International Triathlon Union
Encyclopedia
The International Triathlon Union or ITU is the international governing body
Sport governing body
A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sport governing bodies come in various forms, and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule infractions and deciding on rule changes in the sport...

 for the multi-sport
Multisport
Multisport is a family of athletic competitions in which athletes race in a continuous series of stages or "legs", and rapidly switch from one athletic discipline to another in order to achieve the best overall time...

 disciplines of triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...

, duathlon
Duathlon
Duathlon is an athletic event that consists of a running leg, followed by a cycling leg and then another running leg in a format bearing some resemblance to triathlons. The International Triathlon Union governs the sport internationally....

, aquathlon
Aquathlon
The sport of aquathlon consists of a continuous, two-stage race involving swimming followed by running. The International Triathlon Union and its member federation organizations sanction competitions and govern the sport...

 and other nonstandard variations. ITU, which is headquartered in North Vancouver, British Columbia
North Vancouver, British Columbia
There are two municipalities in the Greater Vancouver region of British Columbia, Canada, that use the name North Vancouver. These are:*The City of North Vancouver...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, sanctions the ITU Triathlon World Cup
ITU Triathlon World Cup
The ITU Triathlon World Cup is an annual series of triathlon races staged around the world. The series is organised by the International Triathlon Union , the world governing body of the sport. BG Group was the title sponsor of the series from 2000 to 2008...

 and the ITU Triathlon World Championships
ITU Triathlon World Championships
The ITU Triathlon World Championships have been held annually since 1989, the same year as the formation of the International Triathlon Union – the world governing body of triathlon...

.

Overview

The ITU was formed in 1989, and organizes official world championship series races for the sport of triathlon. It was formed in part to give the growing sport of triathlon an official organizing body and in part to advocate for the entry of triathlon into the Olympic games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

.

The primary ITU race series is the short-course or Olympic distance Triathlon World Cup and World Championship series. The distances for the ITU world cup races are 1500 m swim, 40 km bike, and 10 km run. They were chosen from existing swim, bike, and run distances already in the Olympic games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

. This distance of triathlon has become one of the primary standards in the world of triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...

.

More recently, the ITU created a long distance race circuit with official world championships. Long Distance Triathlon races are very similar in length to Ironman Triathlon
Ironman Triathlon
An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a swim, a bike and a marathon run, raced in that order and without a break...

 races owned and organized by the World Triathlon Corporation.

The ITU also sanctions and organizes official Aquathlon
Aquathlon
The sport of aquathlon consists of a continuous, two-stage race involving swimming followed by running. The International Triathlon Union and its member federation organizations sanction competitions and govern the sport...

 (swim-run), Duathlon
Duathlon
Duathlon is an athletic event that consists of a running leg, followed by a cycling leg and then another running leg in a format bearing some resemblance to triathlons. The International Triathlon Union governs the sport internationally....

 (run-bike-run) and Winter triathlon
Winter triathlon
Winter triathlon is a multisport event involving the continuous and sequential completion of running, mountain biking and cross-country skiing all on snow...

 championships.

International structure

The ITU is structured into 5 continental regions, through which the national federations (the governing body of triathlon in each country) is affiliated to the ITU. Each of the continental regions offers a Continental Championship and Continental Cup Series.
  • Africa: African Triathlon Union (ATU) – 10 national federations
  • Americas: Pan American Triathlon Confederation (PATCO) – 36 national federations
  • Asia: Asian Triathlon Confederation (ASTC) – 22 national federations
  • Europe: European Triathlon Union (ETU) – 43 national federations
  • Oceania: Oceania Triathlon Union (OTU) – 8 national federations

Championships

The world championship events organised by the ITU include:
  • ITU Triathlon World Championships
    ITU Triathlon World Championships
    The ITU Triathlon World Championships have been held annually since 1989, the same year as the formation of the International Triathlon Union – the world governing body of triathlon...

  • ITU Sprint Distance Triathlon World Championships
    ITU Sprint Distance Triathlon World Championships
    The ITU Sprint Distance Triathlon World Championships, inaugurated in 2010, involve a continuous swim-cycle-run, over distances half of the Olympic-distance, that is 750 m swim, 20 km bicycle and 5 km running. The championships are organised by the International Triathlon...

  • ITU Team Triathlon World Championships
    ITU Team Triathlon World Championships
    The ITU Triathlon Team World Championships is an annual team triathlon competition organized by the International Triathlon Union . The competition is completed in teams of four, two men and two women, with each member doing a super-sprint distance triathlon.-History:The event first appeared in...

  • ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships
    ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships
    The ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships have been held annually since 1994. The championships involve a continuous swim-cycle-run, over distances varying between that of an Olympic-distance and an Iron-distance triathlon race. The championships are organised by the International...

  • ITU Triathlon World Cup
    ITU Triathlon World Cup
    The ITU Triathlon World Cup is an annual series of triathlon races staged around the world. The series is organised by the International Triathlon Union , the world governing body of the sport. BG Group was the title sponsor of the series from 2000 to 2008...

     Series
  • ITU Aquathlon World Championships
    ITU Aquathlon World Championships
    The ITU Aquathlon World Championships have been held annually since 1998, typically a few days preceding and in the same location as the ITU Triathlon World Championships, however since 2007 the championships have been held as totally separate events in different locations...

  • ITU Duathlon World Championships
    ITU Duathlon World Championships
    The ITU Duathlon World Championships have been held annually since 1990. The championships involve a continuous run-cycle-run, with the format since 1994 being a first run of 10 km, a cycle of 40 km and a second run of 5 km . The championships are organised by the International...

  • ITU Winter Triathlon World Championships

External links

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