Duathlon Transitions — Why They Matter

Transitions — switching from run → bike, then bike → run — are part of your race time. Being organised, practiced and calm during them can save you precious seconds or even minutes.

Even if you’re new to multisport, good transitions are learnable. Being prepared can give you an edge on race day.

How to Prepare Your Transition Zone

• Keep it simple. Limit what you bring to essentials: running shoes/kit, bike shoes/gear, helmet, nutrition/hydration — the fewer items you bring, the fewer distractions and errors. 

• Visualise and walk the flow before racing. Arrive early if possible. Walk the path from run-in → bike-out, and from bike-in → run-out. Note landmarks or visual cues so you can find your bike and gear under race-day pressure.

• Leave your bike in a sensible gear. Avoid odd gear choices that make mounting or starting hard — this smooths your exit.

Practise Your Transitions — Make Them Second Nature

Before race day, go through the key movement patterns several times so they feel automatic:

• Practice putting on/off your helmet, cycling shoes, running shoes, race belt etc. 

• Do “mock transitions”: set up your bike and gear at home (or a quiet spot), then simulate a full run-to-bike then bike-to-run swap. This builds muscle memory so you don’t overthink on race day.

Race-Day Transition Strategy

T1 (Run → Bike)

• As you finish the first run, mentally rehearse your plan: visualise where your bike is, what you need to grab first.

• On arrival, put on your helmet, remove run shoes (don’t discard them — you’ll need them again) and put on your bike shoes (unless you have them on your bike). Grab your bike and go — smoothly, not frantically.

T2 (Bike → Run)

• About 400 m before dismount: begin to mentally prepare for transition. 

• Perform a controlled dismount — either stop and dismount, or execute a moving dismount if you’re confident. Rack bike, remove bike shoes and helmet, put on run shoes and head to 'run out'.

Pre-Race Transition Checklist

• Lay out only essential items — keep gear minimal for fast transitions.

• Pack gear in the order you’ll use it: shoes, helmet, bike, nutrition etc.

• Do a walk-through of transition area, and mentally rehearse run-in / bike-out / bike-in / run-out paths.

• Practice transitions multiple times ahead of the race — at home, on the road, or in training.