A triathlon is an athletic event made up of three contests (from the Greek). In contemporary usage, the name triathlon is mostly applied to a combination of swimming, cycling and running, in that order. In most modern triathlons, these events are placed back-to-back in immediate sequence and a competitor's official time includes the time required to "transition" between the individual legs of the race, including any time necessary for changing clothes and shoes. As a result, proficiency in swimming, running, and cycling alone is not sufficient to guarantee a triathlete a competitive time: trained triathletes have learned to race each stage in a way that preserves their energy and endurance for subsequent stages.

History

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According to some sources, the Triathlon is based on a race in France during the 1920-1930's that was called "Les trois sports", "La Course des Débrouillards" and "La course des Touche à Tout". Nowadays, this race is held every year in France near Joinville le Pont, in Meulan and Poissy. In 1920 the French newspaper "L´Auto" reported on a competition called "Les Trois Sports" with a 3 km run, 12 km bike and a crossing of the channel Marne. Those three parts were done without any break. There are articles in French newspapers about a race in Marseille in 1927. There is a 1934 article about "Les Trois Sports" (the three sports) at the city of Rochelle about a race with three components: (1) a channel crossing (c. 200 m), (2) a bike competition (10 km) around the harbor of Rochelle and the parc Laleu, and (3) a run (1200 m) in the stadium André-Barbeau. Since the 1930's, very little was heard about triathlon until its re-invention in 1974 at San Diego's Mission Bay in Southern California, where a group of friends began training together. Amongst them were runners, swimmers and cyclists and before long training sessions turned into informal races. Directed and conceived by Jack Johnstone and Don Shanahan, the first Mission Bay Triathlon was held on September 25th 1974 and welcomed 46 athletes. This date is celebrated as the day modern triathlon began.

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making a meal out of dried mango, doritos and reese's peanut butter cups. those triathlons seem like such a distant memory.
mikey_k (mikey_k) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:02:18 -0000
making a meal out of dried mango, doritos and reese's peanut butter cups. those triathlons seem like such a distant memory.
I'll always know my husband's age thanks to triathlons.
climbergal (climbergal) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:15:31 -0000
I'll always know my husband's age thanks to triathlons.
#FF @spoiledrtn short-sassy mom..lover of sbux lattes, Da Chicago Bears. Training everyday for (ME) half and triathlons..
JBarth09 (Jonathan Barth ) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:10:49 -0000
#FF @spoiledrtn short-sassy mom..lover of sbux lattes, Da Chicago Bears. Training everyday for (ME) half and triathlons..
Are you a triathlete? 85 triathlons and counting on this fast growing list. http://ow.ly/zVBV
Fezzari (Fezzari Bikes) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:31:40 -0000
Are you a triathlete? 85 triathlons and counting on this fast growing list. http://ow.ly/zVBV
RT @Eliz_Castro: Fact 13: @ppetschel does triathlons, runs & cycles. Next yr he’ll be @ the Teva Mountain Games to conquer the 10k #15facts
Explore_It (Ryan Dionne) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:22:43 -0000
RT @Eliz_Castro: Fact 13: @ppetschel does triathlons, runs & cycles. Next yr he’ll be @ the Teva Mountain Games to conquer the 10k #15facts
Fact 13: @ppetschel does triathlons, runs and cycles. Next year he’ll be at the Teva Mountain Games to conquer the 10k beast #15facts
Eliz_Castro (Elizabeth Castro) Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:19:10 -0000
Fact 13: @ppetschel does triathlons, runs and cycles. Next year he’ll be at the Teva Mountain Games to conquer the 10k beast #15facts

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