How to Find the Best Triathlon for You

Written by

lisa-norden

Looking for a race or guidance on how to even look for a race? Check these online resources before choosing your next triathlon.

ACTIVE.com

The best resource is right in front of you. ACTIVE.com is great for finding and registering for triathlons in your area  and across the country—from sprints to IRONMANs.

USA Triathlon

You'll need a USA Triathlon membership to race in the majority of races in the U.S. If you plan on racing in three or more events in a year, it makes sense to buy an annual membership. And, USA Triathlon lists events—regional and national—on their website.

International Triathlon Union

If you want to race internationally and make a vacation out of your multisport experience, visit the ITU web site. The international governing body for the sport has plenty of informative resources, and among them is a race calendar. For each stop on the pro World Cup circuit, an age group event is also available.

IRONMAN Website

If you're a long-course athlete—or an aspiring one—check out the IRONMAN website for a list of events for the current and coming year. But be quick: 140.6 and 70.3 events can fill up months or even a year ahead of time.

Trifind.com

One of the more robust sites that lists triathlons by state  and then displays events in date order is Trifind.

Trimapper

Another valuable online resource for triathlon calendars listing events worldwide is Trimapper . This resource lists races hosted by ITU, IRONMAN, Challenge and some smaller event series, as well as one-off events, all in one place.

Facebook Groups

Pathetic Triathlete Group  on Facebook is  active in discussing the merits of eating Oreo cookies, naming bikes and discussing race details. This group has even created a custom tri kit so members can easily identify each other at races.

Ask Friends

One of the best resources for finding your perfect race is to ask friends. And ask the hard question: Was the overall race experience worth the entry fee?

READ THIS NEXT: Which Triathlon Distance Is Right for You?