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Transition has been called the “fourth discipline” of triathlon, and with good reason. In triathlon - or any other multisport discipline (such as duathlon, aquabike, or aquathlon) - time spent in Transition counts toward an athlete’s overall race time. Practicing Transition like you would practice any other discipline of multisport (such as swimming, biking, or running) can help you have a stress-free, smoother, and shorter Transition, which can impact your overall race experience and time.
Multisport, as the name implies, is a sport that has multiple disciplines combined into a single event. There are several different types of multisport events and races:
The term Transition actually has two relevant definitions (one as a noun, and the other as a verb) in the context of this conversation.
The first definition of Transition is a location within a defined boundary in a multisport event venue that is designated as the place where you can hold your gear and any necessary supplies for the different stages of a multisport race. Transition is not part of the course of any of the legs of the multisport discipline. (So for example, in a triathlon, Transition is not part of the swim course, bike course, or run course).
This area is sometimes called the “Transition Area,” “Transition Zone,” or sometimes it's just called “Transition”. You use this area as you transition from one discipline to another. Thus, you use the Transition Area one time less than the number of total legs that there are in your multisport event. For instance, if you have three legs (such as the swim, bike, run in a triathlon), you will use the Transition area twice, once in between the swim and the bike and then again between the bike and the run. Transitions are called by the numbered sequence in which they happen in a race. For example, the Transition between the swim and bike in a triathlon is called Transition 1 and the Transition between the bike and run in a triathlon is called Transition 2.
The process of moving through the Transition Area is also referred to as Transition in the world of multisport. Transition Areas vary pretty widely in terms of how they are designated and organized depending on a lot of factors, including the distance of the race, the size of the race, and the location of the race. Conduct in Transition is governed by the relevant rules that apply to a given race; in the United States, those are the USA Triathlon Multisport Competition Rules.
What athletes put in Transition can vary widely depending on the type of multisport event, the length of the event, and the individual athlete. That being said, there are some general commonalities that are good to ensure that one puts in Transition (items denoted with an * are required for multisport events that have cycling and/or running legs):
Out of all of these items, only three of them are required (a bicycle, a bicycle helmet, and a race bib). While the other items on this list are certainly very nice to have, they are not required per the rules. That being said, this list covers the most common items that athletes put at their designated spots in Transition. You may feel like you need more than what is listed here, but be wary of the temptation to bring everything plus the kitchen sink with you to a race. Transition is a very “Goldilocks” place where having exactly what you need - not more and not less - is best.
Athletes enter Transition and set up things at their designated spot prior to the race start. Some races (such as IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events) assign spots in Transition based on athlete race bib numbers. Other races (usually small, local, and grassroot events) have “open” Transitions where athletes may self-select their spots when they arrive at the race venue.
Athletes place their bikes in Transition on a bicycle rack. These bicycle racks can vary in how they look and function, but the most common ones look like A-frames. Athletes rack their bicycle on the bicycle rack by hanging it from the seat or the brake hoods and rack it in such a manner that the majority of the bicycle is on one side of the rack. At races where rack numbers are assigned, the majority of the bicycle must be on the number side of the rack. Some races require athletes to rack their bikes the day before race day; other races have athletes bring all of the gear they will need (including their bicycles) into Transition on the day of the race.
Once the bicycle is on the rack, athletes set up the rest of their gear and equipment on the ground next to the “down wheel” of their bicycle. The down wheel is the wheel that is touching the ground (or, for our shorter friends who ride smaller bikes, the wheel that is closest to the ground). If rack numbers are assigned, then the down wheel must be on the number side of the rack and athletes must place all of their gear on the number side of the rack. The amount of space that each athlete has to place their gear other than their bicycle is approximately 24 inches wide; the length of this space is from the front of the down wheel until the rack. An athlete cannot take over another athlete’s designated spot or interfere with another athlete’s gear or equipment by putting their belongings down in a way that spills over into another athlete’s designated spot.
At some point prior to the race start, Transition will close and remain closed until after the race ends. Once this happens, the only people allowed in Transition are race personnel and racing athletes.
Athletes flow through Transition in a very specific way. Using a Triathlon Transition as an example:
Transition matters for a lot of reasons. Since it is the area where you store all of the gear and equipment you need for a multisport race, Transition is vital to you being able to successfully complete the race. Simply put, multisport events would be impossible without Transition.
