“We’ve come a long way, but the ethos remains the same” – Outlaw Triathlon Race Director on 15 years of daring to do things differently

Outlaw Triathlon events have become a staple on the UK racing calendar. Starting off as just one full distance event in its home of Nottingham, Outlaw now has three jam-packed multisport event weekends over the triathlon race season.

Back in September 2024, we caught up with founder Iain Hamilton to get his reaction after IRONMAN announced their new UK full distance race, IRONMAN Leeds, set to take place on the same weekend as Outlaw Nottingham full. And while Hamilton was honest about his concerns, he was also heartened by the reaction of the triathlon community – telling TRI247: “By the end of the day, I found myself smiling again, reading so many positive comments about Outlaw. People were talking about how much they love our athlete-focused approach…”

As Outlaw celebrates 15 years of swim-bike-run action in 2025, we caught up with ‘the other race director’ Adam Moffat, who oversees much of the crucial operational side of the events. To find out more about what makes Outlaw so special – and how the triathlon community inspire the team to keep going.

“We designed an event we wanted to do, that bit was simple.” How Outlaw started

It’s hard to imagine a time when UK-based athletes’ Instagram feeds weren’t flooded with orange carpet finisher photos each summer. But how did Outlaw come into existence? “We’d been organizing events since 1991 and noticed the growing popularity of long-distance triathlons in the UK. Back then, the options were limited, and the quality of events often left a lot to be desired,” Adam explains.

“In 2009, we conducted a feasibility study, visiting events like Challenge Roth and others to learn from the best. This inspired us to create the Outlaw, and our first event took place in August 2010.”

How it started: A throwback to the inaugural Outlaw triathlon in 2010 – pre-Orange carpet!

“From the start, we prioritized making the event spectator-friendly… We also collaborated with local triathlon clubs because they truly understand the needs of athletes, whether it’s manning feed stations, transitions, or other key areas. We designed an event that we wanted to do, that bit was simple.”

Why ‘Outlaw’?

“Initially, we only envisioned one event, not the series it has become. The name “Outlaw” tied into our Nottingham roots, with its connection to Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest. It also reflected our independent spirit, as we weren’t part of the Ironman brand.”

Flash floods and a Jaffa cake shortage – overcoming challenges and learning on the go

While Outlaw, from a participant perspective, is a finely oiled machine. For those working behind the scenes it’s not always been plain sailing. “Looking back at 2010, we had no idea what we were doing in some areas,” Adam reflects.

“For example, we didn’t fully consider the importance of timing, that it is within reason a full 24 hour event —like ensuring transition areas were well-lit before, during, and after the race.”

“And we underestimated how much athletes would consume things like crisps and Jaffa Cakes – in the first year, those didn’t last long! We are very proud that we’ve never ran out of water at an Outlaw, following each event, we calculate how much water, High5, coke each person has drank, it’s not very glamorous, but neither is running out of nutrition for the athletes.”

“Over the years, we’ve had flash floods which caused to us cancel the bike, toxic water so we changed the event format the day before, gale force winds so no disc wheels allowed, and major heat wave with athletes racing in 30’+ – which isn’t normal in the UK.”

“The ethos remains the same” – How it’s going, 15 years later

From one full distance race, to three full Outlaw weekends across two locations (Holkham and Nottingham), with a suite of middle distance, short course and Aquabike racing. There’s been plenty of changes and innovation over the years as Outlaw has grown with the times. But somethings will always stay the same, Adam highlights.

Billy Monger at Outlaw Half Nottingham 2024 [Photo Credit: Two26 Photography]

“There are so many changes now… Our full time staff team has now grown, but we are committed to staying available and front of house. Most of our staff are the same as when we originally started The Outlaw. The operational team has increased but is still lead by myself & Steve Paley.”

“Athletes are much faster now. It took years to break the nine-hour barrier, but we’re now seeing times closer to eight hours.”

“To support a broader range of athletes, we’ve adjusted cut off times, particularly for the swim and bike, while balancing these changes with road closure constraints set by local authorities.” 

Supporting women on start lines and making triathlon more accessible

“We now have specific women-only portaloos on the route, with women welfare packs included. We work really hard to ensure we are fully inclusive, we now have specific deferral policy for athletes that get pregnant as another example of changes we’ve made.”

“We were unique when we launched Outlaw to include relays. Ironman did not allow Relays, but we knew we had to be different & more inclusive.”

Photo Credit: Outlaw Triathlon

“A couple of years ago we re-assessed what we were doing and what additional activities we could introduce into our weekends. We decided that we would try to have a multisport offer on both Saturdays & Sundays. Events with smaller barriers to entry: lower fees, short events but still with the same Outlaw beliefs. Hence every event we organise finishes along the orange carpet and offers the same high quality event experience. And as we now go into our second year of full weekends, we can see entry numbers increasing, especially on the Saturday. That’s encouraging for us, but also for triathlon as a sport.

“More recently, we’ve added Aquabike for people unable to run, and we’ve seen up to 10% of the entries coming from Aquabike entries.”

“Everyone has the same goal… get to the orange carpet”

“The Outlaw has grown into a celebrated series, but at its heart, it’s still about delivering the best experience for athletes and their supporters. We’ve come a long way, but the ethos remains the same: an inclusive, supportive, and memorable race experience for everyone involved.”

“The camaraderie between athletes, volunteers and spectator provide the fun, Outlaw events really are very friendly, everyone has the same goal…get to the orange carpet.”

Last year when we spoke to Outlaw founder, Iain Hamilton, about the clash with IRONMAN Leeds he acknowledged the challenge it posed – but also the hope that had come from the Outlaw community: “I’m not gonna lie – Ironman will have an impact. But right now, we’re feeling hopeful, and that’s all thanks to the incredible positivity from our triathlon community.”

And race director Adam echoes that sentiment. “Organising Outlaws are a whirlwind, no two events are the same —long days, plenty of problem-solving, and the odd last-minute curveball, normally something to do with the weather more recently. Seeing it all come together on race day makes it worth every bit of effort, I do sometimes pinch myself that it’s what we do for work.”

“It’s the people that keep us going, as much as the events are really hard work we have a great time organising them. From the people we chat to, who never thought they’d make it to the finish. To the regular athletes chasing a PB. The crew & volunteers who come back year after year because they love the atmosphere and get together with their friends again. There’s nothing quite like the buzz of race weekends.

“It’s hard work, sure, but giving people a stage to push themselves, achieve their goals, and create memories, that is what inspires me.”

Inspired to experience that Outlaw orange carpet for yourself? Take a look at our Outlaw Race Guides for everything you need to know:

Outlaw Half Holkham race guide

Outlaw Nottingham race guide