Phuket hosts one of Asia’s premier triathlons annually involving a 1.8k swim, a 55k bike ride and a 12k run through gorgeous tropical scenery. Over the 20 years in which the event has been held, it has attracted some of the top athletes from around the world specializing in triathlons. The event is open to fit and healthy individuals both male and female, 18 years and older. Teams are encouraged to enter the competition putting forward athletes specializing in each of the sports.

For the 1.8k swim, athletes swim 1,180 meters into the sea from the selected starting point and sprint 100 meters across the beach to swim the last 620 meters in a lagoon. The 55k bike course is held in the northern part of Phuket in the Naithon Hills with some steep climbs expected to put pressure on the participants and their bikes as will sections of the road known to be rough. The 12k running course is flat and takes runners through the Laguna Phuket Resort Complex.

To support international athletes who congregate for the event, Phuket has modern facilities along with qualified and experienced trainers to guide tri-athletes and to familiarize them with the course, coupled with excellent accommodation. As the triathlon is a multiple-stage competition involving three endurance disciplines, the training for the event in Phuket focuses on a persistent and systematic training regime in each discipline, combination workouts, general strength training and acclimatisation and is targeted to peak for the competition. The training regimes are simple and flexible and are tailored around an athlete’s needs and progress and goes through several cycles of various durations. Training plans generally include aerobic training such as running on a treadmill and graduating to the pavement, introduction of more efficient swimming techniques, making athletes aware of competition rules to avoid being disqualified, use of proper gear for each discipline, working out new race tactics, nutrition management and introducing ways to reduce pre-race nerves. Even time off between training session in each discipline is built into the program for purposes of rest, relaxation, and regeneration.

Thanyapura is known around the region as the perfect place for sports training Phuket has to offer dedicated athletes, due to their excellent onsite facilities comprising Olympic competition-standard swimming pools, a cushioned athletics track, a modern fitness centre with cardio, and strength studios, among a range of other support facilities. Their particular forte is training athletes for the Triathlon Asia through their Triathlon Academy that has special programmes for tri-athletes carried out under the guidance of experienced and qualified coaches. Under the center’s triathlon package, tri-athletes can enjoy accommodation, nutritious meals, daily training sessions, sports massages, and psychological conditioning among other services.

Angela Fernando is an impassioned travel writer who composes pieces under the pen name Sumaira Narayan. She loves writing about new and exciting places around the world and hopes to visit them all someday. Google+