I’ve now participated in 4 International Triathlon Union (ITU, the Olympic Organizing Cmte for our sport) World Championships. Not only is it kinda cool to say I’ve done this or that World Championship, the races themselves are very well run, and take place in great vacation spots. AND THEY ARE FAR EASIER TO QUALIFY FOR THAN YOU MIGHT THINK!!! (see below)
In particular, the Long Course races (3 k swim/120k bike/30k run) have a LOT to offer. First off, they take place in resort communities of moderate size – in 2017, it was Penticton, BC (former site of IM Canada), in 2019, in Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain (about 80,000 people, race located in the “Old Town” and thru the surrounding hills where the Vuelta has taken place). Next, they are part of a ten-day long Multi-Sport Festival, with Sprint Tris and Dus open to all, a cross triathlon, an Aquathlon, a long course Du, the LC tri and an Aquabike (same distance as the tri, without the run). More than a few competitors do 4 of these races, earning a Legends of Multisport medal. If you qualify for the Team USA in in the LC tri you can enter the short ones without additional qualifying.
Because the USA is a Big Country, with a large triathlete population, we get about 18 slots per age group, which are awarded at the respective USAT national championships. Read that again: EIGHTEEN SLOTS PER AGE GROUP. What that means in practice is that anyone 55 and older simply has to finish the race at the NC to get on the team. The NC is the half Iron distance race, MiamiMan, held in – duh – Miami in mid-November. https://www.miamimanhalfiron.com
So the team is big, and supported by on-the-ground USAT staff including masseuses and medical personnel, and stay in the team hotels.
Now, the other secret, is that even the younger AGs have pretty loose entry times. For men, 35-39, the 16th pl time is 5:25; 40-45: 5:40; 45-49: 5:30; and 50-54: 5:40. It’s actually a little tricky, because you are competing against those who will be in the AG next year for the slots. So it’s the top 39-43 y/o’s for the 40-44 squad. Here’s a link to the results from ’19 if you want to see if you might be able to make it: https://triregistration.com/TriResultsNewGrid-Org.php?raceid=2387
And, here’s a link to the USAT rules for team qualification: https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Triathlon/USAT-for-Me/Team-USA/Qualification
In 2020, the race will be held in Almere, Netherlands – easy to get to thru Schiopol Airport, major point of entry for Delta and other US Airlines to Europe. The even better news: both the Miami Man, and the ITU LC WC in 2020 are Pancake Flat! And if you simply can’t run, well, there’s the Aquabike!
Here’s a link to the Almere race: https://www.challenge-almere.com/itu-world-triathlon-multisport-championships-2020/
Now, take a minute to consider all this. Say you’d like to race @ Kona, but, really, you know you’re not going to qualify anytime soon. Say you think Ironman is really cool. ’cause it’s so long and hard – well, these races are really on the sane side of possibility; I’m a 12:30 IM racer now, and I did the last ITU LC WC in 8:45 or so – it’s good to be done by dinner! And, this is truly a world wide event – you are on course with people from all continents (there were a few Kenyans rasing last week, along with RSA, Egypt, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and all the usual suspects from Europe and Asia. Everyone is in a national team uniform. The crowds are big and supportive – they’ve been watching racing all week, and know the drill by the time the LC tri (the last race) comes up.
Impress your friends – go to the World Championships! Plan now for 2020 in Holland…