Beginners FAQ

The basics for beginners are the normal equipment you might use for each individual sport i.e. swim costume, cap, goggles, bike and cycling helmet (mandatory) and shorts/leggings. Remember that transitions are part of the race so if you can avoid too much clothing change, you can be faster. For example, by wearing the same pair of lycra shorts for swimming, cycling and running. It is important to remember that bare chests are not allowed in triathlon and, in Qatar's races, women cannot cycle and run in a swim suit where legs and shoulders are uncovered.

The next step up is to wear a trisuit. This is a one-piece item that is designed for swimming, cycling and running. These can be bought in many of Doha's sports and specialist cycling shops. TriClub Doha has our own custom designed trisuit. Add a race belt to that and you have everything you need. A race belt is a simple piece of elastic to which a number is pinned and this makes it quicker to put on a number in the transition between swim and bike. For more detailed information, see this article What Do I Need?

Bikes can be rented from Rasen Adventure Shop. Their rental operation runs from their shop at the start of the Olympic Cycling Track.

There is currently no wetsuit rental operation in Qatar.

First find out what is on by checking out the Calendar. This is updated regularly as events are announced. When available, links to registration are provided. TriClub Doha's races, both public and member-only can be found in the calendar too. TriClub Doha's registration site shows all our events available for sign up. To stay updated, be sure to follow TriClub Doha, Qatar Triathlon Federation and Q-Tri social media.

See this article Where to Train

Swimming is the most technical of the triathlon disciplines and good technique beats muscles and fitness every time! If you are starting out swimming it's worth equiping yourself with swimming-specific fins (help maintain propulsion during swimming drills) and a pull-buoy (help keep your legs from sinking and allow you to focus on upper body technique.

Armed with these toys, you can check out YouTube for swim drills. These isolate aspects of the stroke and help you fix whatever deficiencies you have in breathing, body rotation, catching and pulling the water. If your technique is poor, aim to spend at least 50% of each swim session on drills.

The next steps are numerous. You could get individual stroke correction lessons. You could join a stroke-improvement or masters swim squad. See the Where to Train guide on this site. You can even send video into the internet to get advice. Whatever you decide to do, aim to swim regularly. Three times per week if you can. Start with those basics and take the next steps.

You will need a bike for triathlon and TriClub Doha cannot provide you with this. The good news is that any road-worthy bike can be used until you get serious about the sport. That includes mountain bikes. The important thing is that word "road-worthy". Race officials will check that brakes are functioning and that the ends of handlebars are properly plugged and they will not allow you to race if your bike is deemed unsafe. An approved cycling helmet is also required. 

Qatar is blessed with several quality bike shops: Doha Cycling, Al Ghariya Cycling, Rasen Sports, Trek, Shift racing are at the top but there are others at a level, and price point, down from those.

Prices are comparable to those in Europe/US but you will rarely grab an sale bargain here, overall making the cost of a new bicycle slightly higher. There is, however, a thriving second hand market. TriClub Doha moderates the Facebook group Triathlon & Road Cycling Classifieds and a Whatsapp group which is currently over-subscribed but there are many others.

What should you buy and how much should you spend? There is no single answer to that. It really depends on your ambition, committment and buying power. If pushed for an answer, we could consider 5000-6000 QAR a good budget for a first entry level road bike for a sport cyclist, equipped with Shimano's Tiagra components. You can spend less, and you can spend much, much more.

TriClub Doha organises triathlons and aquathlons at Education City where the swim is in the recreation centre pool. To get the most out of the sport (and Qatar's beautiful beaches) you may want to conquer you fears. Saturday morning training at the in the company of Triclub Doha is a good way to do that. Or stick to duathlon where there is no swim!

That depends... for most of the season Qatar's waters are warm enough to be either 'wetsuit optional' or 'non-wetsuit' according to World Triathlon rules. However, early morning races in January and February may be 'wetsuit mandartory'. If your goal is a longer event like T100 or Ironman 70.3, we do recommend that you consider buying a triathlon specific wetsuit as this will keep you warm, aid bouyancy and make you faster for less energy expendidture.