Is the Wyalusing North Branch Triathlon Beginner Friendly?

“Do you think I can actually do it?”

We hear some version of that question a lot.

And our answer isn't going to be one of those inspirational posters telling you that you can accomplish anything if you believe hard enough.

This is a triathlon. It is supposed to be challenging.

You're going to run, paddle and bike. You're going to get tired. At some point, there's an excellent chance you'll wonder why Past You thought signing up was such a fabulous idea.

But if what you're really asking is:

“Do I have to already be a serious triathlete to belong here?”

Absolutely not.

This Is a Very Good Place to Try.

The Wyalusing North Branch Triathlon attracts an enormous range of participants.

We've had competitors as young as around 11 and participants well into their 80s. We've had serious, well-traveled athletes. We've had families. We've had groups of friends looking for a new challenge. We've had complete beginners.

And we've had plenty of people whose primary athletic qualification was essentially:

“Well...this sounded fun when somebody suggested it.”

You belong here, too.

Our course is relatively approachable for a multisport endurance event, while still giving you something worth being proud of when you're finished.

There are elevation changes. There are some climbs. There's a substantial paddle. You're still responsible for preparing your body to cover the distance.

Beginner-friendly does not mean effortless.

It means you can reasonably prepare for this event without already organizing your life around endurance racing.

USA Triathlon makes essentially the same point when talking to people getting started in multisport: you need training in each discipline, but you don't have to enter the sport already proficient in all of them. Everyone tends to have a stronger and weaker discipline.

And Ours Has a Kayak

That's usually the part that gets people's attention.

Traditional triathlons generally involve swimming, biking and running.

Ours?

Run. Paddle. Bike.

Instead of an open-water swim, athletes make their way down a beautiful section of the Susquehanna River by kayak.

You'll enter from a boat launch and eventually make your exit with our local waterway experts at Endless Mountains Outfitters.

Along the way, there are different spots where the river gives you some choices in pathing and some strategically placed race signage because apparently our ridiculous river signs have developed their own fan base.

We skipped some of them one year.

People had opinions.

The signs returned.

You Still Need to Train for the Paddle

“No swim” does not mean “no preparation.”

Paddling several miles is endurance work, and if the longest kayak excursion you've completed recently involved floating around for twenty minutes while holding a beverage, some practice is highly recommended.

Spend time in the type of boat you'll actually use. Learn how it handles. Practice maintaining a sustainable pace. Get comfortable entering and exiting.

And train your upper body and core in addition to your running and cycling.

Most importantly, get used to wearing your personal flotation device.

At our event, your wearable PFD must actually be worn during the paddle.

The U.S. Coast Guard recommends wearing an approved life jacket while underway and notes that federal requirements call for an appropriately sized, wearable PFD for each person aboard a recreational vessel.

This is one situation in which “but I'm a really strong swimmer” will not impress your race organizers.

Wear the PFD.

The Bike Course Is Challenging Without Being Brutal

Our cycling course features mostly gradual elevation changes with a few shorter climbs.

Before the event, our crew works to identify and clear loose gravel and stray debris where we reasonably can. We also continue adding signage and safety precautions to make athletes more visible to drivers throughout the area.

You'll still be riding on actual Northeastern Pennsylvania roads.

Train outside. Ride hills. Learn how your bike shifts. Practice braking appropriately on descents and turns. Get comfortable looking ahead instead of staring six inches in front of your wheel.

You do not need a spaceship masquerading as a bicycle.

You need a safe, functioning bike you're comfortable riding.

We'll get much deeper into that in our bike-preparation guide.

Nervous About Doing All Three? Build a Team.

This is one of the easiest ways to make your first multisport event feel possible.

Find the friend who runs.

Find the friend who owns a kayak.

Find the friend who disappears on a bicycle for three hours on a Saturday and somehow considers that recreation.

Congratulations.

You have a team.

Relay participation lets you experience the race, the transitions, the start-line foolishness and the finish-line celebration without asking one person to master every discipline immediately.

And there's always next year.

What Really Makes This Race Beginner Friendly

It isn't just the course.

It's the people.

One of the things we love most about this event is how quickly competition and community seem to coexist.

We've watched one racer notice that another participant's bicycle had a flat and help pump it up before continuing.

We've watched athletes who finished earlier stand near the finish line and cheer for people they've never met.

Some of the loudest applause isn't necessarily for the person with the fastest time.

It's for the person everyone just watched fight for that finish.

USA Triathlon's first-race advice actually includes one wonderfully simple recommendation: enjoy it. Set a realistic goal, prepare, and remember why you decided to participate in the first place.

That philosophy fits Wyalusing particularly well.

So, Can You Do It?

We don't know.

We don't know your fitness level, your health history or whether your bicycle has been hanging untouched from a garage ceiling since 2007.

But we can tell you this:

You do not have to already identify as an endurance athlete.

You don't have to be fast.

You don't have to own elite equipment.

And you definitely don't have to be the person crossing the finish line first.

The Wyalusing North Branch Triathlon is really for people who just love to be active.

Train for the challenge.

Respect the distance.

Come prepared.

Then come find out what you're capable of.

We'll be at the finish line.

Probably cheering.

And possibly worrying like mama hens until you get back.

We'll see you at the next Wyalusing North Branch Triathlon