How to do Triathlon on the Cheap

If you’re like me, I’m sure you’ve visited the Ironman website, scrolled to one that looked pretty cool and then DIED when you saw the $800+ price tag. Or maybe you were thinking of getting a new bike rather than the one you still had from high school only to find out road bikes can cost thousands of dollars??? How did cardio get so expensive?

A large blocker to the growth of triathlon as a sport is swimming, given many races take place in open water and very few people carry swimming past their elementary school days to do more than keep themselves from drown. That said, the most overlooked blocker are the significant start up costs associated with triathlon.

I came from the sport of running which is the cheapest activity you can do. All you need are running shoes and to leave the house. The incremental two sports of cycling and swimming ratchet up the price tag so significantly, that triathlon is almost a non-started when I can easily sign up for a road race.

I initially got into triathlon in 2018 because I wanted a new challenge and to diversify my activities. I was getting burned out and running around 35 miles a week as my only source of activity. I was only 25 years old when I first got interested in triathlon and the sticker shock was incredible. Here are my top tips to keep the prices more affordable for your early years in triathlon:

1. Buy Used

I purchased almost everything used until I became an established triathlete. I bought a used road bike and cycleops bike trainer off craigslist, cycling shoes off poshmark, and triathlon kits and a wetsuit on ebay. There are so many people that think they are going to get into cycling or triathlon only to find their interest shifting in a few months and that bike is still sitting largely unused in their garage. It happens all the time. Take advantage of heavily discounted and lightly used gear to start your journey.

2. Look for Volunteer 1 Get 1 races

Several race directors offer a volunteer 1 race, get 1 race program that gives you the option to support athletes in your community (take some notes) then race yourself in an upcoming event for a free or discounted rate. I did this with a local race and it was such a fun time to cheer on and support athletes. It also made me more appreciate of the volunteers at my race.

3. Participate in local races

It doesn’t need to have a big name brand to be a great race. Often the local races are the most fun and don’t have the same sticker shock as larger races. Just think – with a big name like ironman your race fee is also paying for their branding and marketing, advertising, promotions, etc. With a local race you are paying to race.

4. Use a big box gym to swim laps

I love the YMCA and LA Fitness for this reason. Both gyms have national membership options so you can swim even if you’re outside your home location travelling. LA Fitness is only $30/month and I use it for other forms of exercise as well. Check to see if there is a natatorium or city recreation center in your home town, because those are often subsidized by city governments and a great way to save on pool access.

5. Check resale sites and facebook groups

I’m a member of “Tri Girls Got Gear” and “SmashfestQueen Fanatics” which are just facebook groups where women resell equipment that no longer fits or that they are no longer using. I see bikes and gear there all day long. Facebook marketplace has a ton of options, and if you look in the offseason (late fall and winter) you may have more negotiation power as there is less interest in triathlon at that time.

6. Go for Grab Bags

My FAVORITE find were all the swimming brands have “grab bags” or mystery bags where you select a size and they send you any swimsuit color of their excess stock. You get a great deal (~$15-20 one piece) and if you’re not particular about the colors, it is often a very high quality suit. I get these from TYR, SwimOutlet and Speedo all the time. All of the colors have been just fine, you just need to know your sizes ahead of time.

7. Opt for Sprint and Olympic distance races

Especially if you are just getting started in triathlon, don’t be a goofball and sign up for a full distance ironman. You need to decide if you even like triathlon first. Save some money and time by trying out shorter and cheaper race lengths. If you enjoy the experience then you can build up to that longer distance in time. Also, the most expensive race is the one you never do, from injury or training, so sign up for what is feasible in your life commitments.

8. Sign up for races early, like really early

If I’m doing a triathlon, I mark on my calendar when registration opens up so that I can sign up on the first day when prices are as cheap as they get. Some organizations like Ironman do pricing based on volumes, so the first 200 people get the cheapest price, rather than by a certain date. Be mindful and ready to go when registration opens in the fall for a summertime race.

9. Buy last year’s shoe model

I’m very loyal to my Brooks running shoes. I also put in ~1200 miles a year running. I have come to terms with the fact that with the volume I run, I have to get new shoes every 6 months. New brooks are usually $120-150, but I’ve never purchased them at that price. I always wait for the sale or when new models are released and get them from Brooks directly or a retailer like Dicks Sporting Goods. I see more markdowns at the retailers than Brooks online, so it is worth looking around for your shoes and who carries that brand. Amazingly I purchased 2 pairs of $35 brooks last year and just kept one pair “on ice” until I hit the 600mi mark on my first pair.

9. Consider a USAT Membership

The day pass at one point was $25 and the year membership was $75. You can quickly do the math on how many races are on the calendar and if it is worth it to get the USAT membership rather than pay out of pocket an extra fee for each race.

10. Ask yourself if it is really necessary

You don’t need the lock lace shoelaces, you don’t need the rudy project helmet, you don’t need the bike with the built in hydration tank. Be real and ask yourself if this is bare bones or a luxury good for race day.

11. Visit your library

I didn’t know where to start on training for a triathlon. It is simple enough to train for a running race, but putting three disciplines together is a different story. There are a lot of free resources both in blogs and books. I’m a huge convert to my public library, because I have access to ebooks on my ipad using my library card AND my library does courtesy transfer to the nearest branch to my house. I reserve ahead and it takes 30 seconds to pick it up in person. I read through several books to get an idea of the training format before adapting my own to fit my schedule.

12. Budget

I bet you didn’t see this one coming! Just budget the expenses the same you would any other big price tag item. I had an excel spreadsheet listing all my needs and wants and priority ranked each item. Seeing the entire list in front of me helped to look for sales or new items posted to craigslist rather than mindlessly buying items.

Any other money saving tips you have for triathlon?

Check out Related Articles

9 Tips for Open Water Swimming

2021 Ironman Texas 70.3 Race Recap

Cedar Hill Triathlon Race Recap

Women’s Triathlon Suits for Every Budget