If you can’t picture yourself running a marathon, then imagine swimming and biking for several hours before the marathon starts. This is what triathlons entail, and while they’re all difficult, a few are so brutal they make the average event look like a cakewalk. Which triathlons take the cake?
Toughest Triathlons: SavageMan
For many triathletes, the SavageMan is the most extreme triathlon on the planet. What makes the SavageMan so tough? The answer, according to participants, is a street with a hill so steep that locals refer to it as a wall. Of course, it doesn’t help that the street is paved with cobblestones. Those who reach the top of this monster without getting off their bikes will have done something many of the world’s best triathletes have failed to accomplish. Who will be this year’s king of the hill?
Toughest Triathlons: Altriman
Those who are looking for a challenge won’t find one bigger than the Pyrenees. Located on the border between France and Spain, these rugged mountains provide the backdrop for a demanding triathlon called the Altriman. Like the SavageMan, the Altriman is famous for its punishing bike route. Those who finish the Altriman will enjoy major bragging rights. They’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing they conquered one of Europe’s toughest triathlons. Very few will be equal to the challenge.
Toughest Triathlons: Silverman
For those who like to turn up the heat, the Silverman is the triathlon from hell. Unlike most triathlons, the Silverman takes place in one of the world’s most inhospitable environments. Those who compete in the Silverman can expect to face not only other triathletes but the cruel mountains and unforgiving temperatures of the Mojave Desert. It is this combination of heat and altitude that makes the Silverman one of the most grueling tests of endurance ever devised. Many triathletes will enter the Silverman, but only the fittest will beat the heat.
Competing in triathlons requires almost superhuman endurance. The world’s toughest triathlons require even more.
