Last month, we shared the story of a triathlete at the T100 London who only realized during the race that he had forgotten to mount his pedals on his bike. That got us wondering: what are the most remarkable mistakes triathletes make during a race?
We asked the question across our social media channels, and the responses did not disappoint. Here are some of the funniest (and most painful) mishaps you shared with us:
- Trying to put on cycling shoes before taking off the wetsuit.
- Forgetting to take off the helmet in T2, and running 5 kilometers while still wearing it.
- Leaving nutrition behind in T1.
- Realizing just before the start that you forgot your cycling shoes at home.
- Pre-clipping shoes onto the bike – but accidentally swapping them (right shoe on left pedal and vice versa).
- Forgetting to wear the timing chip and not being registered at all.
- Accidentally pouring sports drink instead of water over yourself at an aid station.
- Taking the wrong turn on the bike course and ending up racing a Sprint instead of an Olympic distance.
- Arriving in T2 only to discover you forgot to pack your running shoes.
- Entering a crowded transition zone and being completely unable to find your gear.
Every triathlete has a story like this – sometimes frustrating in the moment, but often the ones we laugh about most afterward. Because if there’s one thing that unites us all, it’s that the sport is as much about learning from mistakes as it is about chasing personal bests.