I raced my first triathlon and it was nothing like social media made me think
My first triathlon experience was nothing like I had expected. Before I took part in my first race, I thought I knew what the sport looked like. My social media feed had shown me sleek tri-suits, top-spec time-trial bikes, athletes slicing through the water at a rapid pace, and slim, lean physiques.
The morning of my race, a local sprint triathlon organised by BurntHare in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, I was filled with nerves. The fear of the unknown lingered in my mind, making me question whether I was prepared and whether I truly belonged in the sport. I had the tri-suit, but was this enough?
Standing on the side of the swimming pool for my race, I realised I’d gotten it wrong. The sport I saw online was only one small part of it. Here’s what I actually discovered…
You don’t need a tri-suit to be a triathlete
One of the first things that surprised me was how many people weren’t wearing a trisuit. As I stood poolside waiting for my swim start, I spotted plenty of competitors in regular swimsuits or jammers instead. Some wore swim caps, others didn’t. Most had goggles, but a few chose to go without.
Before race day, social media had convinced me that a trisuit was almost a prerequisite for taking part. In reality, there was a huge mix of kit. Given that a quality tri-suit can cost well into three figures, it made complete sense that many people had opted to race in swimwear and change before heading out on the bike. Seeing that was a reminder that you don’t need every piece of specialist gear to get to the start line.
I did wear the Castelli PR 3 W Suit and appreciated not having to change in transition. Looking around, however, it was clear there was no “correct” way to dress for a triathlon.
Not everyone swims front crawl
Thanks to my social media algorithm, I’d convinced myself that every triathlete swims front crawl from start to finish. The race footage filling my feed is usually hundreds of athletes charging into open water and disappearing in a sea of splashing arms. Admittedly, my first triathlon experience was in a pool rather than open water, so there was no mass start, but I still assumed front crawl was the only way to complete the swim.
In fact, the only time I’d seen breaststroke represented online was when the T100 Community Instagram page shared a post of Tana Ramsay competing at the 2025 London event. It stuck with me because it was the first time I had seen a breaststroke swimmer represented online.
During my race, seeing several competitors set off in breaststroke immediately and continue using that stroke throughout the swim challenged that assumption. Others even mixed the two strokes, switching to breaststroke when they needed a breather before returning to front crawl.
It was surprisingly reassuring. One of my biggest worries had been, what if I can’t front crawl the whole distance? Watching people swim in whatever way worked best for them reminded me that the goal isn’t to look like everyone else. The goal is simply to get from one end of the swim to the other, however you feel most comfortable. No one was judging how anyone completed the swim, and that was a far cry from the picture I’d built in my head.
Triathlon is for all people
This wasn’t the biggest surprise of the day because, working in the endurance sports industry, I’ve been able to see first-hand how much more diverse participation has become across many sports. Social media is slowly reflecting that too, although there’s still plenty of room for improvement when it comes to showing who triathlon is really for.
What struck me, during my first triathlon experience, however, was seeing that diversity gathering in one place. There were teenagers pinning on race numbers, children giving it their all at the finish line, and competitors in the 60-69 age category. Some athletes looked like seasoned racers, and many that I spoke to were also racing for the first time, just like me.
I also noticed how many women were racing. Looking at the results afterwards, the sprint triathlon had an exact 50:50 split, with 72 men and 72 women taking part.
Not everyone had the slim, lean physique that social media can sometimes make you associate with triathlon either. There was a real variety of body shapes and sizes. Seeing such a mix of bodies reminded me that, for many people, triathlon isn’t their entire identity – it’s a hobby they squeeze in around careers, children, social lives and everything else.
You don’t need a TT bike or aerobars
When I first told people I was doing a triathlon, one of the first questions I was asked was, “Do you have aerobars?”
No, was my answer. I had a road bike, and that was it. But it did make me wonder: did I really need TT bars? And if I turned up without them, would I stand out like a sore thumb, a complete rookie?
I understood why people used them. Triathlon is a non-drafting discipline, meaning riders can’t sit behind others to reduce wind resistance, so aerobars help athletes become more aerodynamic and hold a faster position more efficiently. But as a first-time triathlete, learning to swim efficiently, completing brick sessions and trying to improve across all three disciplines already felt like enough of a challenge – adding TT bars into the mix was one more thing to learn.
When I took my aerobar-free bike into transition, I was pleasantly surprised by the variety. Yes, there were plenty of drool-worthy TT bikes that caught my eye, but there were also road bikes with or without aerobars, mountain bikes and even a Brompton. For a sprint triathlon, completing the distance on different types of bikes is more achievable than in a full-distance event, but as long as you have two wheels and the motivation to give it a go, there is a place for you in triathlon.
You don’t have to do an Ironman
Ironman is one of the ultimate challenges in triathlon. I see people completing them on social media and following along with their races on YouTube, and the level of endurance required is incredible. Mention triathlon to friends and family, and chances are many of them will immediately think of Ironman, asking whether that’s the event you’re training for.
One day, perhaps. But as a complete newcomer to the sport, the thought of swimming 3.8km, cycling 180km and running a marathon is understandably intimidating. Even a 70.3 feels like a huge challenge at this stage. I also hadn’t appreciated just how expensive Ironman events can be – a surprise when your social media feed makes it feel like everyone is signing up for one, if not multiple races, every year.
Instead, I signed up for a local sprint triathlon. It was still a challenge, but one that felt achievable for my first event, giving me the chance to experience all three disciplines and discover whether I actually enjoyed the sport.
Looking around on race day, it was clear that everyone had different goals. Some people were chasing personal bests, others were completing their first-ever triathlon, and some were simply there to enjoy the experience with friends. No one cared this was not an Ironman event, and highlighted how many triathlon events there are out there.
I’m so glad I chose this event as my first triathlon experience – it gave me the confidence to continue in the sport. More importantly, it showed me that triathlon is far more accessible than I had imagined due to what I had seen on social media.
My main takeaway was that as long as you have the confidence to show up, cover the swim, bike and run in whatever way works for you, and cross that finish line, you’re a triathlete.
indiapaine
