Tri-Sport Epping

The first recognised triathlons emanated from Southern California where the San Diego Track Club used various multi-sport combinations as their club training events.  The first triathlon using swimming, cycling and running (although not in that order) was organised by Jack Johnstone and Don Shanahan and sponsored by the San Diego Track Club; it took place on September 25^th 1974 at Mission Bay. Click on the images on the left to see the actual flyers used - used by kind permission of Jack Johnstone

In 1978 the first Ironman race took place in Hawaii, the event gained popularity and began to receive press coverage.  In 1982 the sport was catapulted worldwide as TV viewers watched Julie Moss staggering to the finish line in Hawaii.  The first unofficial World Championship took place in Nice, France in 1982; it attracted competitors from all over the world (including Great Britain) and generated further interest in Europe.  British competitors from Nice initiated the formation of The British Triathlon Association in 1983. The first triathlon in the UK was held at Kirton’s Farm in Reading on the 5th June 1983. This was also the first UK National Championship and it attracted 173 competitors; from here the sport gained momentum in the UK.  The first official World Championship took place in 1989 in Avignon France over the distance of 1500m swim, 40Km bike and 10Km run, this was to become the standard distance and the distance that became the Olympic distance when Triathlon was first held at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000.  From a small club training event to Olympic Games in 26 years the growth of the sport has been phenomenal and it is still rapidly rising in popularity today