Running, swimming and cycling for a thrilling challenge along the wonderful coastline of South Sardinia

On October 26 and 27, 2024, the unmissable appointment with Forte Village Triathlon returns with an exciting challenge which combines three of the most appreciated sport disciplines – running, swimmingand cycling – including for the first time the new Olympic distance, designed for who dares challenge himself or herself beyond personal limits.

1.5 km swimming, 40 km cycling and 10 km running, without any breaks or interruptions: this is triathlon, at least in its Olympic version. In fact, triathlon competitors must move from one discipline to the next without interruptions, showing off strength and endurance skills, but also good coordination, a mix of abilities which makes it a true complete sport, and not just the mere result of the sum of three single sports.

But this extraordinary discipline is much more. It is a challenge that each athlete accept to perform against himself or herself, against individual limits, a journey of more than one hour where the driving force is not only the personal sporting skills, but perhaps above all determination, force of will and mental resistance. The true beauty of triathlon lies precisely in this unique balance between body and mind: physical preparation is key, undoubtedly, but it is not enough to succeed.

In the transition between the three disciplines, it’s indeed the mind force that makes the difference. The temptation to stop or slow down can be pressing, but that is exactly when the real game begins and the mindset becomes the most precious resource for the athletes to move forward, to not give up when the body starts asking for a break. In other words, in this competition all participants have to surpass especially themselves before even surpassing the opponents.

In a way, this is what makes triathlon a “democratic” sport, despite being a rather tough challenge, or maybe the toughest. Thus, even those who want to approach the discipline for the first time can quickly notice great improvements and achieve their first satisfactions.

Moreover, unlike other much more famous sports, triathlon community is welcoming and supportive. During the races there’s a respectful atmosphere of healthy competition, and it is not uncommon to see athletes encouraging each other, regardless of their ranking or level of physical preparation, and celebrating each other’s successes, applauding and acknowledging the process for individual improvement.

Triathlon, a young yet truly appreciated sport

Although it is a fairly young sport, introduced in its “modern” version at the end of the 1970’s – more precisely in 1977, when on a heavenly beach in Honolulu, Hawaii, a group of friends found themselves wondering about which was the toughest physical competition in terms of endurance between the Waikiki Rough Water Swim, a 3.8 km swim, the Oahu Island round ride, an 180 km bike ride, and the Honolulu Marathon, a 42.195 km race, and then decided to combine these three challenges into a single competition, giving life to the modern triathlon – this sporting discipline has quickly attracted a growing number of professional athletes and amateurs, becoming today one of the most loved and well-known endurance sports in the world.

A popularity that reached its peak with the entry of this adrenaline-filled discipline into the Sydney 2000 Olympic competitions, and also with the diversification of challenge levels and the distances, which made triathlon even more accessible to amateurs.

Today the main types of triathlon are:

• Sprint Triathlon (750 m swimming, 20 km cycling and 5 km running), an excellent starting point for beginners or for those who want to get back into this sport after a long stop;
• Olympic Triathlon, or Standard Triathlon (1.5 km swimming, 40 km cycling and 10 km running), as the name suggests, is the official version of the Olympic Games;
• Medium Triathlon, also known as Half Iron-man or 70.3 (1.9 km swimming, 90 km cycling, 21.097 km running, so the classic half marathon) and the more extreme Iron-man Triathlon (3.8 km swimming, 180 km cycling and 42.2 km marathon), two advanced challenges which require an extraordinary level of physical and mental preparation, something that only a few people manage to achieve after years and years of hard work.

Whatever type of competition you choose, the reward consists of the great satisfaction of makint it and the amazing beauty of the extraordinary natural environments that’s needed to cross, sport after sport. A beauty that speaks to the heart like that of the southern coastline of Sardinia, which this year too will host the exciting Forte Village Triathlon.

Triathlon and beyond: sport feels like home at Forte Village Resort

The south-western coast of Sardinia, with its wild beauty and uncontaminated nature that frames coves and inlets by a crystalline sea, the most beautiful in Europe, becomes the perfect stage for an event that combines the love of sport and adventure with the desire to overcome one’s limits and be overwhelmed by the pure energy of athletes from all over Sardinia, and beyond.

On Saturday and Sunday, October 26 and 27, 2024, the unmissable Forte Village Triathlon returns, once again organized by the ASD Forte Village Sports Academy with the support of the Department of Public Education, Cultural Heritage, Information, Entertainment and Sport of the Sardinia Region, introducing for the first time the new Olympic distance. A flagship event in the calendar of autumn sporting events at Forte Village, which will also host the prestigious ITF Tournaments and the highly awaited Sport & Family Festival.

