Fatima,PT173,0026

Multisport Review
A multisport competition is a group of athletic competitions in which athletes race in a continuous series of
stages, rapidly switching from one athletic discipline to another, in order to achieve the best overall time. Most
multisport events are endurance races, consisting of aerobic exercise activities such as cycling, running,
swimming and cross-country skiing. With all multisport competition the time starts at the start of the race, and
finishes when the finishing line is crossed. The transition time, which is the time it takes to switch from one
sport to another, is also taken into account for the overall time. All multisport competitions cover a range of
distance categories to appeal to all levels of fitness and ability.
Multisports are associated with prolonged physical exercise both during training and competition. Many
multisport endurance athletes maintain their fitness out of competition season by training and racing another
sport. That sport might be running focused (5K, 10K, half-marathon, marathon), cycling focused (bike tours,
centuries, time trials) or multisport (cyclocross, duathlon, aquathlon) focused. Athletes in colder climates are
showing more interest in winter triathlon.
than the second. A duathlon is a real test of strength
General Participation and cardiovascular fitness. The cycling section is
Multisport participation has seen a modest overall non-impact, thus giving the joints a rest, but cycling
annual growth rate of about 5 per cent over the last still requires similar levels of cardiovascular fitness
five years. There are now more than 13,000 official and leg strength to running.
multisport events held globally each year. Sprint This sport is also often used by athletes during the
triathlon and duathlons remain the most popular; the triathlon off-season to improve their run speed and
longer the distance is, the more the difference is bike power. Events tend to be held in the spring or
between men and women participation. As the chart autumn so as not to clash with summer triathlon
shows, duathlon and triathlon standard distance are races. The sprint distance (5km run, 10km cycle,
more unpopular with women. 2.5km run) is ideal for novice athletes who are not
particularly fit. Athletes who exercise five times a
Comparison of Participation week with a mixture of cardiovascular and strength
work should test their stamina with the standard
100% distance (10km run, 40km cycle, 5km run).
80%
60% Triathlon
40%
Triathlon is an endurance contest that begins with
20% swimming, followed by cycling, and ending with
0% running. Few things are more physically exerting
Duathlon Duathlon Triathlon Triathlon than a triathlon which puts almost every part of the
Sprint Standard Sprint Standard body under immense pressure. The main triathlon
season runs from May until September. Many clubs
Man Women
offer taster sessions for people interested in taking
up the sport.
A recent survey reports that respondents not only
expect to continue their multisport participation but Competitors new to multisport are advised to start
most will increase the number of races in which they with a super-sprint triathlon (400m swim, 10km
compete. The age groups 35-39 and 40-44 have seen bike, 5km run). A more challenging race is sprint or
the greatest growth and this is likely to continue as middle distance race which include a swim of up to
those in these age groups look for new outlets of 1km, a bicycle ride of up to 25km, and a run of up
participation and fitness. to 5km. Championship distance is a 1.5km swim,
followed by a 40km cycle, rounded off with a 10km
Duathlon run. The top men typically finish in about 1 hour 50
minutes and the women in just over 2 hours. The
A duathlon is a multisport competition consisting of one-day triathlon that covers the longest distance is
running and biking which can be contested on the Full Ironman which covers a total of 140 miles
almost any terrain, although it usually takes place from start to finish and takes serious dedication and
on tarmac. The usual format is run-bike-run, starting training. There is a 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride
with a run, then transition to the bike, then transition and a 42.195km mile run. Competitors have up to
back to running again. The first run is usually longer
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Fatima,PT173,0026

17 hours to complete all three elements but top competitors shun their use because of the additional
performers finish in less than 9 hours. weight. The final event of winter triathlon is cross-
country skiing. Courses are usually 8-12k in length
Aquathlon and are contested on groomed Nordic ski trails.
Classic or freestyle skating techniques are allowed
Aquathlon is one of the simplest and most with most serious competitors using freestyle
accessible forms of multisport. It consists of a technique as it is faster. Most race courses involve
continuous, two-stage race involving swimming multiple laps of each stage to enhance the spectator
and running, or three legs with a swim sandwiched experience.
between two run segments. The order is not rigid,
although it is a lot easier to swim first and then run. Winter triathlon World Championship races have
It is an excellent way for novice athletes to enter been held since 1997 and it is hoped that it will
multisport competition, and for experienced become an Olympic sport in the future. However
triathletes to add something different to their there are concerns over future venues for winter
training routines. Both running and swimming are sporting events. Global warming has created:
also very healthy methods of exercise which can be  warmer winter temperatures
tailored to a range of physical conditions, so
competing in an aquathlon can also be a way to have  reduced snowfall
fun while getting fit.  thinner lake ice
Competitions take place all year round and have  shorter snow seasons
become very popular among athletes at a wide range
of experience levels. It is not uncommon to see a  increased risk of natural hazards
range of distances in one race to cater for various  more extreme events such as avalanche and
levels of fitness and experience. Standard warm landslides.
water distances are 2.5km run, 1000m swim, 2.5km
Greenhouse gases emitted since the beginning of the
run. If the water temperature is below 22°C then it
Industrial Revolution have so far warmed the world
becomes a wetsuit-mandatory 1000m swim and a
by about 1ºC on average. This effect has been more
single 5km run. Long course distances are 2000m
pronounced in the Alps, the mountain range most
swim and 10km of running. Where the water
visited for winter sports, which has warmed by
temperature is low (around 16°C) the course may be
about 2ºC. This is starting to affect the snow and ice
shortened or possibly cancelled. The running stage
in winter which will have profound consequences
may take place on trails, beaches, or tracks, while
for the winter sports industry. In terms of hosting
the swim stage is competed in open water
winter sporting events, even if emissions are cut to
environments or swimming pools.
meet the target of the Paris climate agreement of
2015, only 13 of 21 former hosts would be cold
Winter Triathlon enough to hold winter sports in 2050. This number
Winter triathlon is a would drop to just 8 by 2080. The future of winter
multisport event sports for most regions is under threat this century
involving running, unless timely action is taken to reduce global
mountain biking and warming.
cross-country skiing (also
known as langlauf). The
disciplines are all
performed on snow as much as possible. Course
distances depend on the snow conditions and are set
on the day of the event to achieve a winning time of
around 80–90 minutes.
The running is contested on hard-packed snow
courses with distances ranging from 5-9k. Racers
typically wear normal running shoes or cross-
country spikes. The mountain bike leg is held on
packed ski trails for a distance of 10-15k.
Competitors ride standard racing mountain bikes,
often equipped with relatively wide tyres run at low
pressures. Tyres with spikes are legal but most
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