Is It For Me?
Is Monster
for me?
You do not have to be chasing a podium. You do have to be willing to train.
This is the question people email us about most, so we would rather answer it here. Below is who Monster suits, who it does not, and how it differs from the one-day triathlon you may already know.
Who it is for
Monster suits you if
- You can swim 5km in open water in a wetsuit, at your own pace, with the option to stop at the end of any 500-metre lap.
- You can ride 100km and get up the next day and do it again. Consecutive days matter more than any single long ride.
- You are prepared to run, walk or run-walk 50km on tired legs.
- You would rather finish a week with sixty people than beat forty of them.
- You want the logistics handled so you can concentrate on the riding.
- You have six to twelve months to prepare. Most people who enjoy Monster entered a year out.
[Draft copy] Written to the brief’s stated purpose for this page. Replace with the approved wording.
Who it is not for
It is probably not for you if
- You are looking for a personal best or a qualifying time.
- You cannot commit to consistent training across all three disciplines.
- You want to be alone. This is a group that eats together every night.
- You need a firm answer on whether you are fast enough. Nobody is timing you, so the question does not apply.
- You are not comfortable in cool open water. That part is learnable, but it takes months, not weeks.
[Draft copy] Written to the brief’s stated purpose for this page. Replace with the approved wording.
The comparison
Monster, and a traditional triathlon
[Draft copy] Written to the brief’s stated purpose for this page. Replace with the approved wording.
| Aspect | A one-day long-distance triathlon | Monster Triathlon |
|---|---|---|
| The distance | One day, one shot. A single continuous effort against the clock. | Seven days, seven stages. You reset every morning. |
| The clock | Timed from gun to tape. A cut-off decides your day. | The swim and five cycling stages are untimed. Only the final run is chip-timed. |
| Your competition | Everyone around you is racing you. | Nobody is racing you. Groups form at whatever pace suits them. |
| If it goes wrong | A mechanical or a bad patch can end your race. | A mechanic and a paramedic travel with the group. A bad hour is not a bad week. |
| Logistics | You book everything, carry everything, plan everything. | Hotels, meals, baggage and route are handled. You ride and you eat. |
| What you take home | A time. | The length of Britain, and the people you did it with. |
“I was 62 when I did it and not fast as a swimmer or cyclist but never felt left behind.”
Still deciding?
Download the Monster Route Guide and see the full week, stage by stage, before you commit. We will also send you the kit list and the questions most people ask before they enter.