Top 6 Triathlons for Children in the UK
Triathlons are a great way to get children involved in sports. They encourage teamwork and a sense of achievement. On top of being a fantastic form of exercise. In this, we will go over the top 6 triathlons in the UK for children.
Most of these events are a fun-filled family day out for everyone to enjoy. So regardless of if your participating or just spectating you can expect a good atmosphere from all of them.
There a number to choose from and all of these can be found on The British Triathlon Federation website. However today we will be going over 6 of our favourites.
So here is our list of the top 5 triathlons for children in the UK!
Chelmsford City Super Sprint Triathlon - Infinity Kids Triathlon
The Infinity Kids Triathlon is hosted by the Infinity Tri Club, based in Chelmsford. This triathlon has been created with the sole purpose of getting everyone involved with the sport no matter what age.
Infinity Tri Club is a family-friendly club, their philosophy is to help people of all ages participate in triathlons. This is so that they can make friends outside of their normal school and work schedules. Joining together for the love of the same sport.
Their Infinity Triathlon is open for children starting at age 8 and through to 15. This triathlon is located at Great Baddow High School and the swim part is in an indoor pool.
All age categories are per the British Triathlon Federation rules.
The categories are:
Tri-start (Age 8) - Swim 40m, Cycle 750m, Run 600m
Tri-Star 1 (Age 9-10) - Swim 80m, Cycle 1.5km, Run 1.2km
Tri-Star 2 (Age 11-12) - Swim 160m, Cycle 3km, Run 1.8km
Tri-Star 3 (Age 13-14) - Swim 160m, Cycle 4.5km, Run 2.4km
Mallory Park Children’s Triathlon
Mallory Park is host to a friendly children’s triathlon. The location is perfect for beginners in the world of triathlons. With an open water swim section, young athletes are always close to the water's edge. Relieving pressure off first-time open water swimmers. The road is also safe smooth and wide circuit. Making it ideal for spectators too.
Mallory Park is located in the Leicestershire countryside and the facilities it boasts are perfect for any triathlon athlete. The park is open throughout the year for training, with weekends being dedicated to family sessions.
The categories are:
Tri-start (Age 8) - Swim 75m, Cycle 1.5km, Run 500m
Tri-Star 1 (Age 9-10) - Swim 150m, Cycle 3.1km, Run 1.2km
Tri-Star 2 (Age 11-12) - Swim 200m, Cycle 4.7 km, Run 1.8km
Tri-Star 3 (Age 13-14) - Swim 200m, Cycle 6.3km, Run 2.4km
Woburn Abbey Triathlon
This triathlon is situated in one of the most spectacular locations in Bedfordshire. The Woburn Abbey Triathlon is located where the country house and the family seat of Duke of Bedford. With stunning views, this course is a fan favourite for most tri-athletes.
The venue has become an iconic scene for triathlons and boasts a fantastic family experience. With an abundance of nature and wildlife on top of those picturesque views.
The triathlon has been going for 11 years and has raised a staggering amount of close to £2.5m for its charity partners. The weekend is a fun-filled promise of sporting challenges, family fun events and charity fundraising
The triathlon will take you on a scenic route, starting with an open water swim facing the beautiful country house, then take you on the beautiful roads surrounding the Abbey.
The categories are:
Junior Triathlon (9-12 years) - Swim 100m, Bike 3km, Run 1km
Junior Triathlon (13-15 years) - Swim 300m, Bike 6.8km, Run 2.5km
Season Finale Triathlon by Human Race
Located at Dorney Lake, the Season Finale Triathlon is run by Human Race and this event is their last triathlon event for the year.
Human Race is a mass participation events organisation that specialises in cycling, running, triathlons and duathlons. Their events raise millions of pounds for charities and they work closely with sporting celebrities such as Gold winning Olympic athletes like Dame Jessica Ennis, Victoria Pendleton and Daley Thompson.
Human Race also runs the Woburn Abbey Triathlon as mentioned above.
The Season Finale Triathlon aims to give athletes one last chance in the year to participate in an organised sport. Open to athletes of all abilities, the course is flat and fast with times expected to be short. The event is open to the whole family, with racing opportunities for younger aspiring triathletes.
