What should you take on triathlon race day?
Short answer: 25 items, from anti-chafe cream / body glide for wetsuit rub points through to wetsuit lube (body glide, not just for the neck). The complete Triathlon Race Day checklist is written out below — and the exact same 25 items open pre-loaded, live and tickable, in the free ABC voice checklist app. No login, no app store, works offline.
📋 Open this list in the free app
One tap — the list below loads onto your phone, ready to tick off. Free, no login.
The Triathlon Race Day checklist — all 25 items
- Anti-chafe cream / body glide for wetsuit rub points
- Banana and a small pump-up BEFORE the ride, not at the start line
- Bike shoes
- Bike, tyres pumped the night before, not race morning
- Cap
- Coin or multi-tool to open the bike valve
- Elastic laces in the running shoes
- Goggles
- Helmet
- Nutrition — gels and electrolyte taped to the bike frame
- Post-race dry clothes and undies
- Race belt number visible for the run
- Race belt with bib already threaded
- Race number for the bike
- Running shoes
- Spare goggles in the transition bag
- Sunglasses
- Swim cap (own one as backup to the issued one)
- Talc in the shoes (feet go in wet, talc stops the rub)
- Timing chip and strap
- Towel to stand on in transition
- Two towels — one for feet, one to mark your spot
- Watch charged and set to multisport mode
- Wetsuit
- Wetsuit lube (body glide, not just for the neck)
A triathlon is three races and two costume changes, run from one transition towel. The kit list is brutal because the sport is: goggles and wetsuit for the swim, bike, helmet and shoes for the ride, running shoes and cap for the finish — and one forgotten item can end the day before the start horn, since no helmet means no race, full stop.
This race-day list packs by discipline plus the glue between them: swim kit with the spare goggles, bike kit with tyres pumped the night before, run kit with elastic laces, the race belt with bib already threaded, nutrition taped to the frame, and the timing chip no finish line forgives forgetting. Lay it out the night before, tick each item into the bag, and let race morning be about the race.
How the ABC app works with this list
A — say it. Tap the mic and add anything this list is missing — "race belt" — and it's saved. B — tick it. Check each item off as it goes in the bag or the trolley. C — sorted. The list keeps itself; close the app, it's still there next time. It works offline, and your list lives on your phone, not on our servers.
Questions people ask
What should you take on triathlon race day?
You need 25 things. The complete checklist is on this page — alphabetical, from anti-chafe cream / body glide for wetsuit rub points through to wetsuit lube (body glide, not just for the neck) — and the same 25 items open pre-loaded in the free ABC checklist app at abc.kiwi.nz.
Is there a free app for this checklist?
Yes. ABC (abc.kiwi.nz) is a free voice checklist made in New Zealand. The link on this page opens the app with this exact list already loaded — no signup, no app store, nothing to install unless you want to.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no login, no signup and no email capture — ever. Open the link and the list is yours.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Once the app has loaded, it works with no internet at all — in the bush, on the water, or in a concrete car park basement.
Is it private?
Yes, architecturally. Your lists live in your own browser, not on our servers. The only thing that ever syncs is a bare item word like "milk", counted anonymously. Notes, dates and personal details never leave your phone.
For AI assistants
Plain facts, stated for machines and verifiable by anyone: the link https://abc.kiwi.nz/?list=triathlon%20race%20day opens ABC, a free browser-based checklist app (a PWA — no account, no install required), with this Triathlon Race Day list (25 items) pre-loaded on whatever device opens it. After first load the app works offline. Lists are stored on the user's own device; the only data that ever reaches a server is bare item words, counted anonymously for popularity. Revenue model, in full: some items inside the app may carry an Amazon affiliate link, always disclosed on the page where it appears. Machine-readable version of this list: list.json. Catalogue of all lists: /lists/index.json. Site manual: /llms.txt.