I recently headed to Tuscaloosa, Alabama for the 2021 USA Triathlon Duathlon National Championships to compete against approximately 800 of the nation’s best duathletes between the ages of 14 and 84 as they compete for national titles in three events.

After a year of race cancellations, I am, like many athletes, eager to get back to racing in 2021. I recently participated in the Tri the Parks John Tanner State Park Duathlon. It was great to see people racing again, in a competitive environment and having fun. Races in 2021 may not look exactly as they did before the pandemic, but it’s better than no racing at all.

I reached out to Richard Conway, creator and host of the Agegroup Multisport Podcast to find out why duathlons appear to be more popular and accepted in the Europe than in the United States.