The first part of the triathlon is an open water swim in the famous Lake Dorney, with the rest on land taking you around the fantastic open space that is the surrounding area.
The category is:
Taster Triathlon Children’s Wave (11 years +) - Swim 200m, Bike 5.3km, Run 1.8km
Kidstri Triathlons
Kidstri is a collection of sporting events open to children between the ages of 8 and 14 years old. They have triathlons in 4 different locations throughout the UK.
These locations are Bognor Regis, Billingshurst, Horsham and more recently Brighton (Bri-Tri Children's Triathlon).
All of these events are open to children wanting to get involved in the triathlon world on a competitive level. With all events having an indoor swim event, which then transitions into a lapped cycle course and then a lapped run course.
Kidstri events are all chip timed. They also run charity fundraisers at the events to raise money for local charities.
The categories are:
Novice 1 (Age 8-10) - Swim 25m, Cycle 665m, Run 600m
Novice 2 (Age 11-14) - Swim 50m, Bike 1200m, Run 1200m
Novice Tri-Star Relay (Age 9-14) - Swim 150m, Cycle 2km, Run 1.2km
Tri-Stars 1 (Age 9-10) - Swim 150m, Cycle 2km, Run 1.2km
Tri-Stars 2 (Age 11-12) - Swim 200m, Bike 4km, Run 1.8km
Tri-Stars 3 (Age 13-14) - Swim 300m, Bike 6km, Run 2.4km
Youth (Age 15-16) - Swim 300m, Bike 6km Run 2.4km
Castle Triathlon Series
Last but by no means least is this series hosted by Castle Triathlon & taking place in the grounds of Castles all over the UK. Castle Howard in Yorkshire, Hever Castle in Kent, Cholmondeley Castle. One of the series is in Lough Coutra in Ireland and another at the stunningly beautiful Chateau Chantilly in France.
So stunning are some of these venues that they are hidden from the public and only visible to the on these race weekends. The rest of the year they are private residences to the families that occupy them.
These are great family days out. There is something for everyone. They have recently branched out into swim or run only events for the adults too. So if you are there with your children why not take advantage of the opportunity and have a go yourself!
Junior (13-15 yrs) - Elizabeth 1st 300m/8km/2.4km
Children (11-12 yrs) - Elizabeth 1st 200m/4km/1.8km
Why Get Children Involved in Triathlons?
Triathlons are a great way to get children involved in team style sports. With several triathlon clubs across the UK, they create a feeling of being part of a family. A family of athletes each with the same passion.
Team sports are a great way to teach children the importance of working together and motivating others to achieve their best. By being part of Tri-club, children will share experiences with other children outside of their school environments. Giving a sense of purpose and drive to younger athletes encouraging them to achieve their bests.
On top of this, there are amazing health benefits that come with getting children involved with triathlons. Those who compete in triathlons have greater stamina and faster metabolism, setting them up for a healthier lifestyle as adults.
We asked for a comment from a leading provider of sports tours for schools, Inspiresport, and they said:
“For P.E teachers, getting the children and young adults they teach interested in triathlon activities can be a great way to add more variety to their lessons. However, pupils may be reluctant to get involved in this sport for a variety of reasons. This can range from having a lack of confidence in their ability to do it well, or the simple fact that they don’t have role models that encourage them to participate.”
“As a teacher, you should be creating lessons plans that are inclusive so students of all ability levels can get involved and develop their skills in each triathlon activity. This will help them to build their confidence, and hopefully ignite a passion for these sporting activities in them. In addition to this, you should encourage healthy competition and bring attention to top triathletes (such as Alistair and Jonny Brownlee, Lucy Charles, and Simon Whitfield) for your pupils to look up to. Highlight their struggles and achievements and give them something to aspire to!”
So if you or your children are interested in getting involved with triathlons then we recommend the events above as a great place to start. Or if your already seasoned athletes then these events are a fun day out for the family on top of being a challenge!
And don’t forget to get in touch with us today for all your children’s custom tri-kit!