But there was a certain charm to the old ways, as Steven Jonas recalls. “There was something special about finding out about a race through a flyer or a friend,” he says. “It felt more personal, more intimate. You had to work a bit harder to get the information, and that made the experience more rewarding.”
And the lack of technology also meant that the sense of community was stronger. “We knew each other by name, by face,” Ellen Lohneiss adds. “We cheered each other on, we congratulated each other after races. It was a close-knit group, and we were all in it together.”
“We didn’t have all the fancy gear.”
One thing that stands out when talking to these triathletes from the 80s and 90s is the lack of fancy gear. No GPS watches, no carbon fiber bikes, no tri-specific apparel – just the basics. “We swam in regular swimsuits, biked in whatever shorts we had, and ran in our old sneakers,” says Rene DeRuiter. “We didn’t have all the fancy gear, and it didn’t matter. We were there to race, to have fun, and the gear didn’t define us.”
Don Ardell echoes this sentiment, recalling the simplicity of those early races. “I remember seeing people show up with duct-taped bikes, homemade hydration systems, and cotton t-shirts,” he says. “We made do with what we had, and it was enough. We were there for the experience, not for the gear.”
And yet, despite the lack of fancy gear, the camaraderie among triathletes was strong. “We shared what we had, we helped each other out,” Laura Rossetti remembers. “If someone had a flat tire, we stopped to help. If someone needed water, we shared ours. It was a community of athletes looking out for each other, and that was what made it special.”
Looking back on those early days, it’s clear that the spirit of triathlon – the sense of adventure, the camaraderie, the joy of pushing oneself – is what kept these athletes coming back for more. As Kris Weimerskirch puts it, “We were just having fun. And isn’t that what it’s all about?”
So the next time you lace up your shoes, hop on your bike, or dive into the water for a swim, remember the words of these pioneers of the sport. Remember that it’s not about the gear, the times, or the results – it’s about the experience, the journey, and the joy of doing something you love. And who knows, maybe you’ll find yourself crossing the finish line with a smile on your face, just like these triathletes from the 80s and 90s.
Keep having fun out there!
“
While there’s something endearing about the primitive nature of early racing years – perhaps the tangible feeling of printed memories – the earliest triathletes agree that the way information is now shared opened up many doors in learning about triathlons across the United States and world, as well as learning more about your competitors.
### The role of women in triathlon’s early days
Being a female triathlete in the early years of the sport looked much different than today. For starters, there was the gear – or lack thereof.
“There was not much thought about women or women’s clothing,” Rossetti remembers. Comfortable fabrics engineered for women did not exist, as nylon was gradually replaced with spandex and Lycra. Seventy-three-year-old Karen Wilcox distinctly remembers the absence of a critical piece of equipment, saying, “For women, there was a lack of access to training equipment, including sports bras!”
Women’s participation in the early days of triathlon was limited. Wilcox remembers being one of only three women competing at her first race in Temple, Texas, in 1991. Out of those three, she was the only one to continue competing. At that time, the oldest female age group was the 35-39 demographic, and it was a very small group. Today, it’s one of the largest competitive fields for women, and more age groups have opened up (and Wilcox is proudly still racing).
In those days, it was common for all the men and women to start a race at the same time – a mass wave start, as athletes all lined up. Women were not separated in competitions as they typically are today, and world championship races didn’t have separate days of racing for men and women, as they do today.
But women still found ways to claim their space in triathlon’s early days. The influence of [the Danskin Women’s Triathlon event](https://www.triathlete.com/events/recalled-the-first-womens-only-triathlon-series/), which emerged in the mid-1980s, contributed to the growing trend of women participating in races. The women-only race series served as an entry point for thousands of women triathletes.
Barb Thomas, 69, pointed out another important aspect of the evolution of women in triathlon: “With the passing of [Title IX](https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/civil-rights-laws/title-ix-and-sex-discrimination), women had more opportunities to compete in a sport and in turn, influenced women in the sport of triathlon.” As more women entered triathlon, they brought their backgrounds specializing in one sport – swimming, biking, or running, not necessarily all three.
“Triathlon gave us the opportunity to add two more sports and have fun with it,” Thomas says.
