History of Triathlon

The history of Triathlons

To truly feel passionate about a sport, I believe you first must understand the origins in which the sport derived from. For instance there are several theories surrounding the question of who invented the sport of baseball. Some think it was Abner Doubleday of Cooperstown, NY. Others believe the sport derived from another sport played in England called “Stool Ball.” I have actually heard stories that an African American slave in the 1800’s began inventing the sport and it was incredibly well received. (I enjoy that story the most quite frankly) What is ironic about that story is that when slavery was abolished, African Americans were not allowed to play baseball in the Major Leagues. What a tragedy that was. Sometimes it is hard to understand our history isn’t it? Anyway, my point is, all sports have origins that are rich in history and contain information that we must respect and understand before we can say “I love this sport” Therefore this post will focus on the history of triathlon and the players that we can thank for creating what has become a sport that I truly love and has been welcomed worldwide.

First let’s break down the triathlon. Within the race you have a full marathon (26 miles and 385 yards of running) Now where does that 385 yards come from? And why is it 26 miles?  It’s an odd number don’t you think?  Well like most things in sport, there is a reason for this! The 26.2 miles actually began in commemoration for the Greek soldier Pheidippides. This soldier was in fact a messenger during the Battle of Marathon in which he was sent from Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated. Despite some debate between historians, it is said that Pheidippides ran approximately 26.2 miles back to Athens. Cool story don’t you think? Some historians actually believe the messenger ran 240 miles altogether. Let’s just say I am glad that story never caught on.  

Pheidippides upon arrival in Athens:

In years following this story, the run from Marathon to Athens not only became an historical event, but in an effort to commemorate, it became a sport! A sport that became a phenomenon in the modern Olympics and only got more popular as the years went on. Today, for some people marathon running is a way of life, a paycheck, motivation to better yourself, and the list goes on.

The sport of Marathon running has and always will become more and more popular in my eyes. But the first noticeable boom in marathon running may have started in the late 1960’s and early 70’s. I believe this was due to growing technology and knowledge proving the healthy aspects of running vs smoking, staying immobile and other various activities during that age that I can only imagine. The kicker was the media backing these Health kick claims. More and more people gave in to this health conscious lifestyle and the next thing you know, people were “jogging” all over the world. Prior to 1960, jogging may have been considered taboo for some people.

During this craze, two men named Jack Johnstone and Don Shanahan were greatly affected by the search for a healthier lifestyle. Jack was what he calls a “mediocre” athlete but he is modest. He was an All American Swimmer in college. During the 1970’s he was about 35 and began feeling somewhat self conscious of his weight. Like most of his peers, he began Jogging and swimming, looking for a new way to live his life. Soon his workouts were not only to lose weight and get back in shape but it made him content with the way he was living his life. It seems as though he hadn’t felt like that in years.

Upon catching the racing fever, Jack heard about a race called a biathlon. This race consisted of aproximately 4.5 miles of running followed by a quarter mile swim. Consequently, like most athletes driven and strong-minded, he wanted more! So he began experimenting with several different racing scenarios in which he would like to take part in. After trial and error with various different rules for a new exciting race, his friend Don came up with adding a bike portion to the race. Despite Jack’s hesitation to include the bike, he eventually gave in. The end result “Mission Bay Triathlon”

The Mission Bay Triathlon took place on Wednesday September 25^th 1974 in Mission Bay, San Diego. This was in fact the first modern day triathlon. Triathlon History  reads,  “Mission Bay Triathlon, a race consisting of segments of running, bicycle riding, and swimming, will start at the causeway to Fiesta Island at 5:45 P.M. September 25. The event will consist of 6 miles of running (longest continuous stretch, 2.8 miles), 5 miles of bicycle riding (all at once), and 500 yards of swimming (longest continuous stretch, 250 yards). Approximately 2 miles of running will be barefoot on grass and sand. Each paricipant must bring his own bicycle. Awards will be presented to the first five finishers. For further details contact Don Shanahan (488-4571) or Jack Johnstone (461-4514)”

Here are the first ten people to cross the finish line. Notice a familiar name placing 6^th place?

Place	Name	Time
1	Bill Phillips	55:44
2	Greg Gillaspie	56:49
3	Dave Mitchell	56:57
4	Jim Young	57:05
5	Gordon Lutes	59:40
6	Jack Johnstone	62:18
7	Richard Fleming	64.01
8	Bob Letson	64:14
9	Tom Rothhaar	64:26
10	John Garty	65:31

All in all, this event was pandemonium. Like any other sport, people began not only participating but the sport actually began molding the people who took part. Life styles, personalities, and an overall outlook on life began to alter for the better.

As we look back to reflect on the history of Triathlon, it is important to realize why Jack and Don started this journey in the first place, and what happened to them afterwards. Jack was just an average Joe ex athlete, who felt a passion for competition and innovation. He and Don, developed a sport that not only offers an escape for people who need it, but they created a lifestyle that is incredibly commendable. They created a sport in which any one can compete but only if they are willing to shed blood, sweat and tears to find the finish line. As it correlates to any other endeavor we experience in life, nothing is ever handed to you. We must work hard for our accomplishments and if you work hard enough you will see results. Upon crossing the finish line at a triathlon, graduating college, getting a promotion at work, we feel a sense of extraordinary accomplishment and there is no feeling in the world like it. Am I right?

So the next time you accomplish something in life, whether it is during a sporting event, or any event outside of sports, try to remember Jack and Don’s accomplishment. And if you ever compete in a triathlon, remember the history, not only Jack and Don’s story but the people who have competed in races before you and why they raced in the first place. Remember the Boston Marathon, and the people who so tragically lost their lives. Remember the men and women who lost limbs fighting overseas that still compete in triathlons. Remember the people who have suffered from obesity and lost the weight to finish a race. Remember that with every race you finish, you are now a part of a club and you have the ability to write history.