A full week, from October 26, 2024 to November 2, 2024, dedicated to sports and family, but also to relaxation, taste and lots of fun, with the opportunity for both adults and children to take part in lessons at one of the many Forte Village sports academies, including tennis, padel, pickleball and swimming, but also cycling, football, basketball and go-karting, and also special training sessions, such as swimming lessons with Domenico Fioravanti, bike rides with Fabio Aru and nutritional consultations in collaboration with Enervit. And don’t miss the chance to train for the triathlon competitions of 2025 season at the Triathlon Academy directed by the Italian champion Alessandro Degasperi.

A prestigious academy dedicated to teaching and promoting this unique discipline, with personalized programs for all levels, from beginners to expert athletes, that will enable everyone to approach the fascinating world of triathlon, with good attention to the features of the territory and the natural resources of Sardinia. The training sessions include swimming in the Sardinian crystalline sea, cycling along the panoramic roads that cross the lush Mediterranean nature of the south-western coast of the island and running on breathtaking paths or on a professional athletics track in Pula. Furthermore, a 25 m lane with salt water is also available to students, to reproduce the resistance of open water but in safer and controlled conditions.

Forte Village Triathlon 2024, an event between returns and many news

The 2024 edition of Forte Village Triathlon is all about emotion, healthy competition and passion for sport, but also commitment, dedication and perseverance, all values that have accompanied the participants in the recent Paris Olympics (and beyond) on their exciting journey, who will soon land on the beaches of Santa Margherita di Pula to make this event unforgettable for all the guests and the competing athletes.

Among them, Giacomo Gentili, silver medalist in rowing in Paris and special guest of the Forte Village Rowing Academy, who fully embraces the saying “the key is to participate” will make his debut in the triple, but also other exceptional special guests, including cycling champion Fabio Aru and swimming star Domenico Fioravanti, the first Italian to become an Olympic champion in lane swimming and the first athlete to win 100 m and 200 m breaststroke both in a single edition of the Olympic Games, who together with other champions will be the protagonists of meetings moderated by journalist Dario Nardone, where they will share their experience and inspire the audience to get involved and share the magic of sport and healthy competition with their friends and family.

A competition, Forte Triathlon, which for the first time is split into two, offering participants the opportunity to apply to two main races on the same event:

• Super Sprint Triathlon, the classic challenge scheduled for Sunday, October 27, 2024 at 8:00 am, a short course that will consist of 400 m swimming, 10 km cycling and 2.5 km running;
• Olympic Triathlon, a real novelty of this edition, also scheduled for the morning of October 27, 2024, at 9:30 am, in which participants will have to deal with 1.5 km swimming, 40 km cycling and 10 km running, individually or in a relay;

The appointment with the Youth Duathlon, dedicated to young athletes within the age of 6 to 15, is instead scheduled for the afternoon of Saturday, October 26, 2024.

Well-being, hospitality and taste, the exclusive offer by Forte Village for the athletes

Athletes will also be able to take advantage of discounted rates, both for registration for the races and for their overnight stays at one of the excellent facilities of the most beloved resort in Sardinia, a true flagship for active and conscious holidays, which makes the enhancement of the natural wonders of the territory and the opportunities they offer one of its greatest strengths.

But that’s not all: participants will also be able to benefit from the regenerating treatments of the Acquaforte Thalasso & Spa, with its unique thalassotherapy ideal for physical and mental recovery after the competition, and delight their palate with the gourmet cuisine of the starred restaurants hosted within the spaces of the Resort.

Here are the rates for the registration to the triathlon races:

• INDIVIDUAL OLYMPIC: € 130
• INDIVIDUAL SUPER SPRINT: € 60
• RELAY: € 240
• CAT. YOUTH: € 8
• CAT. JUNIOR: € 15
• CAT. U23-S1: € 25
• DUATHLON KIDS: € 8

Registration for the race includes BBQ after the race. Accompanying persons can purchase entry to the BBQ (€ 32 for adults and € 16 for kids), instead the Pasta Party on Saturday will be included only for residents of Forte Village. Other athletes and companions can access by purchasing an extra ticket.

As for the overnight stays at the Resort’s facilities, rates per night with half board (including breakfast and dinner) start from:

• Single room: € 145
• Double room: € 240
• Triple room: € 300

Therefore, all that’s left to do is preparing to experience the emotions and the adrenaline of triathlon and spend the last days of the season in the company of friends and family in one of the most enchanting locations on the island.

Registration for the Forte Village Triathlon is already open on the Endu official website. For further details and information on the Sport & Family Festival package and for booking your stay, please phone call to +390709218818 or write an email to holiday@fortevillage.com.

Do you want to experience the emotions of Triathlon and spend a dream holiday in a true paradise? Discover the Forte Village Resort in Sardinia