The kinship formed in these small-but-growing communities of women during triathlon’s formative years was a major driving force in bringing in new triathletes. Thomas says the first women who tried the sport encouraged one another, growing the sport. Today, women are the fastest-growing demographic in triathlon, driven in large part by women’s-only races, triathlon clubs, and dedicated initiatives to recruit and support new women in the sport.
### Nudity, bike piles, and a free-for-all in transition
In the 80s, triathlon transition areas were filled with standard road bikes and people came out of the swim in a swimsuit because triathlon kits and wetsuits were not a part of the sport yet.
Transition areas were a unique experience 30 and 40 years ago, with triathletes sharing stories of the “Wild West” in the switch from swim to bike to run. Modesty went out the window, with multiple triathletes sharing stories of public nudity, even when changing tents were provided.
But most triathletes in the early days knew to pare down the gear to just the essentials. Think: jumping out of the water with your swimsuit and goggles (no triathlon wetsuit, [at least not until the mid-90s](https://www.triathlete.com/gear/swim/the-evolution-of-the-swimming-wetsuit-design/)), running to transition and jumping on your bike with your wet bathing suit on, or throwing shorts and maybe a T-shirt over your swimsuit, and most likely wearing tennis shoes.
“People were just riding regular city bikes,” says Wilcox. “Not everyone had a road or tri bike. I’m not even sure if they had tri bikes back then.
Because the gear was so simple, it was also significantly less expensive. Perhaps knowing it was simpler equipment reduced some of the fears of it getting damaged.
“I just tossed my bike on the ground and ran,” Weimerskirch says of his T2 strategy at races. “I was already in my running shoes!”
DeRuiter remembers that at his first triathlon, someone would come through transition after all athletes were out on the run, pick up all the bikes in a big truck, and cart them all to the finish line. Kurt Dallow also remembers how bikes were stacked on wood pallets, which didn’t hold that well, and it was not uncommon for bikes to be reorganized when you got back to transition. He remembers being unable to find his bike as it had been moved.
### Going from bare-bones gear to advanced triathlon technology
Seventy-nine-year-old Brad Kirley shared, “We just showed up and had fun.” The gear was bare bones! As the sport evolved, so did the gear.” The science advanced the sport to where it is today; in the early days, it was just much more primitive,” recalls Vicari. “If you took a tumble on your bike, the whole bike fell on you because of the ‘rat traps’ [spoked platform pedals with cages].
As triathletes look back on the early days of the sport, they can appreciate how far it has come. From makeshift equipment solutions to bare-bones race organization, the challenges of the past have only added to the resilience and camaraderie of the triathlon community. While the sport has evolved in terms of technology and competition, the spirit of triathlon remains unchanged – a shared love for the pursuit of fitness, friendship, and fun. As triathletes continue to push themselves to new limits, they carry with them the lessons and experiences of those who paved the way before them, ensuring that the legacy of triathlon will continue to inspire and motivate athletes for generations to come.
So whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a newcomer to the sport, take a moment to appreciate the history and heritage of triathlon. Remember the pioneers who blazed the trail before you and honor their legacy by embodying the true spirit of triathlon in everything you do. As the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same – and in the world of triathlon, that’s a sentiment worth celebrating.
Estos son los factores que han mantenido a los triatletas originales en el deporte durante 40 años y los valores que intentan inculcar en la próxima generación de triatletas.
“Mi cosa favorita es buscar a un novato en una carrera y ver si necesitan ayuda o tienen alguna pregunta”, dice Kirley. “Puedes decir que son novatos; parecen aterrados. Me encanta ayudar a nuevos triatletas. Esta es la alegría que ahora obtengo al ayudar a los recién llegados al deporte.”
Muchas gracias a los triatletas que compartieron sus historias para este artículo, muchos de los cuales siguen compitiendo activamente y forman parte de la comunidad de triatlón: Don Ardell, Dave Conover, Kurt Dallow, Rene DeRuiter, Steven Jonas, Brad Kirley, Ellen Lohneiss, Mark Mannebach, Joe O’Gorman, Peter Richards, Laura (Sophiea) Rossetti, Barb Thomas, Perry Toles, Gary Vicari, Kris Weimerskirch y Karen Wilcox.