Peeing During Ironman – Toilet Stops, Wetsuits & On The Bike

An ironman is a triathlon that consists of a 2.4 mile swim followed by a 112 mile bike and a 26.2 mile run, making a total of 140.6 miles. While it doesn’t sound too difficult it needs to be done in a cut-off time of 17 hours.

Staying hydrated during Ironman is essential for anyone looking to compete over the Ironman distance. Dehydrating even a little can impact your performance adversely.

While drinking water and fluids aren’t the most tricky part, the real problem is peeing during Ironman. Though there are many other bigger problems to think about, knowing your urination options during the race can be a real life-saver.

In this post, we look at the options available to triathletes to urinate during Ironman and talk about the implications involved with each of them to find out what works the best.

Peeing During Ironman – What Are Your Options?

Ironman is a challenging race where you get the opportunity to compete with triathletes who spend months training on the bike and in the pool. While there is so much excitement about completing an Ironman, one of the most common concerns is peeing during the race. Most of us read horror stories about trying to urinate while riding.

Most riders don’t need to urinate often because of the production of the hormones reducing the need to pee when you perform an exercise. You also sweat a lot, eliminating the need to lose fluids through urination. However, it is not wrong to pee twice or more during an Ironman if you are drinking enough fluid to stay hydrated.

There are many convenient options when it comes to answering nature’s call during the event. While you can find portable toilets all along the routes to be easily accessible, triathletes often use their own options to save time and maintain their pace.

Peeing In Wetsuit

Ironman is an endurance test that exposes triathletes to so many challenges including discomfort and call of nature. . One of the options for participants to urinate during Ironman is to pee in the wetsuit. Though there are portable toilets along the sides of the course you probably won’t have time before the start gun goes off.

A lot of triathletes pee in their wetsuits and that’s normal. It is a common option for most athletes as the wetsuit is on long before the race starts. This ends up taking and considerable time to remove and an added stress before the gun goes off. This means a lot of athletes tend to urinate in the wetsuit while waiting for the race to begin. If you are thinking about this, it is advisable to have a bottle of water to wash off.

Ironman Toilet Stops

The perfect option to urinate during Ironman is to use the toilet stops placed at bike aid stations along the route. Cycists can find a bathroom every 12-15 miles of the course which is approximately 30 minutes for those who ride at 20 miles per hour.

During the Ironman run you can find toilet stops at all the aid stations which are 1-1.5 miles away. For most runners, these stops are accessible every 7-15 minutes depending on the speed.

The Ironman toilet stops are available for use to all the athletes so that they can stop whenever they need to pee and avoid getting disqualified by urinating on the track or in the clothing.

How Do Cyclists Pee?

If you have ever participated in a triathlon or preparing to participate, this question must have come to your mind. Whether you are just curious to find out or want the information to put into practice, peeing during cycling is a real challenge. Professional cyclists often ride for kilometers together, climb hills and descend at speeds.

Moving swiftly through these kilometers needs proper hydration and the right way to eliminate the fluids as well. While the frequency of urination during a race is different for different cyclists, the act of peeing when riding needs practice to succeed. Some cyclists pee on the bike by moving to the side and lifting up the shorts.

For others, there are options like stopping at a port-a-potty and taking a break to pee in the shorts. Cyclists often figure out during their training which strategy works the best for them. This saves a lot of time and discomfort on the race day.

Do Triathletes Pee On The Bike?

While it is a common notion that triathletes pee on the bike, it is not always true for everybody. Some riders have practiced urinating on the bike while others consider a different approach.

Most triathletes don’t need to pee a lot when riding unless they ride really slow. In this case, they can always stop at the port-a-potty station and urinate.

Another popular option triathletes consider is to stop for a while and pee on the side of the road. While this affects the time, some triathlons have nature breaks where everybody pees together.
Some triathletes just let it flow through their shorts while riding. While it is less likely to be judged for this act, it is actually against the rules of many races.

Another problem with peeing on the bike is that you lose some concentration and time as you focus on peeing.

Some triathletes even ask for help from other cyclists to push them along as they pee. This helps keep the speed and most cyclists are happy to help because everybody faces the same problem.

Ironman is a really exciting and challenging race, a one-of-a-kind of experience in life! We hope this guide helps you get the answer to your concern about peeing during Ironman and introduces you to the options available.

Whatever option you select, it is important that you don’t hold it because this will only add to the stress and disturb your focus.