What actually goes in your Triathlon transition bags? There can be up to five of them, each with a different job - here's exactly what I'm packing into mine for Ironman Japan, bag by bag.
Get the interactive Kit ListPre-race and post-race
Some races call this the street wear bag or the finish line bag - either way, it's for everything either side of the race itself, not T1 or T2.
- Warm top for the start line
- Wetsuit, kept out until the last minute
- Vaseline or chafe cream
- Disposable flip-flops for standing around pre-swim
- A caffeine gel or a banana
- Goggles, race cap, and a spare cap in case one rips
- Headphones, for the nerves beforehand
- Full change of clothes for after - underwear, socks, shorts, a t-shirt
Bike (T1, swim-to-bike transition)
This is the bag waiting for you at T1, straight out of the swim.
- Helmet
- Sunglasses
- Bike shoes and socks
- Race belt, number already attached
- Nutrition for the ride
- A disposable bottle of water, to rinse off sea water and sand
- A small towel, to dry off quickly
Run (T2, bike-to-run transition)
Waiting for you at T2, once the bike's racked.
- Sunglasses
- Running cap
- Running shoes
- A change of socks, if needed
- Suncream, if needed
- A soft flask of electrolytes, for the first 5km
Bike and Run personal needs
Then two more - for bike personal needs, and for run personal needs. These get handed to you part way round each leg, so you don't have to carry everything from the start or you can pick up extras if you need them, or drop some nutrition along the way.
- Extra nutrition
- Extra electrolytes
- Bike tools and spares
- Favourite food for the run (I once saw someone put a cold McDonald’s burger in theirs...)
Exactly what goes in depends on how the day's going, so this is the bit I'll actually finalise last.
Five bags, but with a system it takes no time to sort, and it makes race morning simple.
