Sometimes jokingly referred to as triathlon for those who cannot swim, duathlon is a challenging sport in its own right. Combining cycling and running, locals will get a taste of the sport on 27 March when the annual Cayman Islands Duathlon rolls around again.

Organised by the Cayman Islands Triathlon Association and sponsored by Genesis Trust & Corporate Services, the event combines a two mile run, a 12 mile bike and another two mile run, and is sure to challenge even the most seasoned competitor, while still managing to be accessible to purely recreational participants. For those who don’t feel up to taking on the whole event, there is also the option of taking part as a member of a team, focussing on just one of the legs of the event. A team can consist of one cyclists and one runner who will complete both run legs, or can use two runners, one for each running leg.

The event is set to start and finish at The Shoppes at Grand Harbour. The run course will take athletes along the quiet residential roads behind Grand Harbour, while the bike course will see competitors ride out along the Newlands Bypass and up Hirst Road to the first turnaround point before heading back past Grand Harbour to the second turnaround point at the Rugby Club on South Sound before returning to the transition area at Grand Harbour.

Although the top competitors complete the course in under an hour, most mere mortals will take quite a bit longer than that.

Registration for the event is available through triathlon.ky or caymanactive.com for $20 for individuals or $35 for teams. There will also be registration available the day before the race. However, in order to encourage participants to register early, online entries will be priced in US$, while entries on the day before the race will be priced in CI$. No entries will be accepted on race morning.

Body marking for the event will take place from 6am at the start in Grand Harbour, with participants being required to rack their bikes in the transition area during this time as well. Before the start of the event at 7am a race briefing will be held to reiterate the rules of the event.

Even those with no inclination to run or cycle can still take part in the event through volunteering to help out, whether with marshalling, body marking, or other duties on race day.

To volunteer, e-mail cita@triathlon.ky

Tips:

Find the right shorts:
Although regular cycling shorts may be very comfortable on the bike, running with one will make you feel like you have a full diaper. Rather go for a triathlon specific short with a little bit less padding. However, should you decide to do the entire event in a running short, you should be prepared for painful chafing.

Pace yourself:
Just because you are able to hang with the faster runners on the first part of the run does not mean that you should. Remembers that this is more than just a two mile run, so if you go out too hard early on you will have the rest of the race to regret it. Rather leave something in the tank so you can speed up towards the finish.

Train right:
The greatest challenge in a duathlon is running off the bike. Your legs will feel like jelly and make it very tough to find a rhythm on the final run leg. In order to prepare for the event, do a couple of training runs directly after a bike ride in order to get used to the feeling.

Quick transition:
The worst thing in a duathlon is seeing competitor after competitor come and go as you sit struggling to put on your running shoes. Some competitors will use elastic laces on their shoes to make the transition faster, but even training how to put your shoes on quickly can make a big difference.

Stay hydrated:
Even though the event starts early, it can already be very warm, so staying hydrated is very important. See to it that you have a bottle of water on your bike and drink enough during the bike leg. However, don’t overdo it, as the last thing you want on the second run is a stomach heavy with water, as this can be very uncomfortable and reduce you to a slow walk instead of a steady run.