Triathlon Triumph is the national outdoor triathlon championship.
Why have we been waiting for 2017?
By 2017 we had already held many competitions for amateur and professional athletes. But they were either swimming, cycling or marathons. In a word, people were asking us to combine all the sporting events into one triathlon event.
By that time, we were already technically equipped for holding a triathlon event. Moreover, we had an approximate list of triathletes, as the Sporter Club was working and training amateurs, who afterward participated in our events. We only had to choose the location where we could hold all three stages: swimming, cycling and running.
In addition, Moldova has already held a triathlon competition, only it was indoor, not outdoor. And people really wanted it. Let’s do it then!
The only location that seemed suitable for the competition was the Valea Morilor lake. Good accessibility, adequate water and a running area. The bike course was a bit more complicated. In Chisinau it’s a bit hard to handle long distances.
Preparation
We actually knew how to organize an outdoor triathlon, as we had enough experience in individual events. Besides, most of the organizers had already participated in triathlons abroad. They had a good chance to learn things 🙂
The most difficult thing, which we had to think about very carefully, was the transit zones. We had conducted running, swimming and cycling competitions, but transition (the area where all the participants’ clothes and bikes are kept) was not something we had to deal with before.
In addition, we had to teach participants not to waste time in transitions (lifehacks) and not to gain penalty time there. In short, we made a lot of videos with useful instructions.
We also bought a red carpet for the entrance to the transition. Splendid!:)
Participants could choose one of two distances available: “olympic” (1,5 km in water, 40 km bike and 10 km run) and “super sprint” (400 m in water, 10 km bike and 2,5 km around the Valea Morilor lake). They also had an option to participate separately and in relay as a team.
We feared that people would be afraid to swim in the Valea Morilor lake. Even though the beach was open there, people didn’t actively participate in swimming. And now there is going to be the competition. In addition, participation in wetsuits was not allowed because of the water temperature. In short, we had suspicions that because of the swimming stage, some competitors might drop out.
The day before the event, we held a meeting with the participants, held another detailed briefing with answers to questions, showed them the transition, and some people dropped off their equipment. At this point we wished each other good luck and left.
Conduct
We held the first edition of the Outdoor Triathlon on 25 June 2017. We had very good weather that day.
All our fears were not justified – all 150 participants took the start. The Valea Morilor lake turned out to be an excellent place for such competitions – nobody got sick, died or maimed themselves 🙂
Participants came with their families and while some participated, the rest of them were supporting them or sunbathing on the beach.
I really don’t have anything to say in the way of problems, misunderstandings or obvious failures during the preparations because they were lacking. Well done 🙂
Judging by the reviews on the net and what I was told in person, everything went very well.
By the way, my team named “The Three Musketeers” got bronze in the overall ranking – an honorable third place!:)
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Triathlon Triumph 2018
On 17 June 2018, we held our second Triathlon Triumph Championship 2018. Same place, same distances, but this time a larger number of participants – 250 people.
As part of the Triathlon Triumph 2018 championship, we also held the children’s outdoor triathlon competition, which was the first of its kind in the history of Moldova.
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Not only athletes from Moldova, but also guests from Ukraine, Romania and USA took part in the Triathlon Triumph 2018 championship. That’s the way our sporting event got an international dimension.
The coordinated work of the organizers and volunteers allowed us to hold the championship at a high level. As well, the support of friends, staff and participants of the event perfectly motivated the athletes.
We hope that triathlon championships in Moldova will make it possible to raise and educate athletes who will worthily represent our country in international competitions abroad.
