Olympic triathlon events at Beijing 2008 took place at the Ming Tomb Reservoir, combining a 1,500m swim, 40km cycle, and 10km run in a single competition day for each gender.
Key Facts
- Swim distance
- 1,500 metres m
- Cycling distance
- 40 kilometres (6 laps of 6.66 km) km
- Running distance
- 10 kilometres (4 laps of 2.5 km) km
- Women's race date
- Monday, 18 August 2008
- Men's race date
- Tuesday, 19 August 2008
- Venue
- Ming Tomb Reservoir, Shisanling
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Triathlon was included in the Olympic programme beginning with the Sydney 2000 Games, requiring subsequent host cities to provide a venue capable of hosting open-water swimming, road cycling, and road running. Beijing designated the Ming Tomb Reservoir in the Shisanling area as the site for the 2008 edition.
On 18–19 August 2008, men's and women's Olympic triathlon races were contested at the Ming Tomb Reservoir. Each athlete completed a 1,500m open-water swim, a 40km road cycle race across six laps, and a 10km road run across four laps, with timed transitions between disciplines judged in a designated transition area.
The Beijing triathlon competitions produced Olympic champions in both the men's and women's events, continuing the sport's presence on the Olympic stage and contributing to growing global participation in triathlon as a competitive discipline following increased Olympic exposure.
Result
at Ming Tomb Reservoir, Shisanling, Beijing