Triathlon Triathlon is an athletic event made up of a combination of swimming, cycling and running, in that order. This form of athleticism was first held in San Diego in the 1970's, and the first major event, the Ironman Triathlon, was organized in 1978 in Hawaii. Triathlon has progressed to standard distances of a 1.5 km swim, 40 km cycling and 10 km running, and the long distance events (and still standard for the Ironman events) have stayed at a 3.8 km swim, 180 km cycling and 42.2 km running. The International Triathlon Union was founded in 1989. Olympic Games: Men Women World Championships: Men Women World Championships Long Distance: Men Women Team World Championships: Men Women Ironman World Championships: Men Women European Championships: Men: Individual Team Relay Women: Individual Team Relay European Championships Long Distance: Men Women Pan American Championships: Men Women Pan American Games: Men Women Asian Games: Men Women Commonwealth Games: Men Women Defunct Events: World Games: Men Women European Championships Middle Distance: Men Women