrance that is called bike in. Bike in is often the same entrance as bike out was. Athletes reach their designated spot in transition and they rack their bicycle back up on the rack. 

Only once their bicycle is racked may athletes unfasten and remove their helmet. So this is the opposite of before. The bicycle has to be on the rack before you can take your helmet off. 

Athletes then remove any gear from the bike leg that they no longer need, and then they place that in their designated spot in transition. At this point, athletes start collecting the items that they will need for the run leg. Once the athlete has everything that they need for the run, they can proceed out of transition towards a very specific exit that is known as run out. 

Run out is often the same exit that swim in was. Once the athlete crosses the boundary of the transition zone, run out, they begin the run course. Transition matters for a lot of reasons. 

Since it is the area where you store all of the gear and equipment you need for a multi-sport race, transition is vital to you being able to successfully complete the race. Simply put, multi-sport events would not be possible without transition. Another reason why transition matters is that your time spent in transition counts towards your overall race time. 

Here's a really interesting example of this. My friend, Kyle Kuhn, just lost a triathlon in March 2024 by one second. Yes, one second. 

What really was tough was that winning this particular race would have guaranteed him a spot at the 2024 Paralympic Games. So yes, poor Kyle missed guaranteeing himself a spot at the games by one second. He knew right after the race and probably even during the race that he had left time on the table in transition and that if his transitions had been smoother and slightly faster, he would have won the race and he would have punched his ticket to the Paralympic Games. 

Now, most of us are not elite athletes like Kyle is, but transition still matters for all athletes, including beginner and age group athletes. Over the course of my career, I've coached multi-sport athletes who have very sadly, very unfortunately, and very heartbreakingly not met the time requirements of a triathlon. When this happens, it's known as a DNF, which stands for did not finish. 

Three of these athletes who received a DNF have missed the time requirements of an Ironman, a 140.6 mile race, by less than one minute. One minute in a race that has a 17 hour time limit. Having smoother and faster transitions would have undoubtedly helped each of these athletes be able to finish the race within the required time limits. 

So even if you're not competitive and you aren't an elite athlete and or you don't necessarily care about your finishing place or your finishing time, you don't actually want to spend more time than is necessary in transition. Doing so disrupts the flow of your race. And in a worst case scenario, it could send you over the time limit of a race by mere seconds. 

How big the race is and therefore how big transition area is will have a direct impact on the minimum amount of time that you'll be spending in transition. Smaller transition areas can be moved through more quickly than larger transition areas for obvious reasons. But no matter the size of the transition, you should always be seeking to spend the least amount of time possible there.

(13:38 - 14:29)
There are several ways that you can ensure that you have a smooth and good transition. There are also several things that you can do to improve your transition. Have everything you need, practice transition and training, complete a pre-race walk down, and arrange your transition items in the order that you will use them. 

Have everything you need. Though it may seem obvious, one of the most fundamental ways for you to ensure that you have a smooth transition and ultimately a successful race is to make sure that you have everything you need for the race actually in transition. I have seen many athletes forget to put something important in transition and it either severely compromises or it can actually ruin an athlete's race. 

A rather memorable example I have of this is when an athlete I was coaching forgot his cycling shoes at Ironman 70.3 Memphis and he didn't realize until he arrived at his bicycle in transition one that he had forgotten them. Whoops. Practice transition and training.

(14:29 - 14:46)
All too often, athletes get focused on the big ticket or sexy items of their training and racing. For multi-sport athletes, this means that they often get really focused on practicing the main events of their race and training, such as the swim, the bike, and the run. But practicing and training transition is just as important as training swimming, biking, and running.

(14:46 - 15:25)
The common advice, nothing new on race day, doesn't just apply to gear choices. It applies to behaviors and strategies as well. Athletes can practice transition and training when they have bricks scheduled. 

A brick is a workout that includes two or more disciplines, such as swim to bike or bike to run, with minimal time in between each of the disciplines. Brick workouts help prepare athletes for the unique challenges that multi-sport athletes face in racing where they must move from one sport to another in a single race while minimizing drops in their performance. When athletes have bricks on their schedules, they can set up their own transition area and treat the transition in their brick the same as they would treat transition on race day, by practicing their gear and equipment swaps like they would be making them in the race.

