triathlon

[ trahy-ath-luhn ]

noun

1. an athletic contest comprising three consecutive events, usually swimming, bicycling, and distance running.
2. a women's track-and-field competition comprising the 100-meter dash, high jump, and shot put.
3. British. a competition comprising fly-casting, horseback-riding, and trapshooting events.

triathlon

/ traɪˈæθlɒn /

noun

1. an athletic contest in which each athlete competes in three different events: swimming, cycling, and running

Derived Forms

• ˌtriˈathlete, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of triathlon¹

First recorded in 1970–75; tri- + (dec)athlon

Word History and Origins

Origin of triathlon¹

C20: from tri- + Greek athlon contest

Example Sentences

He switched to triathlon in 2018, and hopes to medal in Tokyo.

From Outside Online

Once you’ve completed an adventure race or triathlon, it’s customary to invoke the power of the highly regarded shower beer.

From Outside Online

Indeed, the two sports with the lowest sleep numbers were triathlon and swimming—both sports that often feature early-morning practices.

From Outside Online

As in all her triathlon competitions, she will work with a guide who tells her what’s happening on the circuit, cycling on a tandem bike and running and swimming, joined to them by a cord.

From Time

Running, biking, and triathlon fitness challenges based on routines from Abdirahman, mountain biker Kate Courtney, and triathlete Taylor Spivey will also be available to both members and non-members.

From Outside Online

Piazza talks to Sister Madonna Buder, the “Iron Nun,” who is the oldest person to ever finish an Ironman Triathlon.

From The Daily Beast

Finishing the Triple Crown with the Belmont is like concluding a triathlon with a marathon.

From The Daily Beast

She looks and feels amazing, and is now training for a triathlon.

From The Daily Beast

He kept rock-hard fit by running, swimming and biking as if in a perpetual triathlon.

From The Daily Beast

Why do so many guys on Match claim to be training for a triathlon?

From The Daily Beast

More About Triathlon

What is a triathlon?

The word triathlon most commonly refers to an athletic competition in which athletes compete in a race that involves swimming, cycling, and distance running.

The traditional triathlon begins with a 1.5-kilometer open-water swim, followed by a 40-kilometer bike race, and finishes with a 10-kilometer run. This triathlon format is an event in the Summer Olympic Games.

Triathlons sometimes feature different formats. A longer version often branded as an Ironman triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile (3.9-km) swim, a 112-mile (180.2-km) bike, and marathon-length run of 26.2 miles (42.2 km).

In 2021, the Olympics introduced a shorter, relay version of the triathlon featuring teams of two men and two women. Each member of the team must complete a triathlon consisting of a 300-meter swim, an 8-kilometer bike ride, and a 2-kilometer run.

The name triathlon is also applied to other three-part athletic competitions that are not a race but are instead score-based (the three events are not held directly one after another as part of a race like they are in the swim-cycle-run version of a triathlon).

The track-and-field version of a triathlon consists of the 100-meter dash, high jump, and shot put.

In the U.K., the word triathlon sometimes refers to a three-part skill competition involving fly-casting, horseback-riding, and trapshooting.

A triathlon is sometimes informally called a tri for short. Athletes who participate in a triathlon can be called triathletes.

Example: The triathlon is nearing its third stage now as the triathletes transition from the cycling portion to the run.

Where does triathlon come from?

The first record of the word triathlon comes from the 1970s. It’s modeled on the word decathlon, which refers to a 10-part athletic competition. It uses the Greek root âthlon, which means “prize” or “contest” and is also the basis of the words athlete and athletics. Instead of the prefix dec-, meaning “ten,” triathlon uses the prefix tri-, meaning “three.” The names of other multipart athletic competitions are formed in the same way, including biathlon (two events), pentathlon (five events), and heptathlon (seven events).

Races involving a combination of swimming, cycling, and running began gaining popularity in the 1970s. The swim-cycle-run version of the triathlon was first adopted as an Olympic event at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to triathlon?

• triathlete (noun)

What are some words that share a root or word element with triathlon? 

• biathlon
• pentathlon
• heptathlon
• decathlon
• athlete

What are some words that often get used in discussing triathlon?

• swimming
• cycling
• running
• race
• transition
• endurance
• training

How is triathlon used in real life?

The most common version of a triathlon involves a 1.5-km open-water swim, a 40-km bike, and a 10-km run, but triathlon formats vary. Triathletes are known for their endurance.

Forget San Diego, Sydney, Lausanne, Kona etc. Welcome @worldtriathlon to the real home of triathlon. #WTSLEEDS

— Alistair Brownlee (@AliBrownleetri) May 19, 2015

Took 1st freestyle swim lesson in hopes of one day competing in a triathlon. Long way to go but it's a start!

— Troy Aikman (@TroyAikman) April 29, 2015

Sea lions are faster than humans on both land and sea, so if you face one in a triathlon, you really need to make up time on the cycling.

— Jamie Jones (@JamieDMJ) May 8, 2014

Try using triathlon!

Which of the following events is NOT part of the Olympic triathlon?

A. swimming
B. horseback riding
C. cycling
D. running