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Triathlon

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Sports

   The three events of the triathlon (from left to right): Swimming,
   cycling, running
   The three events of the triathlon (from left to right): Swimming,
   cycling, running

   Triathlon is an athletic event consisting of swimming, cycling and
   running over various distances. 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, cycling, and
   running 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

   According to triathlon historian and author Scott Tinley, the origin of
   Triathlon is anecdotally attributed on a race in France during the
   1920-1930s 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 also articles in French newspapers about a race in Marseille in
   1927. There is a 1934 article about "Les Trois Sports" (the three
   sports) in the city of Rochelle, a race with: (1) a channel crossing
   (c. 200 m), (2) a bike competition (10 km) around the harbour of
   Rochelle and the parc Laleu, and (3) a run (1200 m) in the stadium
   André-Barbeau.

Modern triathlon

   Since the 1930s, very little was heard about triathlon until 1974 at
   San Diego's Mission Bay in Southern California, where a group of
   friends began training together. This occurrence is well-documented and
   was not based on the French events. 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.

   The first modern long-distance triathlon event (2.4 mile (3.86
   kilometer) swim, 112 mi (180.2 km) bike ride, and a 26.2 mi (42.2 km)
   run) was the Hawaiian Iron Man Triathlon, the idea for which arose
   during the awards ceremony for the 1977 Oahu Perimeter Relay (a running
   race for 5-person teams). Among the participants were numerous
   representatives of both the Mid-Pacific Road Runners and the Waikiki
   Swim Club, whose members had long been debating which athletes were
   more fit: runners or swimmers. On this occasion, U.S. Navy Commander
   John Collins pointed out that a recent article in Sports Illustrated
   magazine had declared that Eddy Merckx, the great Belgian cyclist, had
   the highest recorded " maximum oxygen uptake" of any athlete ever
   measured, so perhaps cyclists were more fit than anyone. CDR Collins
   and his wife, Judy, had taken part in the triathlons staged in 1974 and
   1975 by the San Diego Track Club in and around Mission Bay, California,
   as well as the Optimist Sports Fiesta Triathlon in Coronado, California
   in 1975. A number of the other military athletes in attendance were
   also familiar with the San Diego races, so they understood the concept
   when CDR Collins suggested that the debate should be settled through a
   race combining the three existing long-distance competitions already on
   the island: the Waikiki Roughwater Swim (2.4 mi./3.862 km), the
   Around-Oahu Bike Race (115 miles; originally a two-day event) and the
   Honolulu Marathon (26.219 mi./42.195 km). It is worth noting that no
   one present had ever done the bike race so did not realize it was a
   two-day, not one-day, event; CDR Collins calculated that, by shaving 3
   miles off the course and riding counter-clockwise around the island,
   the bike leg could start at the finish of the Waikiki Rough Water and
   end at the Aloha Tower, the traditional start of the Honolulu Marathon.
   Prior to racing, each athlete received three sheets of paper listing a
   few rules and a course description. Handwritten on the last page was
   this exhortation:

   “ Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of
                                   your life!                              ”

                       — CDR Collins, (1978)

   With a nod to a local runner who was notorious for his demanding
   workouts, Collins said, "Whoever finishes first, we'll call him the
   Iron Man." Of the fifteen men to start off the in early morning on
   February 18th, 1978, twelve completed the race and the world's first
   IRONMAN®, Gordon Haller, completed in 11 hours, 46 minutes, and 58
   seconds

   Today, a number of triathlon events over varying distances are held
   around the world. The standard "Olympic Distance" of 1.5/40/10k was
   created by long time triathlon race director, Jim Curl in the mid-80's
   after he and partner Carl Thomas successfully produced the U.S.
   Triathlon Series between 1982 and 1997. USTS, as it was known, did more
   to bring accessible triathlons to the masses than any other group. The
   Hawaii Ironman Triathlon now serves as the Ironman world championship,
   but the entity that owns the race, the World Triathlon Corporation,
   hosts other triathlons around the world that are also called Ironmans.
   Long-distance multi-sport events organized by groups other than the
   World Triathlon Corporation may not officially be called "Ironman"
   races. Such triathlons may be described as "Iron-distance" or
   "Half-Ironman", but the "Ironman" label is the official property of the
   World Triathlon Corporation.

