So, should you do it? That's really the first question when it comes to winter triathlons. Believe it or not, there are some pretty valid reasons to try one out...

For starters, a winter triathlon is a great chance to race with lower stakes involved. Usually, they tend to be shorter distance courses, making them especially ideal for beginners or anyone wanting to give the sport a try. They’re also great for training races. Meaning, your time doesn’t typically count for any big race qualifiers so it’s a chance to ease into the race season and start to kick the off-season legs into gear. And perhaps best of all, the swim portion typically takes place in an indoor pool. For a lot of us, that’s a major win because open-water swimming is one of the bigger obstacles for most triathletes.

So, after weighing the pros and cons you’ve decided to sign up for a winter triathlon (or duathlon). And now you’re scratching your head, wondering what to wear on race day? We get this question a lot from women in our community. And the first thing we always say is: check the weather! 

It’s a bit annoying, but given that you’re racing in the winter when weather is typically less predictable and just… shittier, you’ll want to keep an eye on the race-day forecast. Is it going to be rainy? Blue skies but super chilly? Or even snowy (it can happen!). So, as a general rule: Let the weather dictate your kit. 

Out of curiosity, we polled our Triathlon Ambassadors to ask them what they would wear. A fair amount of our triathletes have raced the UBC Triathlon here in Vancouver before, or other similar winter duathlons, and know that weather can be your number one enemy in pre-season races. 

Interestingly, when it came down to it our Ambassadors were split 50/50 in whether or not they would wear their tri suits for a winter triathlon. 

Let’s break down the pros and cons of racing a winter triathlon in your tri suit, or not. That way, you can confidently choose your own adventure based on your unique goals, needs, and what Mother Nature's serving up on race day. 

Clearly, there are some very dedicated triathletes who will want to race in their tri suits no matter the weather. And they’re not all that crazy. A few things to consider: First of all, your transition time. Doing a full outfit change from a swim suit to dry gear will just take longer. So if you want to be faster, staying in a tri suit could get you huge gains by a factor of many minutes. Secondly, not every race has a set up where you can easily change after the swim portion. In which case, you might not have the luxury to do a full outfit change. And lastly, some people just aren’t that bothered by the cold and would rather the convenience of wearing an all-in-one kit to get the race done. That is what a triathlon suit is designed for, after all.

You might be one of these people. If that’s you, great. You can easily layer on a cycling jacket and cycling accessories after the swim as needed. Again, suss out the weather and layer accordingly. For instance, if it’s really cold, a hat under the helmet is really nice (trust us: you'll thank us as you ride). Neck warmers are always nifty too. And also a pair of gloves to keep your hands from getting frostbite. You'll never regret having these three key accessories on cold rides. If you start to overheat, simply stuff them in your jacket/jersey pockets or bike bag.

Rainy Day Tip: If it's raining, consider an outer layer that is water repellant, but that still breathes. You don't want to overheat while climbing hills, or sprinting to the finish line. 

Alas, for some racers, the cold is just… too cold. If this is you, then you’re more concerned about comfort on race day than losing time during Transition 1 (T1). You’ll opt to swim the pool portion in a swim suit. Then change into cycling shorts or tights (thermal-lined if it’s really chilly), add a base layer, and a jacket on top. Plus, whatever accessory you need depending on the weather.

A lot of beginner triathletes that choose this option ask us if running in cycling bibs will be an issue given that the chamois (aka bum padding) is thicker than triathlon suits? Typically, it’s not an issue because: 1) you’re running shorter distances (usually around 5-10km max). And also, 2) your cycling shorts aren’t wet. This is the key. Because you’ve changed from your pool swim into dry gear (or because you’re just doing a duathlon with no swim portion), the chamois won’t be water-logged for the rest of the race. So you can run quite comfortably with a triple-padded chamois right to the finish line.