Njengoba kunombhalo wokubhekisela ekuqaleni kwe-triathlon, ngitshele ukuthi lo mcimbi wabanjwa kuphi okokuqala, ngasiphi unyaka, nokuthi yimuphi umdlalo owawuqala ngokulandelana komjaho.
Context:Umncintiswano wokuqala wanamuhla wokubhukuda, ukuhamba ngebhayisikili nokugijima wabanjelwa eMission Bay, eSan Diego, eCalifornia ngo-September 25, 1974. Lo mjaho waklanywa futhi waqhutshwa amalungu amabili eSan Diego Track Club, uJack Johnstone noDon Shanahan. UJohnstone ukhumbula ukuthi wayeyingxenye ye-70s jogging craze eMelika nokuthi ngemuva kokungena emincintiswaneni embalwa wayengatholi "ukuqina kwakhe okujwayelekile" yize wayeyilungu leqembu le-1957 Collegiate ne-AAU All-American swim. Khona-ke ngo-1973, uJohnstone wezwa ngeDave Pain Birthday Biathlon, umjaho ongamakhilomitha angu-7,2 (amakhilomitha angu-4,5) olandelwa yilokho okwakuthiwa ukubhukuda okungamamitha angu-0,4 (ibanga langempela lalingamamitha angu-200 kuya kwangu-300 kuphela). Ngonyaka olandelayo, ngemva kokuncintisana kulo mqhudelwano okwesibili nokungena kwabayishumi abaphambili, uJohnstone wayefuna ukugijima kaningi ngalendlela futhi agcizelele ukubhukuda ngendlela efanayo. Ngakho wafaka isicelo kukasihlalo weSan Diego Track Club owamtshela ukuthi wayezokwengeza umjaho ekhalendeni leqembu. Kodwa okunye ukuhlelwa komjaho kwakusezandleni zikaJohnstone, futhi ngesikhathi esifanayo kwakufanele axhumane noDon Shanahan ukuze kungabi nemincintiswano "engajwayelekile" eminingi kakhulu esimisweni seqembu. UShanahan watshela uJohnstone ukuthi ufuna ukufaka umlenze webhayisikili emncintiswaneni; ngenkathi uJohnstone enqikaza wavuma ukungezwa. Lapho beqamba umcimbi lo mbhangqwana wasebenzisa uhlelo lokuqamba amagama oluvunyelwene ngokungekho emthethweni lwemicimbi yezemidlalo eminingi, esivele isetshenziselwa i-pentathlon, i-heptathlon, ne-decathlon. Ngakho basebenzisa isiqalo sesiGreki esithi tri (ezintathu) ukuze babhale inani lemidlalo, bese besebenzisa igama esivele silijwayele elithi athlon, yingakho babiza lo mqhudelwano ngokuthi i-Mission Bay Triathlon. Kuyaphawuleka ukuthi akekho kwabasunguli owayezwe ngezenzakalo zaseFrance; bobabili babekholelwa ukuthi uhlanga lwabo lwalungumqondo oyingqayizivele.  NgoLwesithathu, ngoSeptember 25, 1974, umncintiswano waqala. Waqala ngokugijima ibanga elingamakhilomitha angu-4.8, kwalandela ukuhamba ngebhayisikili kabili uzungeze iFiesta Island isikhathi esingamakhilomitha angu-8.0 (5 mi). Abahlanganyeli babebe sebehla emabhayisikili, bakhumula izicathulo zabo bese begijima beya emanzini ukuze babhukude baye ezweni. Lokho kwalandelwa ukugijima ngezinyawo ezingenamikhono, bese ngibhukuda futhi ngasechwebeni, bese ngibhukuda okokugcina ngize ngifike emnyango weSiqhingi iFiesta, bese ngikhasa okokugcina nginyuka umhosha othambile onodaka ukuze ngiqede. Iningi lalaba babekhona lalingakwazi ukubhukuda, ngakho uJohnstone wacela indodana yakhe eneminyaka engu-13 ubudala ukuba igxume ebhodini layo lokushushuluza izintaba futhi ibe umsizi. Abanye ababambe iqhaza bathatha isikhathi eside kunalokho okwakulindelekile, futhi kwaqala ukuba mnyama njengoba beqeda ukubhukuda. UShanahan ukhumbula ukuthi bamisa izimoto ezimbalwa futhi bavula izibani ukuze abasubathi babone. UJohnstone noShanahan bamangala ngenani elikhulu labahlanganyeli (46), ikakhulukazi abavela emakilabhini endawo okugijima. Abahlanganyeli ababili abavelele, uJudy noJohn Collins, eminyakeni emine kamuva bathola umcimbi owaletha ukunakwa kwamazwe omhlaba kulo mdlalo omusha: iHawaii Ironman.
Umncintiswano wokuqala we - triathlon wabanjelwa eSan Diego, eCalifornia ngo - 1974. Ngokungafani nemincintiswano yanamuhla, i-triathlon yaqala ngokugijima.