   The International Triathlon Union (ITU) was founded in 1989 as the
   international governing body of the sport, with the chief goal being to
   put triathlon on the Olympic program. The ITU has never officially
   sanctioned the Ironman Triathlon. Some believe that the Hawaii Ironman
   should be recognized as the official world championship for the sport
   as a whole, and as such should be sanctioned by the ITU. For its part,
   however, the ITU has expressed little interest in supporting longer
   distance triathlon, choosing to retain its focus instead on the shorter
   races geared toward the Olympics.

   The sport made its debut on the Olympic program at the Sydney Games in
   2000 over the Olympic Distance (1500 m swim - 40 km bike - 10 km run).

   Since its founding, triathlon has grown significantly and now includes
   thousands of races with hundreds of thousands of competitors worldwide
   each year. The history of the sport is documented in Scott Tinley's
   book, "Triathlon: A Personal History" (Velo Press, 2002).

Standard race distances

   The ITU accepts a 5% margin of error in the cycle and run course
   distances.
   Name Swim Bicycle Run Notes
   Kids of Steel 100 - 500 m
   5-15 km
   1-5 km
   Distances vary with age of athlete. See: Ironkids
   Super Sprint 400 m
   (0.25 mi) 10 km
   (6.2 mi) 2.5 km
   (1.5 mi) Distances vary, but this is a standard Super Sprint course.
   Sprint 750 m
   (0.5 mi) 20 km
   (12.4 mi) 5 km
   (3.1 mi) A 500 m swim is also common. The Sprint Distance is the
   fastest growing triathlon race distance in the United States
   Olympic 1.5 km
   (0.93 mi) 40 km
   (24.8 mi) 10 km
   (6.2 mi) Also known as "international distance", "standard course", or
   "short course".
   ITU-Long Distance 3.0 km
   (1.86 mi) 80 km
   (49.6 mi) 20 km
   (12.4 mi) Shortened in 2006
   Half-Ironman 1.9 km
   (1.2 mi) 90 km
   (56 mi) 21.09 km
   (13.1 mi) Also called an "Ironman 70.3", or "medium distance".
   Triathlon one 0 one 3.0 km
   (1.86 mi) 130 km
   (80.6 mi) 30 km
   (18.6 mi) Made debut in 2007
   Ironman 3.8 km
   (2.4 mi) 180 km
   (112 mi) 42.195 km
   (26.2 mi) marathon Also known as "iron distance" or "long distance".

   Though there can be some variation in race distances, particularly
   among short triathlons, most triathlons conform to one of those above
   standards.

   The International Triathlon Union sanctions and organizes a World Cup
   series of Olympic distance races (13 in 2004) each year, culminating in
   an annual World Championship for both elite pro-triathletes and
   age-groupers. The professional world cup races are conducted in a draft
   legal format for the bike leg.

   The World Triathlon Corporation sanctions and organizes a series of
   Ironman and Ironman 70.3 distance races each year. These races serve as
   qualifying events for the World Championships held annually in
   Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i (October, Ironman) and Clearwater, Florida
   (November, Ironman 70.3).

Nonstandard variations

     * Equilateral Triathlon: A triathlon in which each leg takes
       approximately equal time.

     * Formula One Triathlon: An event that consists of a swim-bike-run
       combination in multiple groups.

     * Ultraman Triathlon: An Ultra-long distance triathlon covering 320
       miles.

     * Off-road triathlon: Consists of swimming, mountain biking and trail
       running. The best-known series of these races is known as XTerra.

     * Winter Triathlon: Typically includes two events of either Cross
       country skiing, mountain biking or outdoor-ice speed skating and
       finishes with running.

     * Aquathlon: Composed of only swimming and running stages.

     * Duathlon: Comprised of a running stage, a cycling stage and another
       running stage.

How a triathlon works

   In a typical triathlon, event organisers take advantage of a host
   town's hospitality. The racers arrive at the venue about an hour (or
   more) before the race is to begin, to set up their spot in the
   "transition area". Here they will generally have a rack to hold their
   bicycle and a small area of ground space for shoes, clothing, etc. In
   some races, the bicycle stage does not finish in the same place it
   begins, and athletes will set up two transition areas, one for the
   swim-to-bike transition, and one for the bike-to-run transition.

   Racers are generally categorized into separate professional and amateur
   groups; amateurs are often referred to as "age groupers" who form the
   great majority of triathletes. One feature that has helped to boost the
   popularity of such a complex time-intensive sport is the opportunity to
   compete against others of one's own gender and age group. The age
   groups are typically set at between five and ten year intervals.

