10 Fun Facts You Never Knew About the Sport of Triathlon!

Triathlon is a complex sport that consists of swimming, biking, and running. While there is a lot of technical aspects to know about triathlon, there’s a lot of fun stuff too! We love everything there is about triathlon. From selecting the race and choosing the right distance, to the preparation and training. Trying to take all that in can be overwhelming, so let’s start with some of the fun stuff. Expand your knowledge of triathlon and keep reading to see 10 fun facts about triathlon you maybe didn’t know!

Check Out These Fun Facts

1. It is not uncommon for triathletes to burn up to 10,000 calories during a long-distance race. 
2. In triathlon every second counts, for that reason, many athletes pee while they are on the bike, or even on the run. 
3. The first triathlon event was held on September 25, 1974. 
4. Simon Lessings holds the Olympic distance triathlon world record with a time of 1 hour, 39 minutes, 50 seconds. That’s fast. 
5. Triathlon was designed to be an alternative to hard track training.
6. The reason why the order of the disciplines is swim, bike, run is for safety concerns. 
7. The Olympic distance tri was originally called the international distance. 
8. The oldest triathlete on record is Arthur Gilbert, who was still competing at the age of 93. 
9. Drafting, riding in close behind the rider before you to reduce wind resistance, is not allowed during the cycling part of a triathlon. If you get caught you face a penalty including disqualification. 
10. Triathlon made its Olympic debut at the 2000 Sydney Games.

The world of triathlon is certainly an interesting one and has evolved greatly overtime with new people joining the fun each year. If you’re new to the sport and thinking about doing a triathlon yourself, check out these essential race day tips to help as you train and prepare for your first triathlon. Now that you know some of the fun triathlon facts, be sure to share it with your fellow triathletes on Facebook or Twitter.