Beginner Duathlon Kit List – What To Wear

Considering it’s been 7 years since I last took part in the London Duathlon and I’ve no real intention of taking part in another multisport event anytime soon, I decided against splashing out the cash for a Tri-suit in 2021. I did have my eye on one from Velovixen, or even the For Every Adventure Focus Race Suit, but in the end, time wasn’t on my side.

I knew I could find everything I needed for this duathlon and more in my kit wardrobe, so I raided it ready for race day and am sharing what I wore in this updated post from 2014. Back then, I wasn’t sure whether to go for the ‘pro’ look or whether I should just wear my regular fit kit… so I’ve come a long way!

What I Wore For My 2014 Duathlon

Back in 2014, I was working at lululemon and I actually got given this cycling kit (above) as a Thank You for my contributions that month including organising a city cycle tour for the lululemon community. It was a limited edition collaboration, so I felt extra lucky to have it to wear on race day.

I teamed it with what accessories I had back then, my Adidas boost trainers and lock laces, and I don’t remember much else to be honest!

For 2021, I felt much more confident about picking my kit and I also had all my posts from London Duathlon 2014 and the triathlons I completed after that for information and inspiration.

London Duathlon Race Day Kit List

The thing about your first duathlon, triathlon or multisport event is probably the fact that you don’t wanna spend money on a trisuit which you might never wear again. Because, let’s be real, who knows if you’ll love duathlon enough to sign up for more?!

You could go for a running outfit and forfeit comfort on the bike without padded shorts. Or you could go for a cycling outfit (i.e jersey and shorts) and potentially forfeit some comfort when running with padded shorts especially if they’re super thick.

Here’s a pretty complete list of what I wore, took with me and packed for London Duathlon 2021:

• Velociposse Race Suit
• Le Col base layer
• Stance socks
• Hoka One One Mach X running shoes
• Sungod sunglasses
• Bioracer cycling cap
• Race / bib belt
• Towel (for transition)
• Wahoo ELEMNT Rival
• Wahoo TICKR X HR monitor
• Wahoo ELEMNT Roam Cycling GPS
• Liv Langma 2021 Bike
• Helmet, gloves, cycling shoes
• Liv Trilliant Tri Bag
• Nutrition (Clif Shot Bloks, 2x 1L water bottles, SIS gels, SIS flapjack)

I fit all of this into my bag easily with plenty of space. I got this Liv bag as a gift from Liv Cycling UK (I’m an ambassador) a few years back and it’s been so useful for events and generally, big days out.

It has separate compartments for swim, bike, run, a waterproof area for swimsuit or wetsuit and a handy external water bottle pocket.

Duathlon Running Kit Tips

Your actual kit picks will really come down to the weather on the day. In warmer weather, you might opt for short or no sleeves and in colder wetter weather, you would choose to add a jacket.

You 100% want to run in shoes you’ve run in before. I almost made the decision to run in new shoes then I came to my senses and ran in shoes that I’ve tried and tested over the past year.

If you’re wanting to run with your phone, you might choose something like a quadlock running armband. You can use the code “ellelinton10” to get 10% off your purchase at www.quadlockcase.co.uk

Duathlon Cycling Kit Tips

To keep things simple you could just ride in your running shoes, but personally I ride with cycling shoes and clip in. The professionals manage to run barefoot over the transition line, jump on their bike and then secure their shoes while riding.

Gives us something to aim for one day, huh?! Till then, just put your cycling shoes on and run with your bike to the exit. 

If it’s a cold day you’ll probably need a few more layers for the bike like a gilet / jacket, gloves or leg warmers.

What I Would Do Differently

Firstly, I would have worn a cap with a bigger peak to protect me from the sunshine. I wasn’t expecting the temperatures we had nor the sun as the weather forecast had said it was going to be cloudy!

I didn’t use lock laces for this event as I didn’t think they were needed. I feel like coming out of a swim in a triathlon, dexterity may be an issue but not so much after a ride. And the few seconds they were gonna save me on race day weren’t gonna make a massive difference to my time.

I would also have carried water and hydration tablets with me on the run, like I did for the ASICS London 10k earlier in the year. I actually haven’t ever found a replacement since Nuun became less available in the UK but this is definitely something I need to look into for future events and training.

I would have sprayed magnesium on my calves to relieve the cramping, during T2. I think I actually had it packed but just forgot, which was a shame. I remembered once I was back on the second run by which time it was too late.

Race Bib Belt

One of the best pieces of kit for a multisport event or duathlon has to be a race belt. It saves you spending time attaching race numbers to your outfit, which on a jersey could hinder your use of the bathroom!

Race Number Belts On Amazon:

It also allows you to flip your number from the front for your run, to the back for your ride and back again to follow the rules of the event.

The one I have can stash gels too but I had pockets in my race suit so didn’t need to use that part of the race belt.

Once you’ve chosen your kit for race day, make sure you have a chance to try it all out. Then, check & pack all your kit the night before to make sure you are organised and have everything you will need.

At the end of the day, don’t stress too much about kit for your first duathlon. Wear whatever is comfortable, get out on the course and enjoy yourself!

Anything I missed that makes the cut for your duathlon kit list?

Elle