   In some triathlons, amateur athletes may have the option to compete
   against others in heavier-weight divisions. "Clydesdale" athletes are
   those men generally over 200 pounds, while "Athena" athletes are women
   generally over 150 pounds. This is not officially sanctioned in any of
   the professional or Olympic events.

   There is usually (as in most marathons) a lower age limit (typically
   18) for the longer triathlons (all of the 5 events listed above) but
   many shorter races have been organized to allow children and teens to
   compete in triathlon.

   After transitions are set up, the athletes don their swim gear and head
   to the swim area-- usually a lake, river, or the ocean--for the race
   start. Depending on the type and size of the race, either all the
   athletes will enter the water at a single signal ("mass start",
   traditional in Iron-distance races), in waves spaced every few minutes,
   usually by age group (wave starts are more common in shorter races
   where a large number of amateur athletes are competing), or individual
   "time trial" starts where the athletes enter the water one at a time,
   usually 3-5 seconds apart.

   The swim leg usually proceeds around a series of marked buoys and exits
   the water near the transition area. Racers run out of the water and
   attempt to change from their swim gear into cycling gear as rapidly as
   possible. In some of the earliest races, tents were provided for
   changing clothes. In the modern day, however, competition and pressure
   for time has led to the development of specialized triathlon clothing
   that is adequate for both swimming and cycling, meaning many racers'
   transitions consist of little more than removing goggles and pulling on
   a helmet and cycling shoes. (In some cases racers leave shoes attached
   to their bicycle pedals and slip their feet into them while riding.
   Professionals often don't even wear socks.)

   The cycling stage proceeds around a marked course and finishes back at
   the transition area, where racers rack their bicycles and change
   quickly into running shoes before heading out for the final stage. The
   run finishes at a finish line usually near the start and transition
   areas.

   In most races, "aid stations" located on the bike and run courses
   provide water and energy drinks to the athletes as they pass through.
   Aid stations at longer events will often provide various types of food
   as well, including such items as energy bars and gels, fruit, cookies,
   and ice.

Rules of triathlon

   Traditionally, triathlon is an individual sport: each athlete is
   competing against the course and the clock for the best time. As such,
   athletes are not allowed to receive assistance from anyone else inside
   or outside the race, with the exception of race-sanctioned aid
   volunteers who distribute food and water on the course. This also means
   that team tactics, such as drafting, a cycling tactic in which several
   riders cluster closely to reduce the air resistance of the group, are
   not allowed.

   This has begun to change with the introduction of triathlon into the
   Olympic Games. Many Olympic-distance races, including the Olympics
   themselves and ITU World Cup events, now allow drafting during the
   cycling stage. This change has sparked extensive debate among the
   triathlon community, with supporters feeling that it brings triathlon
   rules closer in line with international cycling rules and practices,
   and opponents feeling that drafting has the potential to negate gains
   achieved by an individual in the swim, and gains an individual would
   have the potential to achieve during the cycling leg. Drafting has
   become the standard format for professional-level ITU events and the
   Olympics. However, the majority of amateur events retain the
   non-drafting format.

   Triathlons are timed in sections: 1) from the start of the swim to the
   beginning of the first transition (swim time); 2) from the beginning of
   the first transition to the end of the first transition (T1 time); 3)
   from the start of the cycling to the end of the cycling leg (cycling
   time); 4) from the beginning of the second transition to the end of the
   second transition (T2 time); 5) and finally from the start of the run
   to the end of the run, at which time the triathlon is completed.
   Results are usually posted on official websites and will show for each
   triathlete his/her swim time; cycle time (with transitions included);
   run time; and total time. Some races also post transition times
   separately.

   Other rules of triathlon vary from race to race and generally involve
   descriptions of allowable equipment (such as wetsuits, which are
   allowed in the swimming stage of some races -- generally when the water
   temperature is below 78 degrees Fahrenheit or 26 °C), and prohibitions
   against interference between athletes.

   One important rule involving the cycle leg is that the competitor must
   be wearing their bike helmet before the competitor mounts the bike and
   must remain on until the competitor has dismounted; the competitor may
   remove their helmet at anytime as long as they are not on the bicycle
   (i.e. while repairing a mechanicial problem). Failure to comply with
   this rule will result in disqualification.

   An interesting twist to the rules is that while on the bike course, a
   competitor is not required to ride their bicycle at all times. Should a
   competitor's bike malfunction they can proceed with the race as long as
   they are doing so with their bicycle in tow.

