I need the help of STers from across the country on this one. I have an ongoing debate with some racing friends about the oldest, continuous triathlon in the United States. There are 2 divisions: continental U.S. and entire U.S. We both agree that IronMan Hawaii is the oldest in th entire U.S., having being held every year since 1979. Are we right? Or is there another TRIATHLON that has been held every year for a longer period of time? On the continental U.S. I say it is the Heart O’ Dixie Triathlon held in Philadelphia, MS. It has been held every year since 1980. This year is the 30th annual. I have one friend that says there is a race in So. Cal. that is older? Any help out there? THANKS!
Los Alamos Triathlon, Los Alamos NM is having its 35th annual triathlon this year. They market the race as the oldest triathlon. My guess is that there may have been a few prior but none that are still in existence
Here is the info from Active.com for last years race.
That’s a fascinating question.
They still have the Mission Bay triathlon here in San Diego. The original triathlon was held in Mission Bay back in 1974, but I don’t know if it has been held every year since then or not.
The Mission Bay Triathlon, the original triathlon, started in San Diego on September 25, 1974.
I guess that beats IM Hawai’i by five years or so…
I need the help of STers from across the country on this one. I have an ongoing debate with some racing friends about the oldest, continuous triathlon in the United States. There are 2 divisions: continental U.S. and entire U.S. We both agree that IronMan Hawaii is the oldest in th entire U.S., having being held every year since 1979. Are we right? Or is there another TRIATHLON that has been held every year for a longer period of time? On the continental U.S. I say it is the Heart O’ Dixie Triathlon held in Philadelphia, MS. It has been held every year since 1980. This year is the 30th annual. I have one friend that says there is a race in So. Cal. that is older? Any help out there? THANKS!
First IMH was in Oahu, Feb, 1978. Two races in 1982 as they moved to Oct that year.
Paul
Based on a contiguously run event I think it is the Los Alamos Triathlon. There are some that started earlier and are still going but missed a year or two. There are some good stories…they had a year where they realized in October they failed to put the race on, and so slapped something together late in the year, There was a fellow until about 4 or 5 years ago had competed in all of them. Early days they ran three separate events, and scored your placement rather than cumulative time, my brother in law, who is now a fat cow, placed second over-all once. I am from Los Alamos, so I am biased, but I think it is consistently the most competitive triathlon in New Mexico, mostly due to the freakish distribution of outstanding athletes (across all sports) in the town. The race has an interesting format … Bike, Swim, Run. Think about how hard it would be to transition from bike to swim and back to run…it is a very hard race. The bike is wicked, wicked tough…maybe 1000 feet of climbing in 20k and at 7500 feet. Jimmy Archer, who posts sometimes has raced it a few times, won last year.
I need the help of STers from across the country on this one. I have an ongoing debate with some racing friends about the oldest, continuous triathlon in the United States. There are 2 divisions: continental U.S. and entire U.S. We both agree that IronMan Hawaii is the oldest in th entire U.S., having being held every year since 1979. Are we right? Or is there another TRIATHLON that has been held every year for a longer period of time? On the continental U.S. I say it is the Heart O’ Dixie Triathlon held in Philadelphia, MS. It has been held every year since 1980. This year is the 30th annual. I have one friend that says there is a race in So. Cal. that is older? Any help out there? THANKS!
Pretty cool you mentioned Heart of Dixie, this is just my second year doing tri’s and I plan on doing it this year.
I think this year is number 31 for the SEAL’s SuperFrog in Coronado, CA.
Oldest in Canada Victoria? Not that that was your question, just curious.
muncie endurathon claims to be the longest continuously run HIM. I think this may be their 30th yr.
Year 31 for Music City as well.
Los Alamos Triathlon, Los Alamos NM is having its 35th annual triathlon this year. They market the race as the oldest triathlon. My guess is that there may have been a few prior but none that are still in existence
Here is the info from Active.com for last years race.
That means they would have started in 1975, one year after triathlon was invented.
i too have heard that Heart of Dixie is the oldest intercontental race
the second one is a race on the west coast. reason being the difference of the time zones.
this will be #29 for me at the Heart of Dixie,
shameless plug, great race, small town, most likely it will be hot!
upgrades from the early years
bike racks in T1 and T2
you won’t have to cary your run shoes
no drafting
time trial start
I think heart of dixie is a cool race as well. I would put my money on San Diego being first. Why NM? Seems funny all the history books say San Diego 1974?
Modern triathlon
The first known run/bike/swim triathlon was held at Mission Bay, San Diego, California on September 25, 1974. The race was conceived and directed by Jack Johnstone and Don Shanahan, members of the San Diego Track Club, and was sponsored by the track club. 46 brave participants entered this never-before held event. It is well-documented and was not based on the French events.
According to triathlon historian and author Scott Tinley, the origin of triathlon is anecdotally attributed to a race in France during the 1920s-1930s that was called variously “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 swim across 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 La Rochelle, a race with: (1) a channel crossing (c. 200 m), (2) a bike competition (10 km) around the harbor of La Rochelle and the parc Laleu, and (3) a run (1200 m) in the stadium André-Barbeau.
This one claims to be the oldest at 36 years for the 2009 race: http://www.thegreatrace.org/
It is a little odd though, fun, but odd. Starts with a 5.8 mile run, then 12.5 mile bike, then the 6.35 mile kyak.
There is a good article that lists the 26 oldest tri’s
http://www.yellowjacketracing.com/HamlinBeachHistory1980to2006.pdf
Looks like 3 that started in 1975.
You need to define your terms of what you mean by triathlon.
There is a triathlon in Colstrip, Montana that is celebrating its 35th anniversary in '09.
It’s composed of a 3 mile bike, 3 mile run & a 100 yard swim.