Triathlon

A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for the fastest overall completion time, racing the three segments one after another, with the time spent transitioning between disciplines counted in the result. The word is of Greek origin, from treis meaning three and athlos meaning competition. The modern version of the sport originated in the late 1970s in Southern California as sports clubs and individuals developed it, and that history explains why many variations still exist and why other three-stage races use the name triathlon even when they are not continuous or do not combine swimming, biking and running. Triathletes train for endurance, strength and speed, which calls for focused and periodised training in each discipline plus combination workouts and general strength conditioning.