Professional competitions

   The world of professional triathlon is primarily split into three
   circuits:
     * The "short course", or Olympic-distance competitive circuit, run by
       the International Triathlon Union (ITU), which includes the ITU
       World Cup series and ITU World Championships. In 2004, the ITU
       World Cup included over 75 different events.
     * The "long course", or "Ironman" circuit, run by the World Triathlon
       Corporation (WTC), which culminates each year with the Hawaii
       Ironman World Championship. These races are not recognized as
       "official" by the ITU, but are unquestionably the best-known series
       of races in the sport.
     * The XTerra off-road triathlon championship series.

   In addition, the ITU has a Long Distance Triathlon series, with races
   slightly shorter (except for the swim) than the Ironman standard. This
   circuit is a new addition, with four annual events as of 2005. Many of
   the same athletes compete in Ironman and ITU Long Distance races.

   The term Ironman Triathlon is a trademark of the World Triathlon
   Corporation and refers to the series of races organised by the WTC.
   Races of this distance which are not organised by the WTC are commonly
   referred to as Iron Distance Triathlon.

Triathlon and fitness

   Triathletes tend to be extraordinarily fit, and many amateur athletes
   choose triathlon specifically for its fitness benefits. Because all
   three events are endurance sports, nearly all of triathlon training is
   cardiovascular exercise. In addition, since triathletes must train for
   three different disciplines, they tend to have more balanced whole-body
   muscular development than pure cyclists or runners, whose training
   emphasizes only a subset of their musculature.

Specialization of swimming, cycling and running in triathlon

   Each element of the triathlon is a little different from those sports
   if encountered alone. While amateur triathletes who also compete in
   individual swimming, cycling or running races generally apply the same
   techniques and philosophy to triathlon, seasoned triathletes and
   professionals have specialized techniques for each discipline that
   improve their race as a whole.

Swimming

   Triathletes competing in the swim component of race. Wetsuits are
   common but not universal
   Triathletes competing in the swim component of race. Wetsuits are
   common but not universal

   Triathletes will use their legs less vigorously and more carefully than
   other swimmers, conserving their leg muscles for the cycle and run to
   follow. Many triathletes use altered swim strokes to compensate for
   turbulent, aerated water and to conserve energy for a long swim. In
   addition, the majority of triathlons involve open-water (outdoor) swim
   stages, rather than pools with lane markers. As a result, triathletes
   in the swim stage must jockey for position, and can gain some advantage
   by drafting, following a competitor closely to swim in their
   slipstream. Triathletes will often use "dolphin kicking" and diving to
   make headway against waves, and body surfing to use a wave's energy for
   a bit of speed at the end of the swim stage. Also, open-water swims
   necessitate "sighting": raising the head to look for landmarks or buoys
   that mark the course. A modified stroke allows the triathlete to lift
   the head above water to sight without interrupting the swim or wasting
   energy.

   Because open water swim areas are often cold, specialized triathlon
   wetsuits have been developed. In addition to warmth, wetsuits add
   buoyancy and cut water resistance, both of which increase swimming
   speed. Wetsuits are only legal in sanctioned events with a water
   temperature equal to or below 78 degrees Fahrenheit (25.5 degrees
   Celsius). Some events allow wetsuits regardless of water temperature,
   and sometimes they are required. Or, in a single event, wetsuits may be
   allowed for "age groupers" but not for professionals, as the
   temperature rules differ slightly between the two groups.

Cycling

   Triathlon cycling, with the exception of Olympic triathlon and ITU
   World Cup races, is very different from most professional bicycle
   racing because it does not allow drafting, so racers do not cluster in
   a peloton. It more closely resembles individual time trial racing.
   Triathlon bicycles are generally optimized for aerodynamics, having
   special handlebars called "aero-bars" or "tri-bars", aerodynamic
   wheels, and other components. Triathlon bikes use a specialized
   geometry, including a steep seat-tube angle both to improve
   aerodynamics and spare muscle groups needed for running (see also
   Triathlon equipment). At the end of the bike segment, triathletes also
   often cycle with a higher " cadence" (revolutions per minute), which
   serves in part to keep the muscles loose and flexible for running. It
   is believed, though, that the primary benefit to spinning in a
   triathlon is that the strain of the effort is placed disproportionately
   on the slow twitch muscle fibers, preventing the athlete from
   accumulating an oxygen debt before the run.

