Triathlon fever: This is how sport in Germany changes!

Von Markus Schneiderling

Entdecken Sie spannende Fakten über den Triathlon, seinen Ursprung, bedeutende Events und erfolgreiche Athleten in Deutschland.
Discover exciting facts about the triathlon, its origin, important events and successful athletes in Germany. (Symbolbild/ANAG)

The triathlon is enjoying growing popularity in Germany and has developed into an established sport in recent decades. The first triathlon took place in San Diego, California in 1974 and contributed to the creation of a passion that also moves millions of people in Germany today. In 2000, Triathlon was also introduced as an Olympic discipline in Sydney, which further increased popularity.

The first competitions in Germany were held in Germany, which laid the foundation stone for the German Triathlon Union (DTU), which has been supporting sport since 1985 and regulates all multisports such as duathlon and aquathlon. The Ironman® Hawaii, founded in 1978, is often mentioned as a milestone for the awareness of the triathlon in Germany because it inspired numerous athletes.

growth and number of participants

According to current figures, the number of participants in German competitions from 90,000 in 2003 increased to an impressive 270,000 in 2016. This growth is reflected in the large number of events that include around 600 triathlons with over 1,500 competitions.

  • largest triathlon events in Germany:
    • Hamburg (ITU World Triathlon Series): approx. 10,000 participants
    • Cologne (Cologne Triathlon Weekend): approx. 4,000 participants
    • Roth (Datev Challenge Roth): approx. 3,300 participants
    • Kraichgau (Ironman®): approx. 3,000 participants
    • Frankfurt (Ironman®): approx. 2,500 participants

The ITU World Triathlon Series in Hamburg is the largest triathlon event in Germany. With around 10,000 participants and more than 250,000 spectators, it has developed into a highlight for athletes and fans.

German triathlon elite

The best-known German triathletes are sizes such as Lothar Leder, Anne Haug, Thomas Hellriegel, Faris Al-Sultan, Sebastian Kienle and Jan Frodeno. The latter was able to win the gold medal at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and also earned the title at Ironman® Hawaii both 2015 and 2016. 2016 was remarkable when German athletes took the first three places at the Ironman® Hawaii.

The German Triathlon Union has contributed significantly to the fact that triathlon in Germany is now an integral part of the sports offer. Information on this is available on Nibelungen-Kurier and Europa Express . Further interesting statistics and backgrounds about the triathlon can be found at Passion triathlon .

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