Don Shanahan at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta
The Origin Story of Triathlon - Told by Its Founder
Ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the origin of triathlon is being told for the first time by its founder, Don Shanahan. Tower View Stories brings you original archival material and firsthand testimony, the only complete narrative of the sport’s origin, timed to the lead-up to the 2028 Olympic Games.The 1970s: The Golden Age of Endurance
The first modern triathlon did not emerge in isolation. It grew from a decade of transformation in which road racing expanded, masters athletes redefined competition across a lifetime, women and young athletes gained greater visibility, and volunteer-led events opened endurance sports to an entirely new community.Between 1971 and 1979, athletes and organizers throughout San Diego experimented with new distances, formats, and combinations of running, swimming, and cycling. Along the shores of Mission Bay and Fiesta Island, that culture of participation and invention created the conditions from which modern triathlon emerged.The Golden Age of Endurance presents the larger history surrounding the 1974 race—the people, events, and ideas that helped change endurance sports within a single decade.Wednesday September 25, 1974 at 5:45 pm, 46 runners became the world's first triathletes on Fiesta Island.
Wednesday September 25, 1974 at 5:45 pm, 46 runners became the world's first triathletes on Fiesta Island.
About the Stories
Hidden in Plain Sightand The First Triathlon Course are unlike any other work on triathlon. They are at once a history, a biography, and a study in endurance, a vivid chronicle of the sport’s evolution from Don Shanahan and Jack Johnstone’s beginnings and the early multi-sport experiments of the 1970s to The First Triathlon™ in 1974 and triathlon’s Olympic debut in Sydney, Australia, in 2000.
What makes these book trulys distinctive is their grounding in firsthand testimony from the originator of that inaugural race. Each chapter explores a different dimension of triathlon — its origins, its scientific foundations, and its social and cultural evolution, ultimately revealing the human story behind the balance of work, life, training, and racing. Hidden in Plain Sight’s special section features an in-depth conversation with Don Shanahan, giving readers the rare opportunity to experience a personal Question-and-Answer session with the man who started it all.
The First Triathlon Course is a story narrative from interviews with the Johnstone family, along with records, newsletters, and materials that have been preserved over time. These sources allow a continuous storied experience in the life of Jack Johnstone, teacher, family man, designer of the first triathlon course.
Don Shanahan, Providence College cross country and lifetime runner. (Courtesy of Don Shanahan)
Don Shanahan, First Triathlon Race Director (Courtesy Jack Johnstone family)
Bill Phillips, First Place finisher of the First Triathlon, September 25, 1974. (Courtesy, Jack Johnstone family)
Don Shanahan, Assistant US Attorney work-life balance, distance runner. (Courtesy Don Shanahan)
Swimmer, West Chester State, PA, and a Math teacher, took 6th Place, First Triathlon, exiting the swim. (Courtesy Jack Johnstone Family)
"Jack won countless swimming trophies yet they stayed in boxes. The only award he ever displayed was the Hall of Fame trophy from Triathlete Magazine in 1986." - Betty Johnstone, wife of Jack Johnstone, Volunteer at the First Triathlon.
Jack Johnstone the First Triathlon course architect and Bill Phillips, first place winner of the First Triathlon at David Pain's Biathlon.
Dr. Bill Phillips, Don Shanahan, and Jack Johnstone. (Courtesy of the Johnstone Family collection)
41st Anniversary Roll Call at Mission Bay, San Diego, 2015. (Photo by Thao Vu)
Bob Letson, 8th Place Finisher of the First Triathlon at the 40th Anniversary, 2014. (Photo by Thao Vu)
John Collins, 22nd Finisher (reconciled results) and Judy Collins, 31st Finisher of the First Triathlon, arrive at the 40th Anniversary on their bikes. Four years later, they created and organized the first Hawaiian Iron Man Triathlon on Oahu in 1978. (Photo by Thao Vu)
Flo Squires, 29th Finisher and Gail Hanner, 33rd Finisher of the First Triathlon at the 40th Anniversary 2014, sitting on the dedication rock, Fiesta Island, San Diego, CA. (Photo by Thao Vu)
Bob Pothoff, 37th Finisher of the First Triathlon at the 40th Anniversary 2014 before the unveiling of the dedication rock, Fiesta Island, San Diego, CA. (Photo by Thao Vu)
Donna Gookin, 42nd Place Finisher, with Dave Pain receiving awards from San Diego Track Club. (Courtesy of Donna Gookin)
Tom Warren (left) and Bill Phillips, shown here after they teamed up to win the 1976 Triathlon Relay. Bill, a leading masters runner, was on the Mission Bay Triathlon committee and the Dave Pain Biathlon twice. Tom, who sponsors the Jog & Javen Swim-Run-Ski, has won numerous swimming championships and the 1976 Coronado Triathlon. (Re-imaged, Courtesy San Diego Track Club)
Tom Warren won the 1979 Ironman Hawaii on Oahu—the second Ironman competition ever held. He finished in 11:15:56. His victory and the subsequent Sports Illustrated feature helped bring national attention to the event.
Jack Johnstone and Dave Pain, Dispea Race. Dave pioneered masters track and field in the United States and organized the Mission Bay birthday biathlon that helped inspire the creation of the first modern triathlon. (Courtesy Jack Johnstone Family)
Triathlon Magazine 1998 Hall of Fame. Bill Phillips, Don Shanahan, Tom Warren, Jack Johnstone, Dave Pain. Photo by Rich Cruise
"Paying your dues matters. The very first triathlon in 1974 wasn't free, it cost a dollar. One dollar doesn't sound like much, but it turned a workout into a race. It meant framework, results, and bragging rights... That first dollar proved it was real." - Bob Babbit, Co-founder, Challenged Athletes Foundation & Competitor Magazine - IRONMAN (R) & USA Triathlon (R) Hall of Famer, Media Host/Author
50th Anniversary in 2025, Fiesta Island, San Diego, CA. Don Shanahan reunited with Jack Johnstone's family who were volunteers at the First Triathlon. Left to right: Joel Johnstone, Don Shanahan, Betty Johnstone, Kristin Baez, Leysa Gentillon. (Photo by Thao Vu)