Running

   The primary distinguishing feature of running in a triathlon is that it
   occurs after the athlete has already been exercising in two other
   disciplines for an extended period of time, so many muscles are already
   tired. The effect of switching from cycling to running can be very
   profound; first-time triathletes are often astonished at the bizarre,
   sometimes painful sensation in their thighs a few hundred yards into
   the run, and discover that they run at a much slower pace than they are
   accustomed to in training. Triathletes train for this phenomenon
   through transition workouts or "bricks": back-to-back workouts
   involving two disciplines, most commonly cycling and running. (The term
   "brick" has multiple claims of origination/derivation. Among those is
   the derivation from a partial anagram of Bike-Run. Also, it may simply
   be a descriptive term for how your legs feel for the first part of the
   run. Another is credited to Mark Sisson and Scott Zagarino (1988), who
   associated the term brick with the idea of "Just another brick in the
   wall"... as noted in a song by the group " Pink Floyd". Another
   association of this term has been claimed to originate from a New
   Zealand athlete by the name of Matt Brick.)

Legendary and well-known events

   Hundreds (perhaps thousands) of individual triathlons are held around
   the world each year. A few of these races are legendary and/or
   favorites of the triathlon community because they have a long history,
   or because they have particularly grueling courses and race conditions.
   A few are listed here.
     * Hawaii Ironman World Championship, Kona, Hawaii. First held in 1978
       on Oahu, only five years after the sport of triathlon was founded;
       it was later moved to Kailua-Kona on the island of Hawaii. The
       cycling stage of the race covers more than a hundred miles over
       lava flats on the big island of Hawaii, where mid-day temperatures
       often reach over 110°F (43°C) and cross-winds sometimes blow at 55
       MPH (90 km/h). The race is often challenging even to competitors
       with experience in other iron-distance events.

     * Nice Triathlon, Nice, France. A race that existed until 2002 when
       the course was adopted by the WTC as Ironman France. During the
       1980s the Nice Long Distance triathlon (Swim 4km, Bike 120km, Run
       30km) was, alongside the World Championships in Kona, one of the
       two important races each year with prize money and media attention.
       Mark Allen won here 10 consecutive times. The ITU's Long Distance
       was a Nice-Distance race until it was shortened in 2006.

     * Escape from Alcatraz, San Francisco, California. This
       non-standard-length race begins with a 1.5 mile (2.4 km) swim in
       frigid San Francisco Bay waters from Alcatraz Island to shore,
       followed by an 18 mile (29 km) bicycle and 8 mile (13 km) run in
       the extremely hilly terrain of the San Francisco Bay area. The run
       includes the notorious "Sand Ladder"--a 400-step staircase climb up
       a beachside cliff.

     * Wildflower is a Half-Ironman distance race held on or near May 1st
       at Lake San Antonio in Southern California since 1983. In recent
       years it has become a highlight on the race-calendar of many
       professional triathletes. Known for a particularly hilly course, it
       has expanded now to include three races of different lengths and is
       one of the largest triathlon events in the world, with over 8,000
       athletes attending each year.

     * Life Time Fitness Triathlon. An Olympic distance race offering the
       largest professional prize purse in triathlon. The Women are given
       a headstart on the men by an amount of time that theoretically
       gives each gender an equal chance of winning. The men attempt to
       close the gap over the course of the swim, bike and run hopefully
       resulting in a sprint to the finish between the top male and female
       athletes.

     * HP Norseman Xtreme Triathlon. The race is the world’s toughest
       iron-distance. It is also the northmost iron-distance, taking place
       at the same latitude as Anchorage, Alaska. The race travels through
       some of the most beautiful parts of Norway, and is far from a
       regular circuit-race. HP Norseman starts in one of the beautiful
       fjords on the West Coast and finishes inland at 1,850 meters above
       sea level. Total ascent is 5,000 meters.

Notable triathletes

   Winners of 3 or more world titles.

   Men

                                      Women
     * Mark Allen
     * Dave Scott
     * Simon Lessing
     * Peter Reid

                      * (1 ITU, 6 WTC)
                      * (6 WTC)
                      * (4 ITU)
                      * (3 WTC)

                                        * Paula Newby-Fraser
                                        * Natascha Badmann
                                        * Erin Baker
                                        * Emma Snowsill
                                        * Michellie Jones

                                                              * (8 WTC)
                                                              * (6 WTC)
                                                              * (1 ITU, 2 WTC)
                                                              * (3 ITU)
                                                              * (2 ITU, 1 WTC)

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