How To Do a Triathlon When You Don’t Have Money

Today I’m sharing about how to do a triathlon when you don’t have money. This could also be called, “How to afford a triathlon when you’re in your 20s, just out of college, and weighed down by thousands of dollars in student loans.” Triathlons are expensive and I’m not only talking about the race fees. There’s a lot of stuff you need just to be able to race.

If you know anything about triathlons, you probably know that the largest age groups tend to be the people in their 30s and 40s. From USAT: the “Majority of USA Triathlon members are ages 40-49; this sector of membership is continually more than 30 percent of the overall membership base.”

I think that a part of the reason that it’s so big for those in their 30s and 40s is because of the money! Triathlons are NOT cheap! These settled-in-life adults start doing triathlons when they’re more financially stable and not just starting out on their own.

I did my first triathlon last year and I spent a good amount of money to gear up for the race but my set up was minimal in comparison to most other bloggers and people I know. I don’t have a bike, a bike trainer, and I don’t have money for gym memberships or personal coaching.

This year isn’t going to be any different for me because I still don’t have money to invest in more/better equipment. My sister is also doing the triathlon with me for her first time but she’s a poor college student and she’s not even sure if she’ll do another tri (Hopefully she will!).

You will probably have to fork over a good amount just to sign up for the race so I’ve created list that will hopefully help other beginners that are just getting started to help save some money.

Here are my absolute bare minimum basics that you need to do a triathlon with a few add-on ideas to spend a little more on if desired.

The Things You Need for a Triathlon

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What to wear

For my triathlon last year, I bought a two piece tri suit on clearance for about $86 and wore one of my sports bras underneath. This can be a lot to pay for something you may only wear once. You have a couple options of things you can do instead.

1. Buy a cheaper pair of tri shorts (bike shorts will hold too much water in the padding) and wear the sports bra you’re going to wear to swim on top as your swim outfit. Then when you go out for the bike, you can throw a tank or tee over top with your race number pinned to it.
2. Wear a one-piece for the swim and throw on shorts and a shirt for the rest of the race. This would work but could be uncomfortable and possibly cause chafing while riding.

Further reading on what to wear as a beginner triathlete. <– This was super helpful when I was researching for myself.

Don’t forget to take care of your skin and wear sunscreen. This is a non-negotiable! Just wait to put it on until you’ve got body marked.

Swim

1. Goggles. This is something you will want to invest in because it’s going to be rough if they start leaking or fog up so much that you can’t sight. I bought a pair of TYR goggles at the race expo just before the event last year and even though I didn’t get a chance to try them out before the race (which is usually a big no-no), they worked out great and I’m glad I spent the money on them.
2. Swim Cap. Provided by the race organizers as an identifier of your age-group.
3. Earplugs and Nose clip (optional). These are both optional items but could make your swim more comfortable especially if you tend to get ear infections or hate getting water up into your nose.

Bike

1. Bike. Duh. Can’t go anywhere without something to ride on. This is something you may or may not already own. If you don’t own one, beg someone you know to let you borrow a bike or you can rent from a local shop. You may be able to ride hybrids or other bikes for the race depending on the course and maybe even how beginner-friendly the event is. I trained using my own 21-speed mountain bike but for both events, I borrowed a road bike from someone I knew – it made a big difference in my times.
2. Helmet. If you’ve ever ridden a bike, then this is something you probably already own. If not, borrow. Make sure that the helmet is CPSC standardized.
3. Shoes. I’ve never ridden with any sort of cycling shoes. For the Iron Girl, I wore my running shoes on the bike, which was great for the second transition because I didn’t have to change my shoes. You may want to test the type of pedals on your bike to see what works for you if you’re going to wear running shoes. I just rode with regular flat pedals on a really nice road bike. Do what works for you.
4. Water bottle. Prior to the race find out if and where they will be distributing water on the bike/run course. Staying hydrated is imperative especially during summer races when the temperatures are higher. You should probably try and carry at least one bottle around 24 oz on your bike. If you don’t want to invest in a podium bottle, you can make do with a disposable bottle from the grocery store.

Run

1. Running Shoes. If you have a pair already then yay, you’re good to go. If you don’t have any or if you only have an old worn-out pair that’s going to give you blisters, then invest. You need at least a decent pair of shoes and this is something you’re not going to want to just borrow from someone. If you don’t have a lot to spend, look for deals online or buy the previous model of a running shoe.
2. Socks. Some pairs of shoes are fine for use without socks. I don’t like to go without them so use a pair you have that won’t rub your feet. I prefer socks with a tab so they don’t slip down into my shoes.

There you go! The absolute basics, bare minimum triathlon gear list. Here are a few more things to consider add to the list if you have the funds.

Miscellaneous Optionals

1. Sunglasses: To keep the sun out of your eyes for the bike. Use polarized UVA/UVB for the best protection.
2. Visor: To keep the sun and sweat out of your eyes on the run.
3. Watch/GPS Watch: For my first tri, I used a basic watch just to track my overall time so I could have an idea of how far along I was. A GPS watch is a bonus if you have one/can afford one. They’re nice for training and having an idea of pace while you’re moving without having to calculate it yourself.
4. Electrolytes/Nutrition: Depending on the length of your race, you may or may not need to invest in this yourself but do research and figure out what is recommended and what will work best for you.
5. Race Belt: I bought a belt on Amazon that I could attach my number to so I didn’t have to waste time trying to pin it to my tri top in T2. I suppose it could carry gels as well but I had pockets in my tri suit.
6. Chafing protection: Use Body Glide or a fragrance-free powder deodorant (like Dove)

The cost of what you spend on your gear will depend on what you already own, how many things you can borrow, and how many “extras” you invest in.

This is written for the beginner who wants to do a sprint triathlon. Some of these recommendations can definitely apply to an Olympic length as well but probably not for any longer distances.

To recap my triathlon journey, visit my Triathlon page.

Happy racing!

Have you ever done a triathlon/would you consider doing one?

What can’t you live without on race day?