Redondo Beach Triathlon 2010 - the most fair triathlon swim-wise I could fine!

I have always found that the swim portion of the average triathlon race is so out of balance with the rest of the disciplines that I wondered why they even bothered with having a swim at all? In fact, race directors just keep making the swimming leg shorter and shorter to accommodate those athletes that really can't swim.

I am seeing races featuring 200-meter swims, 12-mile bike rides and 5k runs. That effort ratio between the three events is so asymmetrical that you might as well put the swim as the last leg so that the athletes can use it as a warm down. In fact put the swim event in a pool so lifeguards have better visibility and athletes can cool off in a temperature controlled environment. (I am just pushing buttons here. This paragraph is simply a "Reductio ad Absurdum" rhetoric device or reducing the situation to absurdity to illustrate a point.)

With all that said, I found a triathlon that is not only symmetrical in effort and features a course with great view, it's ultimately a fair race. It also takes place less than an hour from my home witch is another asset. I was willing to travel a few hundred miles to find a fairly balanced triathlon but I can do a fair one in my back yard.

Here is a link for details: [Link]