You’ve read our blogs on distances, disciplines, and how to get involved in the sport, but what about your kids?
This one is all about them!
In 2022, we delved into the world of Junior events. An opportunity for them to have a go at the sport we all love. We were also in a position to be selected as part of the British Triathlon North West Junior Series, meaning we not only were able to support children in their first event, but also those who already love multisport and want to compete too.
This year, in 2024, McA Fitness & Events are hosting 11 events (that’s 1 every month between February and December), 5 of which will have a junior opportunity.
Lets first of all have a recap of the different multisport disciplines.
Triathlon – “The famous one” – Swim, Bike, Run. This is the one that everybody wants to try. It’s the Olympic sport and what made The Brownlees world famous.
Duathlon – “The Dry One” – Run, Bike, Run. Ideal for those who don’t enjoy (read can’t) swim. Its also a great way to train for a triathlon, an opportunity to put you bike and run together in a competitive environment.
Aquathlon – “The one with no wheels” – Swim, Run. An Aquathlon is ideal if your bike handling isn’t great. Its also good for strong swimmers and a great way to work on running under fatigue after the hard first swim.
Aquabike – “The one with the bad knee”. Swim, Bike. Running has the most impact and therefore the most chance of injury. An Aquabike is an excellent choice for anyone with running injuries but still want to compete.
Junior Age Groups.
Junior race distances are based on age group. Unlike the adults, there is only 1 distance per discipline per age group and you won’t find a junior ironman distance.
The following information is based purely on British Triathlon race rules. So, lets take a look firstly at the different age groups, before we look at the distances permitted.
Age Groups are all base on the age you will be on 31st December on the year you are racing.
TriStart – The introductory age group at 8 years old. If you are racing in 2024 its for anyone born in 2016.
TriStar 1 – 9 – 10 year olds. For a 2024 event, anyone born 2015 or 2014.
TriStar 2 – 11 – 12 year olds. This is the age group for anyone born 2013 or 2012 for a race in 2024.
TriStar 3 – 13 – 14 year olds. If you are doing an event in 2024, you’ll be in this group if you were born in 2011 or 2010.
Youth A – 15 – 16 year olds. For a 2024 event, anyone born in 2009 or 2008 will race as a Youth A.
Youth B – age 17. You’d have been born in 2007 to race as a Youth B in 2024.
Junior C – age 18 – 19. For a 2024 event, anyone born in 2005 or 2006 will be Junior C participants.
These age groups are all regardless of the month you were born. So if you race in March and turn 8 in October, you would still race as an 8 year old because you will be 8 on 31st December.
Junior Race Distances
All distances below are the maximum allowed distances. This does not mean that all races will be this long and also means there isn’t necessarily a “standard” as there is with Sprint or Olympic distance events.
| Triathlon | Pool Swim | Open Water Swim | Cycle – Grass | Cycle – Tarmac | Run |
| TriStart (age 8) | 50m | 100m | 1km | 1500m | 600m |
| TriStar 1 (ages 9-10) | 150m | 200m | 2km | 4km | 1200m |
| TriStar 2 (ages 11-12) | 200m | 300m | 4km | 6km | 1800m |
| TriStar3 (ages 13-14) | 300m | 500m | 6km | 8km | 2400m |
| Duathlon | Run 1 | Cycle – Grass | Cycle – Tarmac | Run 2 |
| TriStart (age 8) | 400m | 1km | 1500m | 200m |
| TriStar 1 (ages 9-10) | 1200m | 2km | 4km | 400m |
| TriStar 2 (ages 11-12) | 1600m | 4km | 6km | 600m |
| TriStar3 (ages 13-14) | 2km | 6km | 8km | 800m |
| Aquathlon | Pool Swim | Open Water Swim | Run |
| TriStart (age 8) | 50m | 100m | 600m |
| TriStar 1 (ages 9-10) | 150m | 200m | 1500m |
| TriStar 2 (ages 11-12) | 250m | 300m | 2000m |
| TriStar3 (ages 13-14) | 400m | 500m | 3000m |
| Aquabike | Pool Swim | Open Water Swim | Cycle – Grass | Cycle – Tarmac |
| TriStart (age 8) | 50m | 100m | 1km | 1500m |
| TriStar 1 (ages 9-10) | 150m | 200m | 2km | 4km |
| TriStar 2 (ages 11-12) | 200m | 300m | 4km | 6km |
| TriStar3 (ages 13-14) | 300m | 500m | 6km | 8km |
Youth A (age 15-16) – Can participate in events up to and including Sprint distance.
Youth B (age 17) – Can participate in events up to and including Standard distance.
Junior C (age 18-19) – Can participate in events including Middle distance (age 18) and Long distance (age 19).