GRADES 9-12
DESIGN A RUNNING SHOE FOR A TRIATHLETE

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Design A Running Shoe For A Triathlete The triathlon is a sport where you swim, bike ride and then run. While many people may associate triathlons with the grueling Ironman competitions, there are actually different triathlon distances. For example, the Sprint usually consists of about 1/3 - 1/2 mile swim, a 14-18 mile bike ride and about a 3 mile run. The Olympic distances are a 0.93 mile swim, 24.8 mile bike ride, and a 6.2 mile run (1,500 meter swim, 40km bike, 10k run). The Long-Course or Half-Ironman is 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile ride, 13.1 mile run and the Ironman is 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile ride, and a marathon 26.2 mile run. The order of activity is always the same: swim, bike ride then run. Since the activities are so different, the athletes wear sport specific footwear. In developing a running shoe for a triathlete, you may ask what characteristics in a shoe are important. Should a triathlete running shoe be any different from a regular running shoe? Characteristics to consider are shoe weight, ease of foot entry into the shoe and ease of attachment to the foot. Remember these athletes will be concluding a bike ride and transitioning to a marathon. For many athletes, getting into the shoe fast to save race time is critical. Traditional lacing systems may be less desirable then other foot enclosure methods. As well, durability may not be an issue for triathletes who may choose to use fairly new shoes for each triathlon. However, the wrong shoes cannot only cause discomfort but can be the source of a multitude of conditions and injuries. In this section information is provided on: the components of an athletic shoe and the purpose of these components; foot motion during athletic play forces on the foot and leg; shoe and surface interaction; technology, tools and footwear testing. If you have an old shoe you are ready to toss in the trash, or even one where the upper surface has split and separated from the soles, it might be helpful to take it apart and examine your own shoe and find these components. (Of course, if you are wearing athletic shoes as you read this information you can just look down and inspect them!)