Three Stories To Watch For In San Diego
- By Triathlete.com
- Published May 10, 2012
- Updated May 11, 2012 at 8:49 AM UTC
Triathlon.org previews this weekend’s ITU World Triathlon Series San Diego race with three stories you should watch for.
Triathlon Returns To San Diego
On September 25, 1974 the very first triathletes dove into San Diego’s Mission Bay to complete a 5.3-mile run, followed by a 5-mile bike and a 600-yard swim. Members of the San Diego Track and Field club organized it as an alternative to track work and 46 of them finished the race. This year, alongside thousands of age-groupers, 130 of the world’s best professional triathletes will compete in almost the same spot as the original ones 39 years ago. San Diego is one of the final races to earn qualifying points for this year’s London Olympics, showing just how far the sport has come in such a short time. The race venue is at Mission Beach, with Mission Bay on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. San Diego becomes the second U.S. city to host a round of the series after Washington, D.C. in 2009.