Who are the competitors?
Aquabike races are usually comprised of athletes who:

• Are strong swimmers and/or cyclists
• Enjoy cross-training for other disciplines
• Do not enjoy or have an affinity for running
• Have an injury that prevents any running or running long distances
• Love the multisport lifestyle

Chuck Graziano, who is the past chair and current member of the Age Group committee, a USAT Board Member, and an aquabike athlete said, “Aquabike is a rapidly growing segment of our multisport community comprised of injured and older athletes and of those who simply prefer not to run. As a coach, I frequently recommend that my athletes compete in Aquabike as a way to get 'race-specific' training without the pounding of the run. I look forward to the continued growth of Aquabike as a sport that allows people to race who might not be able to, and for to those who enjoy the unique benefit that Aquabike offers.”

Past research was conducted on discipline development where athletes have said the following about why they race aquabike.

“I love multisport and dropped out of triathlon 25 years ago when I couldn't run anymore. Aquabike offers an amazing opportunity to add purpose to my training and give me a taste of competition again.”

“These are great for athletes training for a 70.3 to practice.”

History
The Aquabike Series was a pilot program in 2005 that was brought to USA Triathlon by one of its members. Dean Peterson of Peoria, Ariz. Peterson had spoken with many triathletes that felt they would be interested in a format in which athletes could compete in the swim and the bike portions of a half or ultra-distance triathlon. He brought the idea to then USA Triathlon’s acting Executive Director, Mike Greer, who got the race directors to provide a course. Race directors then agreed to provide times and placements for these athletes.

In 2010, USAT initiated a stand-alone rankings program for aquabike. By 2012, there were over 3,000 athletes ranked in this discipline. Click here for more information on aquabike rankings.

Getting Started
Interested participants should visit the USA Triathlon Event Calendar for all USAT-sanctioned aquabike events in the United States.

Future
USA Triathlon sanctioned 368 aquabike races in 2013. It is an organizational goal to increase this number by 15% in 2016 to over 418 races. Athletes can help by:

• Asking your local race director to include an Aquabike wave alongside other events they produce
• Invite your fellow competitors to try an aquabike race with you
• Talk about your Aquabike race experience to others

What’s next?

• I want to SANCTION an Aquabike event.
• I want to LEARN of Aquabike races in my area.
• I want to SEE the Aquabike rankings.
• I want to SIGN-UP for an annual USA Triathlon membership.

Additional Resources

USA Triathlon Aquabike Related Webinars:

• The Pyramid of Open Water Swimming Success: How to Properly Prepare for Open Water Swimming- Steven Munatones
• Secrets to Open Water Swim Success- Catherine Vogt
• Optimized Swim Training-Ken Axford
• Taming the Imperfect Storm: Controlling Emotions During Open Water Triathlon Swims-Dr. Jeff Anders
• Improving Cycling Performance with an Indoor Trainer-Dr. Tyrone Holmes
• The Middle Leg: How to Ride the Bike to Maximize Performance- Sarah Haskins & Nate Kortuem
• Ride Them All: Brutal Mountain Climbs, Ultra Technical Courses and Fast-Flowing TTs - Darren Smith