There was a huge turnout for the Duathlon training session, with over 100 people turning up on a wet night in the Phoenix Park. It was great to see so many women getting ready to try their first Duathlon, as well as the usual contenders from 3dtri, pulse tri, t3 tri, belpark tri, piranha and activmultisport. Here’s a selection of the questions asked last night to the coaches Mick Bolger and Brian Crinion.

phoenix-park-duathlon-run-training
Shoes for the bike?
About 30% (and most beginners) use the same runners on the run and bike, so they don’t change shoes. In fact people like Art MacManusa have won the race wearing just runners, as he felt that it saved time in transitions.
What Bike should I use?
Most people use normal road racing bikes, but there have been Dublin Bikes racing in the past. It’s really only about 20% of competitors who have full triathlon bikes, with special tri handlebars.
What Shorts are best?
The best option is to use tri shorts. These are like bike shorts, but the padding is less bulky, so it makes it easier to run. Running in bike bib shorts, feels a bit like running with a nappy on!!!
Cycle course length?
Each lap is approx 4km or 3.94km according to the MayMyRide image here. So the 3 lap cycle course is just under 12km.

duathlon-cycle-course-phoenix-park
Sign-on time?
There will be sign-on in Runways Store on Parnell street on Sunday from 1pm up until 2pm on Wednesday. There will also be sign-on at the start on Wednesday, but you should aim to be at the start before 6:30pm to avoid the rush.
Competitor standard?
All standards are catered for with three starts 7:15pm fast, 7:30pm intermediate and 7:45pm beginner. You will see in the May event that the 7:45pm beginner start is the largest, but by the August Duathlon the beginners start will be the smallest.
Will the white poles be removed?
Yes, the Park Rangers remove the white poles the white poles on the cycle course at about 6pm, so you can practice on the cycle course before the start.
Number of competitors?
There’s 225 registered so far and we typically get about 250 to 300 on the night, but there does seem to be a lot more interest this year and if entries exceed 400 we’ll introduce a 4th start at 8pm. The Runways Duathlon series is the largest series in Ireland or the UK and it doesn’t look like it will stop growing.
Any more questions?
Just pop your question in the form below.