Chrissie Wellington’s 10 top tri kit essentials

Here I’ll list the bare essentials, with the overarching advice that all of your gear needs to fit YOU. So get professional advice, from a coach or sports shop, to ensure you have gear that fits.

In addition, you can use the same kit in racing that you wear in training but never use anything new on race day that you haven’t used before.

Swimsuit

Essential for training and for pool-based races. Some athletes even wear swimsuits for the entire race, but your undercarriage may not thank you…!

Chrissie Wellington on… Choosing swim gear

Goggles

They should have great all-round visibility and be very secure. Leaky, ill-fitting goggles can cause panic and discomfort. The right fit means that they stay on your face, even without the strap, that your eyelashes don’t touch the lenses and the nose-piece doesn’t cut you. One pair of slightly tinted goggles is best, as they’re suitable for cloudy and sunny conditions, as well as in the pool.

Open-water goggles: how to choose the right lenses

Open-water swim goggles: 10 of the best reviewed and rated

6 of the best pool goggles

Wetsuit

Wetsuits are mandatory in some races (dependent on water temperature). They help keep you warm and also provide buoyancy. Ideally it should be swim/tri-specific rather than a surf wetsuit. You don’t need to spend a fortune and some companies offer one-off, monthly or even season rentals.

(Image: Jonny Gawler)

Be sure to swim in the wetsuit before race day, and learn how to get it on and off properly. It needs to be snug, but not too tight or restrictive. Shoulder flexibility is important. I cut an inch off the legs to make removal easier (obviously not recommended if it’s a rental!).

What to look for in a tri wetsuit

Triathlon wetsuits: 14 of the best tested and rated

How much buoyancy does your triathlon wetsuit need?

How to swim in a wetsuit

Swim cap

These are usually provided by race organisers, but a spare is useful for training and for doubling up if the water is cold.

Pool tools

Swim equipment can be useful but, in the same way that there are different strokes for different folks, different toys suit different people.

It’s best to ask the advice of a good triathlon-friendly swimming coach who can look at your stroke, advise you on what toys are suitable for you and ensure you’re using them correctly.

12 swim tools to improve technique and fitness

Four-time Ironman world champ Chrissie Wellington continues her run-down of the essential tri kit you need…

Bike and bike shoes

Bikes can be few hundred pounds or the price of a car. The key is that it can pass a safety inspection. If you’re just starting triathlon and only planning on doing one or two local events, you can use a beach cruiser, shopper or mountain bike. But if you’re thinking of doing more, it’s probably best to buy a road bike, which you can train, race and even commute on, and is suitable for a variety of courses.

You don’t have to buy new; second-hand bikes can be great value, but it’s your responsibility to make sure your bike is road worthy. Getting a personal bike-fit from a bike shop is worthwhile. Whether you use regular or so-called clipless pedals will depend on your cycling experience and confidence.

Your choice of pedal determines what shoes you wear. Cleated shoes (these lock onto the pedals) are definitely not essential for those new to cycling. With flat pedals you can use the same shoes for cycling and running.

(Image: Delly Carr)

Helmet

Of course, a helmet is a must, but it doesn’t have to be the all-singing and dancing ‘aero’ kind. A regular ‘brain bucket’ will protect your head. Just make sure it’s passed the necessary safety tests.

Running shoes

Use a sturdy running shoe that you can trust and which suits your form/biomechanics (a good running shop can help with this). Regular laces are fine to start with, while socks make for a more comfortable, less blistered experience.

Race suit

You could wear a pair of shorts and a t-shirt/cycle jersey/running vest under your wetsuit and keep them on until the finish line.

But, while not essential, opting for a tri-suit in a race enables you to wear the same outfit from start to finish. There are two options: a single-piece tri-suit or a two-piece shorts and singlet.

Tri-suits: what to look for

Women’s tri-suits buyer’s guide

Women’s tri-suits: 6 of the best reviewed

Best tri-suits

Triathlon gear buying guides

Miscellaneous

Other useful gear includes a water bottle and a pair of sunglasses.

Don’t forget to check out our other recent gear round-ups: best road bike shoes, best run base layers, best pool goggles, best heart rate monitors, best aerobars, best run jackets, best turbo trainers, best tri bikes, best tri bike shoes, best wetsuits, best lightweight run shoes, best trail shoes, best energy bars, best bike jackets, best bike helmets, best TT helmets, best recovery drinks and best tri-suits.

What else do you consider a tri essential? Let us know in the comments below!

About

Chrissie Wellington OBE is a retired, British professional triathlete and four-time Ironman world champion. She held all three world and championship records relating to ironman triathlon races: firstly, the overall world record, secondly, the Ironman World Championship course record, and thirdly, the official world record for all Ironman-branded triathlon races over the full Ironman distance. She remains the world record holder for Ironman distance (8:18hrs). Chrissie won the Ironman World Championship in three consecutive years (2007–2009), but could not start the 2010 World Championship race because of illness. She regained the title in 2011. She is the first British athlete to hold the Ironman world title, and was undefeated in all 13 of her races over the Iron distance. She is the only triathlete, male or female, to have won the World Championship less than a year after turning professional, an achievement described by the British Triathlon Federation as "a remarkable feat, deemed to be a near impossible task for any athlete racing as a rookie at their first Ironman World Championships." Since retiring in 2012 Chrissie has completed countless endurance events, from cycling sportives, to marathons and ultra-marathons and even a cross country ski marathon or two! Chrissie was awarded a first-class degree by the University of Birmingham (BsC Geography) in 1998 and a Distinction from the University of Manchester (MA Econ Development Studies) in 2000. Prior to becoming a professional athlete in 2007, she worked for the British Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) as a policy adviser on international development and also managed water and sanitation projects in Nepal. Chrissie now devotes her life to work to improve individual and population health and wellbeing, and specifically interventions to increase participation in physical activity. She is the Global Lead for Health and Wellbeing for parkrun and is committed to engaging people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities in parkrun events, thereby addressing the entrenched health and wellbeing inequalities that impact many countries across the world. Chrissie published her Sunday Times Best Selling autobiography, 'A Life Without Limits', in 2012, and her second book, 'To the Finish Line: A World Champion Triathlete's Guide to Your Perfect Race', in 2017. In 2021, she co-authored and published two fully-illustrated children's wellbeing storybooks with friend and former athlete Susie Bush-Ramsey entitled 'You're so strong' and 'You're so amazing', as a means of sharing messages about belief, trust, love, friendship, trying your best and embracing change. A trailblazer at heart, Chrissie is often advocating for change. In 2014 she joined three professional cyclists in campaigning for and successfully creating a women’s race at the Tour De France. Chrissie was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to sport and charity. She was also named the 2009 Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year and has Honorary Doctorates from the University of Birmingham and the University of Bristol. Chrissie lives with her husband, former professional athlete Tom Lowe, and their daughter Esme in a small village in Somerset.