What is Multisport?

What is Multisport?

The name alone sounds exhausting.  Anyone who has participated in different sports during childhood, probably had flashbacks of grueling practices or the multiple game/races all in one day.  True, multisport is generally a difficult athletic event that usually requires similar dedication as the aforementioned childhood sporting events, but it is so much more than that.

Multisport are endurance races or events that consist of different stages of aerobic activity.  Generally speaking these stages are in the form of different athletic disciplines that require a racer to be proficient in multiple events.  Probably one of the most well-known and practiced multisport event is the triathlon.  The triathlon is an endurance race that entails a swimming portion, a cycling portion, and a running portion where a continuous time of all three is combined for a time total.  Triathlon is not the only multisport however.  Other events are the duathlon, biathlon, decathlon and even adventure races or obstacle courses.  

Now, some of those races and events are very popular, but others may just seem like Greek words.  The one thing that they all have in common is that they are long, difficult, and test the endurance of not just the body, but also the mind.  It would seem that these races might not be that popular due to these traits, but according to USA Triathlon, triathlon participation in the United States is at an all-time high, following unprecedented growth over the past decade1.  In addition, an article posted by an Active writer reported that non-traditional endurance events saw a dramatic increase in participation during a four year period, whereas traditional endurance events, the marathon and half-marathon specifically, saw only modest increases in participation during the same four years2.  This goes to show that many people are beginning to participate in more multisport events and not just the typical endurance event that only tests an individual in one athletic modality.

However, with the growing popularity of multisport there comes an increased chance of  non-experienced athletes joining these events.  This is not a bad thing, but it could increase the likelihood that these athletes do not know how to correctly train in an intelligent and injury free manner.  This is where strength and conditioning professionals come into play.

References:

1. About Multisport. (n.d.). Retrieved September 18, 2016, from https://www.teamusa.org/usa-triathlon/about/multisport
2. Schuckies, B. E. (n.d.). The Rise of Obstacle Course Races. Retrieved September 18, 2016, from v chttp://www.active.com/running/articles/the-rise-of-obstacle-course-races mk