What is triathlon?

Triathlon is a race over three different distances in three different sports: swimming, cycling and running.

It began in 1974 when a group of swimmers, cyclists and runners began to train together. After a while they organised races which combined the three events.

A standard race starts with a swim, is followed by a cycle ride, and then ends with a run - all against the clock.

The point in the race when competitors change from swimming to cycling, and from cycling to running is called the transition.

The length of the races can vary but a standard triathlon consists of a 1,500m swim, a 40km cycle and a 10km run.