In which country did a triathlon, multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running, originate?

A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances.

The evolution of triathlon as a distinct sport is difficult to trace with precision. Many, including triathlon historian and author Scott Tinley, consider events in early twentieth century France to be the beginnings of triathlon, with many three element multisport events of differing composition appearing, all called by different names.

The earliest record for an event was from 1901 in Joinville-le-Pont, Val-de-Marne: it called itself "Les Trois Sports" (The Three Sports). It was advertised as an event for "the sportsmen of the time" and consisted of a run, a bicycle and a canoe segment.

By 19 June 1921, the event in Joinville-le-Pont had become more like a standard triathlon, with the canoe segment being replaced with a swim. According to the newspaper "L’Auto", the race consisted of a 3 km run, a 12 km bike ride and the crossing of the river Marne, all staged consecutively and without a break.