5 triathlons to do when you get bored with city marathons
Some people are extrme, really extreme. I am personally still at the city marathon phase, as I want to do one under 3 hours before moving on to other endurance events. Some of you still will find that too boring or already have done many. There also the ones who are collecting marathons and ticking them off to the magic 100. I bow to those people, because that means 2 marathons each year for 50 years. For everybody else who wants to stay extreme, but also have some change, here are some triathlons to consider.
Escape from Alcatraz triathlon
By far the coolest triathlon I found so far is the escape from Alcatraz triathlon. I have been to San Francisco and it is a beautilful place. After hiring a mountain bike I explored the presidio which is also part of this course. This triathlon has only 2.000 slots and is very hard to get into, but I can imagine as the boston marathon a goal worthwhile to strive towards.
Ironman in nice
If you are on the mainland europe and want to have some nice wine after your triathlon, consider the ironman in Nice. The area is great and the biking part will take you through 5.000 feet of climbing. Together with my girlfriend I stayed in the south of France once and if you have not done this journey, it is definetly worth a trip.
Laguna Phuket Triathlon
If you are in Asia Pacific and used to tropical conditions you might want to do the triathlon in Phuket, Thailand. For Europeans it is also a great opportunity to test your current status off season, as this race takes place in November. In addition you will cross the finishing line and see this little darling.
Abu Dhabi triathlon
With a prize money of 40.000$ the triathlon in Abu Dhabi is an interesting stop for professionals. Now, if you read my blog, I presume you are not a pro within reach of that prize money yet (if you are please leave a comment, i would feel honoured, anyone else, i feel honoured too, i do not get comments these days ;)), however the heat and dust make it a great challenge plus you get to cycle on a formula one race track. I personally just do not know about travel cost, but maybe I will win the next sales contest at my company and make a trip down there.
Ironman
Deemed to be the ultimate endurance challenge the original Ironman in Hawaii is the holy grail of extreme endurance. You can either qualify through a different event or enter via the lottery for a ticket. Started in 1977 as a challenge to find out who were the toughest, swimmers, runners or cyclists, the Ironman event came into being and pushed the limits ever since. Seemingly the fact that people are doing this on a volcano does not seem to bother them too much.
