The 'Need To Know' Triathlon Page
Welcome to our offering of all the things you need to know about triathlon to help you increase your understanding of this quickly growing sport. For starters here is a little history on this tri sport phenomenon. Some historians believe the roots of the sport originated in the early 1900's in France though it did not begin as a swim, bike and run. Some of the earliest tri sport activities actually consisted of things like a run, bike and canoe race. Early versions of the triathlon which did include a swim instead of a canoe were often done in a different order than what we know today. The swim was often the final leg in the race with the run and the bike being interchangeable.
The modern triathlon originated in Mission Bay, San Diego, California in 1974. It was started by members of the San Diego Track Club and had 46 members compete in the first event. Since then the sport of triathlon has grown by leaps and bounds. Developing triathlon specific gear, offering a variety of race distances and creating a world wide brand in Ironman. The first long distance triathlon took place in Hawaii in 1978, and had 15 participants, twelve of whom completed the race. Finally, triathlon took its most recent step forward in sporting history when it was first introduced into the Olympic Games in the 2000 in Sydney Australia.
The modern triathlon originated in Mission Bay, San Diego, California in 1974. It was started by members of the San Diego Track Club and had 46 members compete in the first event. Since then the sport of triathlon has grown by leaps and bounds. Developing triathlon specific gear, offering a variety of race distances and creating a world wide brand in Ironman. The first long distance triathlon took place in Hawaii in 1978, and had 15 participants, twelve of whom completed the race. Finally, triathlon took its most recent step forward in sporting history when it was first introduced into the Olympic Games in the 2000 in Sydney Australia.
Race Distances
Super Sprint
400 Meter Swim, 6.2 Mile Bike, 1.5 Mile run
Sprint Distance
400-500 Meter Swim, 12.4 Mile Bike, 3.1 Mile Run
Olympic (International) Distance
1.5 km (0.93 Mile) Swim, 24.8 Mile Bike, 6.2 Mile Run
Half Ironman Distance
1.2 Mile Swim, 56 Mile Bike, 13.1 Mile Run
Full Ironman Distance
2.4 Mile Swim, 112 Mile Bike, 26.2 Mile Run
It is important to note that these are not strictly designated distances, many of the shorter distance races will vary based on the course and the design by the race director. The longer distance (Ironman) races may be changed at times due to weather or other unforseen conditions, though this happens less frequently.
