The 2021 North American Tri Season Sprinting to a Close

October 28, 2021

It's that time of the year, folks: that time where the vast majority of us are starting to think of the off-season. Heck, we're not immune: our classic off-season run builder, the 100/100 Run Challenge, kicks off on November 15th.

However, let's say that you're not ready to let go of triathlon season quite yet. You might be one of the few thousand athletes who just had a race cancelled in Sacramento and deferred your entry to 2022, but you still want to use some of that fitness you built up. Or you just really like to race as much as you can in a year. Whatever the case may be, you have a few options left on the table between now and the end of the year.

CLASH Daytona: December 3-5

This will be the third year running for this prestigious event, although it is the first time it will be run under the CLASH Endurance banner (the first two iterations were under the Challenge brand). As we have written about previously, all of the former production team of the Challenge race are now onboard with CLASH Endurance, and the primary reason for the branding change is that with some of their future events, you can expect to see other events (e.g., running or cycling-only races) as part of their festival weekends.

What's stayed the same? Well, you're still racing at Daytona International Speedway, for starters, including laps along the apron of arguably the most famous asphalt in America. There are events all weekend long, from a kids race to a 5K to multiple duathlon and triathlon distance events. And, of course, there's going to be a gangbusters professional race on hand. Although this year's race will not be the PTO Championship, there's still an outstanding field of professional athletes coming to the race. As of this writing, the pro field includes some top stars, including but not limited to those mentioned below.

Women
Lucy Charles-Barclay
Anne Haug
Jeanni Metzler
Skye Moench
Paula Findlay
Jackie Hering
Imogen Simmonds
Mirinda Carfrae
Meredith Kessler
Angela Naeth
Jocelyn McCauley
Lesley Smith

Men
Joe Skipper
Ben Kanute
Rudy von Berg
Sam Appleton
Kristian Hogenhaug
Magnus Ditlev
Andrew Starykowicz
Justin Metzler
Sebastian Kienle
Eric Lagerstrom
Igor Amorelli
Vincent Luis
Brent McMahon
Kristian Blummenfelt

One other key factor that might sway you towards choosing to race in Daytona, versus the other events listed here? CLASH's refund policy. Although the event takes place in Florida, which generally means you can expect that there will not be a COVID-19 related cancellation, if there is a cancellation due to the pandemic or other outside force, CLASH will refund your entry fee (minus a small processing amount). It's a guarantee that you otherwise will not receive. It's part of what makes CLASH a little different.

What's a potential drawback? It is more expensive than other races here, sitting at north of $400 for a half-distance triathlon entry. That being said, this is in my opinion one of the rare occasions where that price is justified. It's a very unique location with near guaranteed decent weather and isn't terrible to travel to. Those factors make for an intriguing package worth potentially filling out your race card for the remainder of the year.

Ironman Races

If you're insistent on racing an IRONMAN branded race for the end of the year, you're heading to Mexico. All races in the United States are sold out through the end of the year. What remains on the calendar are , and IRONMAN Cozumel on November 21st. Both present unique challenges: Monterrey has a challenging run course, whereas Cozumel's notorious winds can act up at any moment while on the bike. That being said, you'll need to act quickly for either race, as with all others in North America filled at this point and race dates approaching quickly, slots are not likely to last.