The equipment requirements for duathlon are pretty simple – a comfortable pair of running shoes, a bicycle and of course a cycling helmet

The Cayman duathlon, an institution on the Cayman sporting calendar, will take place on 28 March. The event is made up of a two mile run, followed by a 12 mile cycle and closes with another two mile run.
 
Duathlon is effectively triathlon for people who do not feel comfortable swimming in the open ocean and is a good introduction to multisport. Although it might be more accessible than triathlon for non swimmers, the sport is every bit as challenging.
 
The event start and finish is at the rugby club on South Sound, with the run taking participants out along South Sound in the direction of George Town and back to the rugby club, from where the cycling leg travels down South Sound and out onto the bypass. The final run follows the same course as the first run, with the finish at the rugby club.
 
Participants can take up the challenge either as individuals or as members of a team.
 
Equipment
The equipment requirements for duathlon are pretty simple – a comfortable pair of running shoes, a bicycle and of course a cycling helmet. Although not vital, a pair of triathlon-specific shorts will be a great help, as they are comfortable to run in, yet prevent chafing while cycling. As for all the unobtanium wonder-bikes out there – yes, they do help, but a good pair of legs will always trump a fancy bike. Just ask Jerome Ameline, who set one of the best bike leg times in last year’s duathlon while riding an old ladies’ mountain bike he found in his attic!
 
Training Tips
Running after cycling is very different from running alone. Your legs are likely to be wobbly, which can make running very difficult. Train your body to get used to the transition from cycling to running by doing a short run set after a bike ride, called a brick workout.
 
Even better, try to put your running shoes on as quickly as possible when doing a post-bike run – any time saved in transition is free as you don’t have to run or cycle any harder to make it happen.
 
The winner’s podium:
The defending champions in the event are Jasper Mikkelsen and Caroline Heal. However, the fastest finishers tend to be from the team category, which always proves highly competitive as top runners and cyclists team up to vie for the top step of the podium.   WH