(15:25 - 15:47)
Even if athletes don't have bricks on their schedule, they can commit to dedicating time to practice transition, just like they commit to dedicating time to complete swimming, biking, and running workouts. Like any other skill or discipline in endurance sports, consistency of practice breeds proficiency. While transitions may look and feel complicated at first, they can feel smoother and more straightforward with regular practice.

(15:47 - 17:35)
Complete a pre-race walk down. Another important thing for athletes to do is walk down transition before the race begins. I recommend that athletes walk through the entire flow of transition. 

To do this, they can start at swim in, walk to their designated spot in transition, and then walk to out. Then they should start at bike in, walk to their designated transition spot, and walk to run out. Athletes are not permitted to mark their spot in transition, such as with a balloon or brightly colored tape. 

So this walk down is really important and it allows athletes to take note of any clear landmarks that they can use to find their spot during the race itself. When heart rates and adrenaline are high, it can be quite easy to get lost in transition if you haven't walked it down and haven't taken note of where your spot is. Arrange your transition items in the order that you will use them. 

I recommend that athletes place their gear and equipment at their spot in transition in the order that they are going to be using it in the race. So if we use triathlon as an example, I recommend that athletes place their cycling shoes closest to the transition aisle, aka place the cycling shoes first. Then running shoes should get placed behind the cycling shoes further away from the transition aisle. 

I recommend that athletes place their cycling helmet on top of cycling shoes with the outside of the helmet touching the shoes and the strap unsecured and hanging outside of the helmet. This allows the athlete to put the helmet directly on their head and secure it very smoothly and very easily. Sunglasses or prescription glasses should be placed in the helmet in the open position. 

This allows the athlete to put the glasses on quickly before they put up their helmet. And obviously this is more important for athletes who actually need prescription glasses to be able to see. The race bib should be placed on a bib belt and set behind running shoes along with any hat or visor that the athlete might be using. 

And this allows the athlete to grab these items. So the athlete can be putting those on while they're running out of transition. They don't need to stand at their spot and do it while they're just standing there.

(17:35 - 19:16)
They can do it as they're moving because that saves time. If an athlete is using socks, I recommend that they place individual socks, don't have them balled up, in their individual shoes and then to have them partially hanging out so they can be easy to grab and then put on. And when you put your wet gear in transition after the swim, hang the wetsuit on the bicycle rack in the spot where your bicycle is. 

Don't put your wet swim gear on top of your other gear unless you want to have wet shoes and other things to go running with. Once an athlete establishes proficiency with the fundamentals of transition, there are some advanced techniques that an athlete can employ, practice and master that will help them shorten their transition times. These suggestions should only be incorporated once an athlete has mastered the basics of transition. 

Nail the basics, then worry about advanced techniques. If you're not good at the basics, the advanced techniques honestly are not going to help you no matter how glamorous they look. So a couple of common examples of advanced techniques are a flying mount and then not wearing any socks. 

A flying mount is where the athlete clips in their shoes to their pedals and then leaves them there while their bicycle is racked in transition. When the athlete then goes to mount their bicycle at the mount line, they start pedaling by putting their feet on top of their shoes and then they ultimately put on their shoes and secure them while they are riding. Another advanced technique is not to wear socks for the race. 

Many, many, many multi-sport athletes will cycle without socks. That's not that uncommon, but it's slightly less common for athletes to run without socks, mostly due to the increased risk of blisters in running compared with cycling, but many athletes do train to run without socks so that they can eliminate that time that it takes to put socks on in transition. Transition is an important part of a multi-sport event and athletes would do well to treat it with the same reverence and respect that they show the other disciplines of their training.

(19:16 - 20:09)
With thoughtful planning and practice, transition can help athletes have smooth, strong, and fast multi-sport races. That was another episode of the Full Circle Podcast. Subscribe to the Full Circle Podcast wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. 

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Please send us an email at podcast at fullcircleendurance.com or visit us at fullcircleendurance.com backslash podcast. To find training plans, see what other coaching services we offer, or to join our community, please visit fullcircleendurance.com. I'm Coach Laura Henry. Thanks for listening.