FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS BANGALORE

The event does not restrict or recommend any kind of bike. The participant can choose the bike she or he is comfortable riding.

We recommend you to ride your own bike and be comfortable. Many athletes who are not going for a big win ride their mountain bikes, and your body position is a little more comfortable on a mountain bike anyway.

There are very few rules to the sport of duathlon, and they are all enforced for athlete safety and to keep the race fair. As a result, most rules are related to the cycling portion of the race, so we’ll go over them now, starting at the beginning of the race.

In order to keep the course relatively uncrowded, participants will begin the race in groups. Individual Category participants will start first followed by the participants in Corporate Team Relay.

Next, you must know and complete the entire course, this includes entering and exiting the transition area at the proper place. Cycling is not allowed in the transition area. There will be a mount line just outside the transition area, and the participants must run or walk the bike out of the transition zone and past that line before beginning to ride.<br>
Anytime you are on the bike, including before and after the race, you are required to wear a helmet and have it buckled. Any competitor who unbuckles his/her helmet while on the bike, or who mounts his/her bike with an unbuckled helmet will be disqualified. A good rule of thumb is to buckle your helmet before you take your bike off the rack, and when you finish cycling, wait until you rack your bike before you unbuckle your helmet.<br>
You must ride to the left side of the road, so that a passing cyclist can pass on the right. Riding on the right side of your lane is called blocking, and should be avoided.<br>
Other rules include no glass, pets, friends, family in the transition area, and no pets, baby joggers, ipods, or outside assistance allowed during the race.

Absolutely Not. They make a race very unsafe.

An ipod limits your ability to hear cars, other participants, and the instructions of race officials.

What to wear in a duathlon really depends upon the weather on race day. If it is warm, then shorts and a T-Shirt will do. If it is chilly, perhaps a jacket, long fingered gloves, or even tights might be required.

No! Having friends and family cheer you on and provide moral support is a wonderful thing. Having them help you with your bike, fix a flat tyre, or hand you food and water is a violation of the rules of multisport racing.

Duathlon is an individual sport, and each athlete must be responsible for him/herself for the duration of the event. The only assistance a racer will receive is from designated race aid stations or support. Therefore, it is a good idea for a future duathlete to learn how to repair a flat tyre.

The center of activity for any multisport race is the transition area. This is an area,that contains enough bike racks for all of the competitors in the race. Spots on the bike racks are assigned.

This will be “your” transition spot. When you finish the first run, you will come to this spot and retrieve your bike. When you finish the bike ride, you will return it to the exact same spot on the bike racks and begin your run.

After the race is finished, you can return to your transition spot and reclaim your bike.

Once you have picked out a spot for your bike, lay out a towel on the ground beside your bike, being careful not to invade the space of your neighbour.

Once your gear is in place, double check your bike to make sure it is in the appropriate gear for starting the bike ride.

Next, take a walk through the transition area. Find the entrance where you will come in after the first run, and make sure you can quickly locate your bike. A practice walk from the transition entrance to your bike will help you to locate your bike easily. Likewise, you will want to find the exit you will use to start the bike, the entrance you will use when you finish the bike, and the exit you will use when you start the final run.

Cycling is not allowed in the transition area. They will be a mount line just outside the transition area, and you must run or walk your bike out of the transition zone and past that line before beginning to ride. When you finish the bike ride, you will dismount at the line and run or walk your bike into transition.

You will rack your bike in exactly the same spot where you racked it before the race. If you use a brightly or uniquely colored towel to mark your spot, it will make it easier to find after cycling.

After the race, you can return to the transition area to reclaim your gear.

Thump! events are timed using timing chip system. Each participant will receive a small chip attached. Depending on the type of timing chip used you may either fasten the chip to your shoes prior or stick it to your running BIB.

The chip will automatically register your time as you finish each leg of the race, and when you cross the finish line. No chip means no times will be recorded.

Participants will also receive a paper bib number that must be worn on the front of the shirt, or on a race belt, with the number visible on the front when entering/exiting transition.

Duathlon relay teams are composed of 2 team members. One person is the runner, the other is the biker. The runner will begin in a starting wave with the other relay teams and complete the entire run course. The runner then runs through the transition area and transfers the timing chip to his/her biker teammate. The cyclist will be waiting in a designated tag zone.

The biker then completes the entire bike course, and transfers the timing chip back to the runner who is waiting in the same tag zone.

The runner now dashes through transition and completes the second run course, crossing the same finish line as the solo racers.

The runner/cyclist tag-zone will be clearly marked on race day.

Practice, Practice, Practice. we recommend alternating 100 meters of easy running with 100 meters of easy biking, so you can really focus on getting fast at making the switch. The pro’s can be speeding away on their bikes less than 30 seconds after finishing the run – there’s no reason you can’t too. And remember, the transition is a timed portion of the race that isn’t based on athletic prowess. You can improve your finish time faster by learning to make quick transitions than you can with an extra 10 hours a week of training!

Now, if you are just out to have a good time, there is nothing wrong with putting on gloves, taking a big drink and a bite to eat, and just catching your breath in transition. But if you are shooting for your best performance, there are a few tips that will speed up your transition.

First, rack your bike with the front wheel pointing out – that way you can just grab it and go. Next, unbuckle your helmet and lay it on your aerobars (if you have them) or the ground with the open side up and the straps outside of the helmet – that makes it easy to grab and put on.

If you practice, you can actually leave a pair of bike shoes clipped in to your pedals and slip your feet into them while you are riding. If this is your first race, however, just leave the shoes on your towel with the straps open for easy entry. If you plan to ride in your running shoes, that will make your transition that much faster, but it is true that cycling shoes are faster when you are riding. If you plan to race in your running shoes, that’s perfectly acceptable, though. Many beginning duathletes are happy riding in running shoes.

Next, think of the things you need to ride, and those you can do without. Top racers jump on the bike with nothing but the clothes they were running in, a bike helmet and glasses, and bike shoes.

Less competitive racers will pull on gloves and perhaps a pair of bike shorts over their running shorts to name a couple of items. Many will also drink while standing in transition, when they could be drinking from the bottle on their bike while cruising along at race speed!

So in a nutshell, practice, practice, practice – and think about what you’re doing while you practice.

• Wear your race number on the front. It makes it much easier for race timers if your number is pinned to the front of your shirt in plain view, and this is also how race photographers will identify you..
• Don’t wear extremely baggy clothing on the bike – this especially applies to nylon jackets.
• Remember, headphones (ipods) are not allowed in a multisport event, and you will receive a time penalty or be disqualified if you do use them.
• Have Fun!!!