Duathlon is a combination of running and cycling, formed by one run, a bike ride and a second run.

The event is timed from the start gun until the finish line, so the transition from run to bike (T1) and bike back to run (T2) are all part of the race.

Duathlon offers variety with your training and a different focus, balancing the needs of two disciplines. It also allows friends, colleagues and family to compete in an event where they may have different specialisations – either cycling or running.

The World Duathlon Championships are in Edinburgh in 2010, so the sport is looking forward to a much higher profile through the year.

Duathlon, like triathlon, competes in Age Groups, 5 year age bands that provide athletes of all ages the chance to be crowned a national or World Champion in their age group. 

Britain has achieved great success at world level in Duathlon see the page on British Duathletes

What do I need to take part? At the most basic level, a roadworthy bike and a pair of trainers is all that is required. While there is specialist kit available, for example shorts with padding for the bike section that you can run in, participating is the important thing, many people use mountain bikes or hybrids rather than racing bikes. As a guide, an average time for taking part in the Sprint Distance would be 20 min run, 50 mins on the bike and a second run of 25 mins.