Another important reason why Transition matters is that your time spent in Transition counts toward your overall race time. My friend Kyle Coon just lost a triathlon in March 2024 by one second. ONE SECOND. Winning this particular race would have guaranteed him a spot at the 2024 Paralympic Games. So Kyle missed guaranteeing himself a spot at the Games by ONE second. He knew right after the race that he had left time on the table in Transition, and that if his Transitions had been smoother and slightly faster, he would have won the race and punched his ticket to the Paralympic Games.
While most of us are not elite athletes like Kyle, Transition still matters for all athletes, including beginner and age-group athletes. Over the course of my career, I’ve coached multisport athletes who have (very sadly and unfortunately) not met the time requirements of a triathlon. (When this happens, this is known as a DNF, which stands for Did Not Finish.) Three of these athletes have missed the time requirements of an IRONMAN by less than one minute. Having smoother and faster Transitions would have undoubtedly helped each of these athletes to be able to finish the race within the required time limits. So even if you are not competitive, aren’t an elite athlete, and/or don’t necessarily care about your finishing place or time, you don’t want to spend more time than is necessary in Transition. Doing so disrupts the flow of your race and - in a worst case scenario - could send you over the time limit of a race by mere seconds.
How big the race is - and therefore how big the Transition Area is - will have a direct impact on the minimum amount of time that you will be spending in Transition. Smaller Transition Areas can be moved through more quickly than larger Transition Areas. But no matter the size of the Transition, you should always be seeking to spend the least amount of time possible there.
There are several ways you can ensure that you have a smooth and good Transition and things you can do to improve your Transition:
Though it may seem obvious, one of the most fundamental ways for you to ensure that you have a smooth Transition (and ultimately a successful race) is to make sure that you have everything you need for the race actually in Transition. I have seen many athletes forget to put something important in Transition and it either severely compromises or ruins that athlete’s race.
All too often, athletes get focused on the “big ticket” items of their training and racing. For multisport athletes, this means that they often get really focused on practicing the main events of their race in training, such as the swim, bike, and run. But practicing and training Transition is just as important as training swimming, biking, and running. The common advice “Nothing new on race day” doesn’t just apply to gear choices; it applies to behaviors and strategies, too.
Athletes can practice Transition in training when they have bricks scheduled. A Brick is a workout that includes two or more disciplines (such as swim-to-bike or bike-to-run) with minimal time in between each of the disciplines. Brick workouts help prepare athletes for the unique challenges that multisport athletes face in racing where they must move from one sport to another in a single race while minimizing drops in their performance.
When athletes have bricks on their schedule, they can set up their own Transition Area and treat the transition in their brick the same as they would treat Transition on race day by practicing their gear and equipment swaps like they would be making them in the race. Even if athletes don’t have bricks on their schedule, they can commit to dedicating time to practice transition just like they commit to dedicating time to completing swimming, biking, and running workouts.
Like any other skill or discipline in endurance sports, consistency of practice breeds proficiency. While Transitions may look and feel complicated at first, they can feel smoother and more straightforward with regular practice.
Another important thing for athletes to do is to walk down Transition before the race begins. I recommend that athletes walk through the entire flow of Transition. To do this, they can start at Swim In, walk to their spot in Transition, then walk to Bike Out. Then, they should start at Bike in, walk to their Transition Spot, and walk to Run Out. Athletes are not permitted to mark their spot in Transition (such as with a balloon or brightly colored tape), so this walk down is important so athletes take note of any clear landmarks that they can use to find their spot during the race itself. When heart rates and adrenaline are high, it can be quite easy to get lost in Transition if you haven’t walked it down and taken note of where your spot is!
I recommend that athletes place their gear and equipment at their spot in Transition in the order that they are going to be using it in the race. Using a triathlon as an example:
Once an athlete establishes proficiency with the fundamentals of Transition, there are some advanced techniques that an athlete can employ, practice, and master that will help them shorten their Transition times. These should only be incorporated once an athlete has mastered the basics of Transition. Here are some common examples:
Transition is an important part of a multisport event, and athletes would do well to treat it with the same reverence and respect that they show the other disciplines of their training. With thoughtful planning and practice, Transition can help athletes have smooth, strong, and fast multisport races.
Laura Henry is a Syracuse, NY-based coach who is a USA Triathlon Level II Long Course and Level II Paratriathlon Certified Coach, USA Cycling Level 2 Certified Coach, VFS Certified Bike Fitter, and has successfully completed NASM's Certified Personal Trainer course. Coach Laura is passionate about helping athletes of all ability levels reach their goals and has coached many athletes to success.
She can be reached at laura@fullcircleendurance.com.
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