Everything You Need to Know About the London Triathlon

The yearly London Triathlon begins this weekend, running from the 6th of August to the 7th. One of the largest triathlon events in the world, the London Triathlon attracts over 13,000 competitors and as many as 30,000 spectators line the streets of the city to see athletes compete in one of the more physically demanding sport events there are. It remains a key event in London’s social calendar and a must-see event as competitors run, bike and spring pass some of London’s top landmarks and sights on their way to the finish line.

The London Triathlon currently consists of four types of races, with the ‘Olympic Relay’ being the most popular and favoured among competitors. The course consists of a 1500 m swim followed by a 40 km bicycle ride and finished with a final 10 km run towards the finish line. For beginners looking for their first triathlon race, the London Triathlon offers Super Sprint and Sprint races which have shorter distances, making the event truly open to all competitors whatever their level and commitment.

Triathlons are one of sports' most physically demanding and exacting races. No one is more familiar with the onerous demands of the race than Emma Moffat; an Australian Triathlon Olympian who won bronze in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. For Moffat, excelling in the Triathlon is a combination of exercise and balance, saying that “training for triathlons is very time-consuming, so you need to be organised and have good time management. I feel like this is also my way of life. The fine margins that are involved in the sport means that timekeeping is a key part of training and excelling during the race itself. Knowing how much time is spent on each portion of the race is so crucial that a GPS multi-sport watch is one of the essential items listed for all competitors to bring during the London Triathlon.

(Image Credit: Polar)

One of the most important requirements for a triathlon watch are the GPS capabilities. An accurate and precise GPS can provide athletes with the necessary information for tracking their speeds and the distance covered. As a sport that is won solely on the basis of whichever athlete crosses the finish line, accurate GPS capabilities are therefore a necessity for any timepiece. The Polar Vantage V2 might lack some of the more glitzy features of other sport watches, but it excels in providing some of the most accurate data for athletes. Featuring fluid touch screen navigation, the main appeal of the Polar Vantage V2 is the level of detail in the data it produces. The detail and accuracy of the data and statistics produced by the Polar Vantage V2 is unlike any other sports watch on the market and allows athletes to take their performance to the next level.

(Image Credit: Garmin)

For the more casual triathlete, the Garmin Forerunner 945 is the perfect smartwatch. Although not as data-heavy as the Polar Vantage, the Forerunner 945 strikes a good compromise between functionality and price. For the triathlete who is looking to accurately measure their training speeds and enjoy their race, this smartwatch delivers just that, providing some extra features that enhance any triathlete's training experience. With a battery life of 36 hours, the Garmin Forerunner 945 can be trusted on even the most demanding of training courses. Additionally, the smartwatch features a pulse oximeter, altitude tracker, a built-in map feature along with full wireless connectivity so all your training stats are recorded.

(Image Credit: Decathlon UK)

For the more lightweight option, you cannot go wrong with the Coros Pace 2. One of the most light sport watch options, weighing at a measly 29 grams. Although the weight of the Coros Pace 2 is eye-catching, the real attraction for the Coros Pace 2 is its amazing battery life that can last up to 30 days when in GPS mode or 20 days when in smartwatch mode. Although lacking in an interactive touchscreen, the Coros Pace 2 features plenty of sensors and trackers that are able to cover most essential running metrics to help athletes perform their best during training. The perfect lightweight sports watch that athletes will forget they are wearing as they run and train for the triathlon.

Whether you are a seasoned triathlete or just looking forward to watching the competitors on the big day, keep an eye out to see whether the competitors are wearing any of these sport watches at the London Triathlon this weekend!