I
n the world of endurance sports, exercise isn’t just an activity, but a lifestyle. Perhaps that is why these sports are inextricably linked to particular points on the map; long with the sports themselves come deeply rooted cultures and histories. For instance, England often claims ownership over swimming. When one thinks of cycling, the French countryside comes to mind. Meanwhile, the marathon conjures images of the Ancient Greeks in pursuit of Athens. While the sport of triathlon is in its nascent phases, its defining connection to a geographical location is no different. To truly understand the foundations of the sport, one must also have an appreciation for the place that is considered triathlon’s modern birthplace: San Diego, Calif. It all began on Mission Bay, just south of San Diego’s Pacific Beach neighborhood. Formerly a tidal marsh, and once a channel through which the San Diego River drained to the Ocean, the city conducted a dredging project between 1946 and 1962 to develop Mission Bay. When all was said and done, newly created land made the area a district fit for construction. One of the freshly formed landmasses, Fiesta Island, served as the perfect staging area for the modern beginnings of multisport.
Jack Johnstone was the catalyst. A former collegiate swimmer who moved to San Diego via the U.S. Navy, he sought an activity that would keep him in shape and feed his competitive ambitions. In 1973 he signed up for the Dave Pain Birthday Biathlon, a 4.5 mile run and .25 mile swim. After a respectable finish, he wanted more. “I decided more of these events should be put on,” he remembers.
Johnstone contacted Bill Stock, the San Diego
Track Club Calendar Chairman, and proposed putting a running and swimming event on their schedule. Stock put him in contact with Don Shanahan who had similar ambitions of multisport races. Together the two conceived of an event that combined swimming, biking and running, figuring the term “triathlon” was apt. It was officially dubbed the Mission Bay Triathlon. As advertised in the San Diego Track Club’s Newsletter, the race information read:
RUN, CYCLE, SWIM: TRIATHLON SET FOR 25TH The First Annual Mission Bay Triathlon, a race consisting of segments of running, bicycle riding, and swimming, will start at the causeway to Fiesta Island at 5:45 p.m. September 25. The event will consist of 6 miles of running (longest continuous stretch, 2.8 miles), 5 miles of bicycle riding (all at
1974
once), and 500 yards of swimming (longest continuous stretch, 250 yards). Approximately 2 miles of running will be barefoot on grass and sand. Each participant must bring his own bicycle. Awards will be presented to the first five finishers. For further details contact Don Shanahan or Jack Johnstone.
While other three-discipline events are documented throughout
history, the Mission Bay Triathlon is credited as the first of the modern triathlons. Over the years the format has changed to include just one leg per discipline, however, the idea was born that fall of 1974. As the 46 participants gathered to race on Fiesta Island, Johnstone remembers the energy-laden air surrounding the event.
“People weren’t nervous, but excited to do it,” he says. “We were very pleased by the turnout of athletes anxious to participate.” Among those toeing the line were John and Judy Collins, who would go on to found the Ironman franchise a few short years after their experience at Mission Bay. Throughout the multi-leg race, the participants ran from the causeway to Fiesta Island, up to Seaworld and biked all around the island. The event was primitive by today’s standards, but the spirit was the same. Johnstone raced on a 10-speed Volkscycle, one of the nicer bikes of the bunch, and car headlights illuminated the last swimming leg to be completed by some under the veil of night. Upon finishing, the group gathered their gear and headed to a local pizza joint to celebrate a hard day’s work.
Jack Johnstone exits the water during an early triathlon. Jack Johnstone
USATRIATHLON.ORG USA TRIATHLON 49
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124