Breaking Down Barriers: Empowering Women to Participate in Adventure Triathlons

Looking at our Event stats over the years, we were pretty pleased to see the gender split has improved significantly from 30/70 in 2023 to 42/58 in 2024. However, we appreciate there is still more we can do to help break down barriers that may prevent women from attending our events and experiencing incredible adventures.

We recognise that there is a huge amount of women out there itching to get on triathlons, hit the trails with their mates and experience the thrills of pushing yourself on an event. Equally, there are many factors that are at play when it comes to signing on the dotted line, getting to the start line... never mind, reaching the finish line! That is why we are pledging to do more than ever to create a welcoming, inclusive environment for all. We want more awesome women at our events absolutely rocking it and creating a positive cycle of inspiring other women to follow suit. 

Lets explore our journey and how we plan to do this... 

For the past two years, we have enjoyed heading to the Adventure Sports Events Conference to catch some impressive speakers and connect with likeminded people. One moment stood out back in 2023 during Martin Stone’s talk, the Managing Director at SiEntries that inspired us to begin this conversation. Martin shared that the gender split in adventure events was roughly 30% female to 70% male. We couldn’t help but smile at the time, confident that our own events had a much higher proportion of female participants. However, once we were number crunched back at the office, we were taken aback to discover that our own gender split in fact mirrored the industry average. 

This realisation prompted us to reflect on why we assumed differently and look at how we could go about improving that figure and making a tangible positive impact. Here's what we uncovered and how we’ve been breaking down barriers to encourage more women to join...

Why Did We Think We Had More Female Participants?

We believe our assumption stemmed from event-day interactions as we noticed that we often engaged with more women than men throughout the day. At registration, for instance, women are often the ones approaching us with questions about the challenge - typically asking about phone signal, kit requirements, weather conditions, and logistics such as transitions and toilets.

As the day unfolds, these interactions continue. On the course, women frequently seek reassurance and guidance—whether it’s about the length of the cycle hills or the terrain on the trekking route. At the finish line, we often reunite with these same participants. We share in their pride and joy as they celebrate achieving something outside their comfort zones. Many are participating with friends, pushing themselves together and supporting each other every step of the way. It's a pretty electric atmosphere! 

These genuine, meaningful connections gave us the impression that women made up a larger proportion of our participants than the data revealed.

Why Do We Want Female Participation to increase?

At The Adventure Element, we get to see first-hand how transformative participation in an adventure triathlon can be. The finish line buzzes as participants celebrate with a newfound sense of confidence, resilience and camaraderie. We want to create an environment that promotes inclusivity and helps to inspire more women to step into the world of adventure so they too can revel in this sense of achievement. 

From talking to our charity partners, we know that increasing female participation is also key for them, because, put simply, women tend to raise more money than their male counterparts. This is attributed to their ability to leverage their social connections and networks, personalised storytelling (they are often more closely connected to the cause) and a collective approach to fundraising.  

We realised that the sense of jubilation at the finish line goes beyond having conquered the course – it’s often deeply tied to their emotional connection to the charity they’re supporting. Knowing they’ve made a tangible difference to a cause they care about amplifies their sense of accomplishment and adds an extra layer of meaning to their experience.

How are we breaking down the barriers?

We know that logistical, cultural and emotional obstacles can deter women from participating. Here’s what we’re doing to address these challenges:

Staffing

60% of our event staff are women, aged 40-60. On event day, we feel this helps to provide a sense of reassurance, approachability and camaraderie with participants. Many of our participants are non-athletes – those who aren’t necessarily used to long distances in the saddle, on foot and especially on the water. We’ve been told by female participants that when the first staff member they see at registration matches their age and gender, it feels a lot less intimidating to go and ask all the things they’re nervous about.

Facilities

Let’s talk toilets! For women this is often a top concern at large events. Women often have to wait in long lines to use the toilet and while this is annoying at the best of times, it adds to the pressure when participating in a timed triathlon. The suggested industry standard is one toilet to every 50 participants, but we go above and beyond with a 1:40 ratio. Toilets are strategically placed at the hub and transition zones, and we provide maps to ensure participants know where and when facilities are available. We also upgrade our portaloos and offer separate male and female changing areas to enhance comfort.

Challenge Level

Our adventure triathlons are designed to be achievable yet rewarding. Though the distance or difficulty of each separate discipline may not seem overwhelming, the combination creates a significant but manageable challenge. We know that many women signing up to our events have done so primarily because of their emotional connection to the charity, with the challenge itself coming secondary. We want to emphasise that our events aren’t exclusively for elite athletes – they’re for anyone who is craving a challenge and they’re just as much about personal growth and achievement than they are about competing.  We encourage participants to think of the triathlon as ‘a day in three parts’, breaking the challenge into a manageable sections and tackle it step by step.

Safety

Safety is a top priority for many women, and we understand that the idea of participating in an event can sometimes feel daunting. Our reputation for safety and client well-being is a responsibility we take very seriously.  All our event staff are highly experienced and qualified (we never use volunteers), meaning our events run smoothly and our clients are well supported every step of the way.

We partner with specialist teams for every aspect of our events, providing expert tailored support to each phase. During the cycle stage, roaming mechanics are on hand to assist; on the water phase, participants are accompanied throughout; and during the trek, marshals are frequently stationed along the route. Additionally, for our larger events, we employ an independent safety team, including a paramedic, response team, and fully equipped ambulance with a 4x4 response vehicle.

On our events, participation is based on being in a team of two or four, so you’re never on your own. Each team is equipped with a tracker, but it’s not about who crosses the finish line first. Our live tracking system allows us to monitor all teams in real time, ensuring that if anyone happens to wander off course, we’ll know exactly where they are. Rest assured; you won’t get lost!

Safety is a crucial consideration for everyone, but we recognise that it can be an especially significant concern for women. We take extra care to ensure our events prioritise the safety and well-being of all participants, with a particular sensitivity to creating an environment where women feel confident and secure.

Visibility and representation

Representation matters. When promotional materials overwhelmingly feature men, it’s easy for women to feel like adventure triathlons aren’t ‘for them’. That’s why our social media, blogs, and event packs prominently feature female participants. By showcasing their stories, we hope it will normalise female participation and welcome newcomers to join.  

A year of progress

A year on, we attended the same conference listened to Sophie Power from She Races, who shared practical advice on breaking down barriers for women in adventure events. A lot of the advice they gave to increase female participation on events we realised we had already done over the course of the year. Reflecting on her talk, we were proud to realise that many of the recommendations she highlighted were changes we had already implemented over the past year. With that in mind, we revisited our 2024 participation data—and the results were incredibly encouraging.

The gender split, which stood at 30/70 last year, has improved significantly to 42/58. Even more exciting, some events saw female participation reach as high as 60%. This progress motivates us to continue building inclusive and welcoming experiences that inspire more women to take part. While there’s still work to do, it’s a step in the right direction, and we’re excited to keep improving.

What are your thoughts?

The current industry gender gap suggests that barriers—whether logistical, cultural, or emotional—are holding women back. By understanding these obstacles and addressing them, we can help to create a more inclusive environment and inspire more women to step into this world of adventure. We aim to inspire confidence, foster inclusivity and show how that these experiences are for everyone. If you’ve joined us on one of our events, we’d love to hear about your experience. Your stories and feedback are invaluable in helping us continue to grow and support future participants!

Get in touch with the team to share your ideas, feedback and thoughts. As Greta Thunberg once said "no one is too small to make a difference".