Women and Men of Iron: The 10 Greatest Triathletes of All-Time
Endurance, Strength + Perseverance: The Best Ever Triathletes
Who’s the best combined swimmer, runner and cyclist of all-time? Read on to find out about the male and female triathletes to top The Sporting Blog’s list!
Great triathlete Chrissie Wellington
Triathlon is a multisport that includes swimming, cycling and running - a few of the best sports for fitness!
Every athlete taking part competes for the fastest time overall. This time includes each sport in the race, as well as the time it takes to transition between them.
It’s safe to say that many triathlete greats have redefined endurance, strength and perseverance. They've also set new benchmarks, broken records and inspired millions.
Who are the 10 greatest triathletes of all-time? Let’s take a look!
1. Nicola Spirig
Nicola Spirig won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics and silver at the 2016 Olympics
She's a six-time European Champion
She was the first female Olympian to finish an iron-distance race in under eight hours (7:34:19)
Nicola Spirig is a Swiss triathlete who started competing in triathlons at 10 years old.
She's been a dominant force in the multisport for 25 years and has represented Switzerland at the Olympics five consecutive times.
Her gold medal was decided by a photo finish, as she and Swede Lisa Nordén finished simultaneously.
Spirig set her sub-eight time for an iron-distance in 2022. While preferring standard distances, she readily masters just about any race distance she takes. She’s a lawyer and mother of three and still competes.
2. Jan Frodeno
He’s a modern-day triathlete superstar, excelling in middle- and long-distance triathlons
He won Olympic gold in 2008
Frodeno was the Ironman World Champion thrice (2015, 2016 and 2019) and the Ironman 70.3 World Champion twice (2015 and 2018)
Jan Frodeno, a.k.a. "Frodissimo," is a German triathlete. He only learned to swim at age 15 and joined a Surf Lifesavers group in South Africa in 1999.
His passion for triathlons started in 2000 after watching the Olympics. He later moved to Germany to train in earnest.
Aside from his victories, Frodeno is known for excelling in middle- and long-distance triathlons. He broke the Ironman Hawaii overall course record in 2019 with a 7:51:13 finish.
3. Chrissie Wellington
She won four Ironman World Championships (2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011)
She set the fastest iron-distance record in 2011 at the Challenge Roth Triathlon (8:18:13)
Chrissie Wellington is the Global Head for Health and Wellbeing for Parkrun
Chrissie Wellington was born in England and is famous for being a surprise element in the Ironman Championships. Before winning the 2007 World Event, she was an unknown entity.
Wellington won in 2007 by a margin of five minutes. However, in 2008 and 2009, she won by 15 and 20 minutes, respectively.
Wellington didn't compete in 2010 due to illness, but in 2011, she won at Kona despite a pectoral injury.
She was awarded an MBE in 2010 and then an OBE in 2016 for her services to sport and charity in England.
4. Alistair Brownlee
Alistair Brownlee won back-to-back Olympic gold medals in 2012 and 2016
He won the ITU World Championship twice (2009 and 2011)
He won the ITU Junior World Title in 2006 and the U23 World Title in 2008
Alistair Brownlee was born in England in 1988. He is considered the most successful triathlete in Olympic history, having won two golds.
His tactic was to be exceedingly fast on his bicycle to tire his opponents' legs before the run even started.
He's since moved on to long-course racing and will likely add more accolades to his impressive achievements.
5. Paula Newby-Fraser
Paula Newby-Fraser's nickname is the "Queen of Kona”
She won the Ironman World Champion title eight times (1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1996)
She was the first woman to finish at Kona in under nine hours (1992)
Paula Newby-Fraser was born in Zimbabwe and grew up in South Africa.
In 1985, Newby-Fraser won the South African Ironman women's division and came third in her first world-class Ironman race.
Over 12 years, the Zimbabwean won 21 of the 26 Ironman races she entered.
She’s won many international awards for her athleticism, including "Athlete of the Year" and "Female Pro Athlete of the Decade.” In 1996, Paula was inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame.
6. Dave Scott
Scott won six Ironman World Championships (1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986 and 1987)
He was the first Ironman Hall of Fame inductee (1993)
He’s the first athlete to break the 11-hour, 10-hour and nine-hour finish times in Ironman's formative years
Dave Scott is an American triathlete born in 1954. He only started triathlon after a collegiate career in water polo.
Known as "The Man" for his record-breaking tendencies, Scott confirmed his place in the Ironman Hall of Fame by making two "comeback" races in his forties.
He almost won the race in 1994 but came second behind Greg Welch. When he competed at the 1997 Ironman, he was 43 years old, yet still achieved fifth place.
7. Gwen Jorgensen
She is the first American female triathlete to win gold at the Olympics (2016)
She only started competing in triathlons after graduating as a certified public accountant
Gwen Jorgensen also won two ITU World Championship titles (2014 and 2015)
Gwen Jorgensen is an American athlete who was headhunted by the USA Triathlon Collegiate Recruitment Programme as a potential elite triathlete.
Her triathlon career spanned from 2010 to 2017. In that time, she won two ITU World Champion titles and an Olympic gold.
Towards the end of 2016, she competed in the 2016 Grand Final and came second. After that race, Jorgensen announced her retirement from multisport to focus on a running career.
8. Mark Allen
He won the Ironman World Championship six times (1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1995)
He was the inaugural 1989 ITU Olympic Distance World Champion
In his first Ironman victory, Allen beat his rival, Dave Scott, in what was dubbed the "Iron War”
Mark Allen, an American triathlete, was Dave Scott's greatest competitor. He's one of the most decorated triathletes with seven World Champion titles.
During his 15 years as a professional, he entered 96 races and won 66.
Mark Allen was inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame, the ITU Hall of Fame and the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame. He is now an advisor and master coach at Ironman U, along with Dave Scott and Paula Newby-Fraser.
9. Mirinda Carfrae
She’s known as "Rinny" in the triathlon community
She won the 2007 Ironman 70.3 World Championship
Mirinda Carfrae won the Ironman Triathlon World Championships three times (2010, 2013 and 2014)
Mirinda Carfrae is an Australian triathlete with exceptional endurance and a unique racing style. Her victory in 2007 saw her post a course record time of 4:07:25, mainly due to her lightning 1:18:40 half-marathon.
She's also set four run course records at Kona.
In her debut Ironman World Championship in 2009, Rinny finished second. Since then, she's won three Ironman World Champion titles and two more runner-up positions.
10. Greg Welch
Welch was the first non-American to win the Ironman World Championship (1994)
In 1990, he was the ITU World Champion
Welch received five world titles for different events, including duathlon, Olympic distance and surf lifesaving
Greg Welch is an Australian triathlete known for his versatility, and he won "The Grand Slam" in these multisport events. He was also awarded the Order of Australia in 2011 for his contribution to triathlon.
Aside from winning a bronze medal at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, Welch won the following titles:
US Pro Championship (three times)
Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon (twice)
Australian National Championship
Mrs T's Chicago Triathlon
The 10 Greatest Triathletes of All-Time
The 10 triathletes on our list have shown exceptional talent and determination as great cyclists, swimmers and runners.
They've also made unparalleled contributions to the growth and popularity of triathlon, showing us the extreme capabilities of the human body and mind.
Do you think there’s anyone else who deserves to be on this list? Tell us in the comments!
