The First Nepean Triathon!

February 1982 saw a group of mates (after seeing the Hawaii Ironman’s TV coverage) put on the first Triathlon in Sydney’s west.

There had been events held before in Australia (e.g. 1981 Elouera Endurathon), but the Nepean event was to continue on.

The event was held in the Nepean River with no bike racks and a handler was essential to hold your gear and bike. The race winner was a 34 year old Greg Reddan. Greg went on to set the standard in triathlon becoming the first Aussie to crack the top ten in the Hawaii Ironman in 1982 (7th place).

Greg went on to devote his life to fitness, teaching for 39 years in Physical Education and has released numerous papers and articles directly related to his triathlon background and still competes today. The 1982 women’s champ was Gabrielle Howard, who after a couple of years in the sport stepped away.