So you’re planning to attend a triathlon? Congratulations you must be a friend, co-worker or relative of a crazily fit person? Or maybe you’re casing the scene, trying to decide if you should take the plunge and compete? Or just maybe you want to see what all the fuss is about and attend a community event that more often than not supports a charity or non-profit organization? Whatever the circumstance surrounding your decision- congratulations you’re about to become an expert on multi-sport!

The first thing you need to know about a triathlon is it’s not the most spectator friendly sport. It’s all about the athlete, as it should be. Be aware: unlike soccer where you can physically see the game for 90 minutes or so, you will probably only see 10 to 15 minutes of the whole triathlon. Of the bike and run portions you’ll most likely only see one or two minutes, but you can usually watch the entire swim. However, even a short distance swim can get boring. Your athlete can’t hear you cheer, looks identical to everyone else and will appear to be making slow progress. That’s the effect of water; the buoys will look closer than they really are- this is a mind trick. The lead swimmer is gliding along at a fast clip, even if it looks like he/she is taking their merry time.

During lulls between the three disciplines golf will seem like an action packed sport! Seriously- if you’re only there to watch your athlete then be prepared for this. I advise bringing a book. You can carry it around with you, read standing up and it helps to pass time in between the action. I NEVER go to a triathlon without one. If you write, take pen and paper or a laptop. Bring a crossword puzzle-anything- just so you have something to do. BUT remember! Keep an eye out, you don’t want to miss that precious minute when your athlete darts into and out of the transition area.

Bring a camera. You can’t trust that the race photographer will get a good picture of your athlete- there are hundreds of participants for him/her to focus on- whereas you’re just watching your one special person. My motto is you can never take enough pictures and thanks to the glory or digital photography you can always delete the blurry ones. I advise getting a decent camera, one with a fast shutter speed or else you may miss your athlete altogether. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard people calling their cameras “a piece of junk” because the camera took so long to take the picture. Be aware that digital cameras typically take longer than traditional film cameras to take a picture and be sure to adjust for this. If you camera is slow you could try guessing where you athlete will be in a second or two and clicking before they are in the frame.

Many triathlons take place quite early in the morning, usually around 7.30 or 8. Your athlete will most likely want to arrive an hour or so before this. My husband and I usually aim to arrive an hour and a half before the race starts. This way he has enough time to collect his registration packet, get marked, set up his transition area, do a final check of the race course, get his bearings, use the bathroom (several times), don his wet-suit and complete a warm up swim. I don’t know how all athletes are, but my husband is so focused the morning before a race that’s he’s impossible to talk to and slightly stressed. Don’t expect your athlete to be all sweetness and light- they will be thinking almost single mindedly of the race ahead.

I mention the early morning start for more than one reason. I live in New England and here, at least, even in the summer the mornings can be chilly. There has been many times where I have been freezing at the start of a race and sweltering by the end. Learn from my suffering- pack a spare sweater, gloves, coat and hat. A pair of dry shoes in case it rains and some fresh socks. Then make sure you have a summer outfit as well. Being too cold or too hot will ruin the race for you, so be prepared. I once had to borrow my husband’s spare socks to wear with my flip flops! I didn’t come prepared and I looked ridiculous for it.

Another factor to take into consideration is the triathlon set-up. Some have only one transition area; the bike start, bike finish and run start all occur in one spot. The swim will be in sprinting distance, as will the finish and a spectator can watch every aspect of the race. These are the best races for spectators. However, due to area restraints amongst other things, quite a few triathlons will have two transition areas- one for the swim to bike and another for the bike to run. These will not be in the same location and you’ll need to plan how to get from one area to another. Sometimes the race organizers will arrange a shuttle, other times you’re on your own. If the distance is only a mile or two I’ll take my bike and cycle. This is good for three reasons: 1) it takes up time, 2) I get some exercise and 3) parking is often an issue at venues like this. Ask your athlete, or look up the race internet site, to see which set-up the race is and make provisions accordingly.

Some people choose to volunteer. Volunteering is a great way to be a part of the race, get a free t-shirt and stay busy. You can usually sign up to volunteer on the race web-site, or sometimes at the race registration. I have done my fair share of volunteering. The main reason I don’t always volunteer is because I am only there to watch my husband race. If I’m counting people getting out of the water, shouting at cyclists to dismount or guiding runners in the right direction, I’m not able to focus on my husband, take all the pictures I want or support him in the way I desire. The second reason I don’t always volunteer: my husband is fast, he’s normally one of the first to finish, and it can be literally hours later that the final participant crosses the same finish line. I want to spend time with my husband afterwards, but I can’t just stop volunteering. As long as someone is bravely out their tackling the course I will help. It would be mean and unfair to do otherwise and so I find it easier not to volunteer. That said, whenever I did help out I had a good time and I do recommend considering it.

My tips for a new triathlon spectator can be summed up in four words: PLAN AHEAD. BE PREPARED. If you remember this you’ll have a great time, there really is nothing else like it. Oh and give your athlete a good cheer, they deserve it!