How much ?!! What might it cost to get into Triathlon

As a newcomer to triathlon, one of the things that first struck me was the cost of entering races.  My first race, which was a sprint distance, cost probably twice as much as the most expensive run event I'd entered.  Also, as I started to take advice and tips from experienced friends, I realised there was almost an endless list of kit that I could buy, some of which I would class 'nice to have' (Aero wheels), others pretty much 'must have' (e.g. wet suit).  

At around the same time, a friend pointed out to me a series of articles by a pro athlete, Brad Williams (https://www.bw-tri.com/) who was writing a similar series of articles, giving insights to the costs of being a pro athlete (income from sponsors, race placings etc.versus the costs of being an athlete). It made really interesting reading to get an insight into the finances of a pro athlete.

I can't imagine for one minute that reading how much a part-time age-grouper spends is anywhere near as interesting as it would be versus a pro athlete, none-the-less I thought it would still be interesting - and sobering - to see how much my foray into the world of tri had cost me...so far, without the 'benefit' of being able to offset any costs against race winnings and sponsorship.

As I mentioned at the start of this post, you could look at this list and think, in order to race, you don't need half of that kit - and you would probably be right.  After the 'must have' items, its all very personal what we choose to buy and spend our hard-earned on.  What I've done is just list out here what I've bought or had to spend on and the associated cost, on my way to competing in my first half iron man distance events.

Spend to arrive on start line of first half Iron Man

Listing everything out I was moderately surprised but not shocked at how much I'd spent.

My wife counted in every parcel and packet and reminded me 'something seems to arrive every day for you....what could you possibly need still'.  My consistent repetition about having to cover three sports probably lasted for the first week of deliveries but thereafter I was having trouble making up credible stories !!!  I guess the amount and range of kit you buy depends on a lot of things (budget, aspirations etc.) and any previous endurance sport background - so for example you might already have a decent bike and not need to buy another.  Although I had a road bike already, I had it built in 1997 and wasn't sure it was up to getting me round a half iron man which was my main goal.  My most recent history, before taking up triathlon, was running marathons, so I had very little run kit expenditure.

Also, it is fair to say I didn't buy a lot of this equipment just to do one half iron man.  Unless you are confident enough to select that distance for your first event, you will want to do some shorter distances beforehand, so a lot of this gear I had already bought and tried out beforehand.  But the intention was to buy equipment I knew would support me on the journey to my first 70.3 start and beyond.  So these costs above reflect an accumulation of spend over 18 months or so.

Of course, although I didn't realise it at the time I started, you can actually hire a fair amount of the kit you need to start racing, for example bikes, wet-suit etc. You could buy second hand off other triathlon mates you might have, given there are always upgrades going on. So again, where I have racked up a fair chunk of costs here, that is because I have bought everything new, but there are other options.  If you think Triathlon might not be for you, then used or hiring might be the way forward.  That said, when it came to a wet-suit, I just couldn't get over the idea of hiring a suit that someone had already used !!

So, what have I learned from writing all this down?  First and foremost, Triathlon isn't a cheap sport to enter, whether that is to cover the cost of the kit you will need, or from the expense of race entries.  Unlike me, you might want to take some time to consider some of the more expensive investments if you think your career might be short lived.  I just didn't consider that - I just went out and bought what I needed with no thought as to whether I'd like it or not.  That said, for things like my wet-suit, I did go in at entry level as I couldn't see how much better a £500 suit would be to my £150 version.  There were cheaper suits than the one I ended up with, but like I said, I wanted to try and ensure I bought kit that, despite being at the cheaper end of the scale in some cases, could serve me well for a few 'seasons' as I was convinced Tri would be for me.  Like any 'investment' it is worth spending time on some research and speaking to friends who are already racing and had to make these decisions.

Where I've spent money over many months on a wide range of things, kit, nutrition, race entry, getting to races etc, I quite easily lost track of just how much I had spent.  Putting it all down here is a timely reminder of why my Wife was so concerned every time the DPD delivery guy arrived at our front door and maybe gives some insight into the sort of money you could well part with over time.

Clearly, there are a lot of variables here.  I could have bought a cheaper bike, I could have bought one for thousands more.  I have not raced abroad, which itself, brings additional costs and expenses.  The bigger races I've done I've raced with a friend which cuts down on travel and accommodation expenses for example.  As such, you could well spend a lot more than I did to get started, or spend a whole lot less.  But, at least by looking at this list, you get some idea of some of the costs to be considered if you are considered starting out in triathlon.

Now I have got this kit though, subsequent seasons shouldn't be so expensive in theory, unless I cannot resist upgrades and sales (yes, I know, my wife is right, it is only a bargain if you need it).  But, seeing how much I have spent so far, I've a feeling that unless I start winning races and/or get sponsors, my buying might begin to level out for a while.....

I didn't put the list together to dissuade anyone from taking up Tri, more to give some sort of insight in to the sort of money you might part with as a result of getting hooked on the sport. I've probably missed things....like lake swimming for example, how could I forget that !  £10 per swim and from memory I had at least 4 or 5 before my first race and thereafter for ongoing training.  But at least here are some of the key things I thought were required to see me onto that 70.3 start line and to see them all in once place, reminds me of all the smaller items which don't compare to say a bike purchase, but do rack up to a fair amount over time.

After all the expense though, I'd not change anything.  I don't regret spending any of the above to take up Tri.  I love it and it has turned into a lifestyle, rather than just train and race. So, spend as much or as little as you want, go in fully aware, 'eyes wide open' to some of the outlay you might face, but whatever you do, don't let it put you off taking up this amazing sport, or carry on participating if you've already started.

I have no intentions of stopping and will still be 'investing' here and there when the opportunity arises !