Swim. Bike. Run. Sounds simple, with activities just about every child enjoyed, right? But link the three together in a multisport race, and athletes will need strength, endurance, and mental fortitude to cross the finish line.
Triathlons were born in Southern California in the 1970s, but didn’t break through the nation’s consciousness until ABC’s Wide World of Sports televised the grueling Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, in 1982. College student Julie Moss collapsing and then crawling her way across the finish line is one of the most iconic moments in sport. That grit and determination were enough to encourage committed athletes everywhere to press their personal limits. Here are a few you’ll find training on local waters, roads, and trails.
Triathlon Competitors
Katie Malone, Coach and Competitor
At 51, Malone remembers her first triathlon as if it were yesterday. “I was 14,” she recalls. “I fell in love with it right away. I was running cross country at school and had biked the Assault on Mt. Mitchell. Swimming was a challenge. I would swim around Lake Lanier to practice with a friend cheering me on from a canoe. Doing the Ironman became my goal.”
High school and college came first, as well as a job in the Netherlands. She worked out when she could, but doubled down after returning to Greenville in 2001. “You have to qualify for Kona,” she explains of the World Championships. “I missed the cut multiple times by two minutes. I had a lot of work to do and wasn’t getting any younger. The older you get, the less you can go after your dreams.” So, she quit her lucrative engineering job. She chuckles, “People thought I was crazy, but it’s the best thing I’ve ever done in my life. I made the right decision.”
In 2003, she finally raced under the Hawaiian sun. “I finished in twelve and a half hours,” she reveals. “It was so surreal to finally be there and do it. It was a challenging day, hot and windy. I think if I went back now, I’d do better.” But she’d checked the Ironman off her bucket list and set her eyes on other goals, including triathlon coaching.
Since then, more than 500 men, women, and children have sought her guidance. “The growth of the sport in the area has played into my success as a coach,” the Landrum resident says. “We have a great community here and you can always find someone to train with.” That community is what keeps her lacing up her shoes to coach and compete. “Without triathlons, my life would have been very boring,” she predicts. “I’ve been allowed to live an exceptional life and work with exceptional people. It’s really allowed me to live an extraordinary life.”
Micah Williams, Everyday Athlete
Like many triathletes, Williams played different sports as a kid—football, basketball, cross country, and track. He ran for a bit at Clemson University but soon found other activities. After graduation, a friend challenged him to train for a sprint triathlon at High Point. “I didn’t have a bike. I had to buy new running shoes,” he says. “I started swimming and learned to transition from one sport to the next. The race was super fun. We had a blast.”
Medals in hand, the buddies decided to train for a longer triathlon. “I had to get a wet suit,” the 28-year-old recalls. “Swimming is the thing that is the most intimidating if you’re not a competitive swimmer. You have to humble yourself and get over that part and jump in and start doing it.” He learned to conquer the physical and mechanical aspects of competing. “I had to learn how to repair and fix a flat tire, things of that nature,” he explains. “I’ve become much more knowledgeable and strategic in things beyond the simple exercise of the sport.”
He thinks about how far he’s come. “I’ve always had guys to run with,” he explains. “But at first, I didn’t have anyone to hop on a bike with. Now I have a group message with a dozen willing to ride at any time, and another text with guys who’ll swim laps with me.” He loves seeing the sport grow in Greenville. “If you enjoy exercise and competition, tri is a great outlet for that,” he says. “If you enjoy pushing yourself and setting personal goals, you can surround yourself with people just like that. The camaraderie is great, and we all encourage and help one another.”
Tri Terms
Sprint: A short triathlon with an 820-yard swim, a 12.4-mile ride, and a 3.1-mile run
Ironman: A “full” triathlon with a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile ride, and a 26.2-mile-run
Cross Triathlon: A triathlon with an off-road bike leg and trail run
Andy’s Race
While many races alter their course from year to year, Greenville’s triathlon has stayed true. Competitor Andy Van Evera liked to call it his “World Championship,” because he could accurately compare his times from year to year. “He was a fierce competitor,” shares his wife, Becky. “He played rugby at Clemson. He was a very goal-oriented person. His first tri was a dare between him and another rugby player. That’s where it started. He loved it and he got quite good at it.”
Andy was running, training for a half Ironman, when a car slid on ice and hit him in 2016. In 2019, the race Andy had run every year since its inception at Westside Aquatic Center dedicated its name and spirit to the deceased triathlete. “It’s hard to put into words,” Becky says. “It’s beautiful and appropriate. Rallying around his spirit brings joy to the entire tri community. It allows us to all take a moment and recognize we’re here, and we can race, so go out there and have a good time and a smile. Enjoy this thing that you’re passionate about. Don’t take for granted that you get to do it.”
Andy’s Race is a sprint triathlon, with elements for beginners to elite athletes. It includes a 437-yard swim, a 15-mile ride and a 3-mile run.
August 3, 2025, Westside Aquatic Center, 2700 W. Blue Ridge Dr., Greenville. Sign up at trisignup.com.
