Aquathlon
Encyclopedia
The sport of aquathlon consists of a continuous, two-stage race involving swimming followed by running
. The International Triathlon Union
(ITU) and its member federation organizations sanction competitions and govern the sport. An aquathlon is also called an "aquathon." The ITU and USA Triathlon
sanctioning organizations generally use the term aquathlon.
is similar to an aquathlon in that both include swimming and running. But swimming and cross-country running are only two of the five events which make up the modern pentathlon, and these are held as distinct, noncontiguous events. Within the penthathlon sport the term biathle
is also used for (training) races comprising swimming and running. These however contain distance stemming from pentathlon races, for instance 200m swimming 3 km running.
Aquathlon in general follows triathlon distances. For instance 1 km swim - 5 km run at the 2004 world champs in Queenstown, or 2.5 km run - 1 km swim - 2.5 km run in Lausanne 2006. However, distances vary depending upon the race venue and race director.
Aquathlons are most similar to triathlons, with the key difference being the lack of a cycle leg. Another sport derived from triathlon is duathlon
, which combines cycling and running but has omitted the swimming part. Holding an aquathlon rather than a triathlon can be an attractive option for a race director because:
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
. The International Triathlon Union
International Triathlon Union
The International Triathlon Union or ITU is the international governing body for the multi-sport disciplines of triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and other nonstandard variations...
(ITU) and its member federation organizations sanction competitions and govern the sport. An aquathlon is also called an "aquathon." The ITU and USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon is the national governing body for the multisport disciplines of triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and winter triathlon in the United States. USA Triathlon is a member federation of the U.S...
sanctioning organizations generally use the term aquathlon.
History
Aquathlons have been around in various forms since the early 20th century in ocean lifeguard competitions. The National Surf Lifesaving Association of America, formed in 1965, held its first national competition that year and the events included a run-swim-run. The modern international standard lifeguard distance is 400 meter run - 400 meter swim - 200 meter run.Overview
Modern pentathlonModern pentathlon
The modern pentathlon is a sports contest that includes five events: pistol shooting, épée fencing, 200 m freestyle swimming, show jumping, and a 3 km cross-country run...
is similar to an aquathlon in that both include swimming and running. But swimming and cross-country running are only two of the five events which make up the modern pentathlon, and these are held as distinct, noncontiguous events. Within the penthathlon sport the term biathle
Biathle
Biathle or Modern biathlon is a sub-sport of modern pentathlon invented to create opportunities for training the run and swim parts of pentathlon in real race conditions. It can also be seen as a sport in its own right. It bears close resemblance to aquathlon which also contains swimming and...
is also used for (training) races comprising swimming and running. These however contain distance stemming from pentathlon races, for instance 200m swimming 3 km running.
Aquathlon in general follows triathlon distances. For instance 1 km swim - 5 km run at the 2004 world champs in Queenstown, or 2.5 km run - 1 km swim - 2.5 km run in Lausanne 2006. However, distances vary depending upon the race venue and race director.
Aquathlons are most similar to triathlons, with the key difference being the lack of a cycle leg. Another sport derived from triathlon is duathlon
Duathlon
Duathlon is an athletic event that consists of a running leg, followed by a cycling leg and then another running leg in a format bearing some resemblance to triathlons. The International Triathlon Union governs the sport internationally....
, which combines cycling and running but has omitted the swimming part. Holding an aquathlon rather than a triathlon can be an attractive option for a race director because:
- It reduces race logistics by removing one of the legs from a triathlon.
- It reduces the amount of space needed to hold a race limiting it to a rather small and manageable area. Bicycling often takes up the largest area of the three legs of a triathlon making it, in a practical sense, the most difficult leg for a race director to manage.