Are triathletes better athletes than runners?

Mr Conundrum wrote:

I would think they would have to be better athletes because they are multidimensional.

Probably, but we will NEVER admit that.

yes

I have been both and every triathlete that was a good athlete in my experience was a good runner prior to being a triathlete.

trackcoach248 wrote:

I have been both and every triathlete that was a good athlete in my experience was a good runner prior to being a triathlete.

Yep. Same experience here.

I know I can pretend to be a running coach but I can't pretend to be a triathlon coach.

It seems like they should be, but they never are.

The best guys are great athletes, no doubt, but take a look at some of the guys winning local tri races. Google their names and see if they have competed in any straight-running events. You will find that most are like 38 minute 10k guys. Not bad, but nowhere near top of the class when it comes to running, yet they win the tris. I think the sport just attracts a more mediocre set.

I am all for tris though, more people should be doing them. Personally, I started taking a Masters swim class recently to cross train, great exercise.

So is a decathlete the best athlete on every team?

No, triatheltes have a more balanced level of fitness because they train in three different areas. But, that does not make them better athletes. I have been both, did tri's in my early forties when I could not run much or run fast, still had the fastest run in every tri I did, even better than the pro's, never finished worse than 5th overall in any tri. But, I was at my best when I was running well. Tri's are for the 2nd tier athletes, the best focus on one sport because they can, the rest try to mix it up.

Hairs wrote:

The best guys are great athletes, no doubt, but take a look at some of the guys winning local tri races. Google their names and see if they have competed in any straight-running events. You will find that most are like 38 minute 10k guys. Not bad, but nowhere near top of the class when it comes to running, yet they win the tris. I think the sport just attracts a more mediocre set.

Probably depends on where you live. Around here the tri guys can run 31-32 on the roads for 10k. Large metro area.

Results will vary.

Hairs wrote:

The best guys are great athletes, no doubt, but take a look at some of the guys winning local tri races. Google their names and see if they have competed in any straight-running events. You will find that most are like 38 minute 10k guys. Not bad, but nowhere near top of the class when it comes to running, yet they win the tris. I think the sport just attracts a more mediocre set.

You could make the opposite argument just as well. If runners were clearly the better athletes, shouldn't they be able switch and dominate the triathlons? Why don't we see scores of 2:20 marathon type guys going out and crushing records at Kona? I don't think triathlon has anywhere near the depth of international running, nor does it have as many opportunities to make a living as a pro, but if it were that easy for a B-level runner, it would be lucrative enough to make the switch.

I am a cat 3 level tri official and runner and I see more fat, non athletic people doing tri's than running events.

I think there are plenty of great athletes among triathletes, but there are just as many soft/slow jogger types doing triathlons as there are running road races... maybe more.

I also think it's harder to become a top-tier runner than a top-tier triathlete, though triathletes probably spend more hours training per week.

All being aerobic and non skilled activities....I say if you can run you can pedal a bike and you can swim.

Jerk.

The swimming factor is tough to overcome for many runners. If you didn't learn to swim or swim competitively as a youngster then it is tough to swim with the big boys. Body psoition in the water is learned at a young age, older runners swim lower in the water, heavier legs or whatever.

swimming is for fish, not bros.Bikes are for kids -

42k wrote:

I am a cat 3 level tri official and runner and I see more fat, non athletic people doing tri's than running events.

Fat is more bouyant than muscle. Fat insulates well while swimming.

In reality, equating endurance ability to general/overall athletic ability is a bit of a joke.

trackcoach248 wrote:

I have been both and every triathlete that was a good athlete in my experience was a good runner prior to being a triathlete.

I totally agree, I ran in H.S. and college, and was drawn first to cycling, and then triathlon due to running burnout. Granted I can't come near my p.r. on triathlon training, the cycling tends to make your legs pretty flat feeling, but it is easy to stay fresh by switching up sports, you can never be a good enough swimmer, and if you do feel like going out and killing yourself, a 7 hr bike ride will wipe you out, but you can get up in the a.m. and feel pretty good after, which in my personal experiences is not the case if you go do an epic trail run. So...

Triathletes= more rounded and not quite as fast until you get to the pro's

Runners= faster but more fragile due to lack of cross training.

Oh and, personally, I am in the minority, but I run with runners, bike with cyclists, and only swim with a masters swim club, I rarely if ever train with other triathletes because for the most part the are p**sy's.

Better yes, but not faster overall. You have to a bit of a tyrannosaurus --muscle-free arms-- to be a good distance runner. Tyrannosaurus arms will cause you to swim like what is called a rock-fish.