Context : Triathlons are a popular endurance sport with an elevated injury risk. Prevalence for injuries in triathletes varies greatly and is thought to be related to racing distance. The most common injuries in triathletes occur in the lower-extremities and are considered overuse in nature. The primary purpose of this study was to examine injury patterns and prevalence among triathletes during the 2022 season. Design : This study adopts an epidemiological approach using a retrospective survey to better understand the prevalence, nature, and patterns of injuries among triathletes. Methods : A live online questionnaire was developed that collected information about demographics, triathlon racing, and injury epidemiology. The survey was posted to social media and emailed to large triathlon clubs and international federations at the beginning of 2023 and was left open for 75 days. Results : Two hundred nineteen triathletes reported at least 1 injury, with 58.5% classified as overuse. Eighty-one percent were reported as triathlon related. The most frequent area of injury was to the lower-extremity (73.8%). Triathletes sought advice from a health care provider 64.6% of the time. Eighty-seven percent of triathletes had to miss or modify training because of their injury. Those triathletes not reporting injury indicated that strength training (72.2%) and stretching/foam rolling (64.9%) were believed to help prevent injury. Conclusion : The risk of injury while training for a triathlon is significant and can be severe enough to require modifications to the training program. The most vulnerable area for injury is the lower-extremities, and such injuries are usually caused by overuse. To reduce the risk of injury, there is a need to examine preventive strategies further and determine their effectiveness.

Objectives: To characterize self-report musculoskeletal complaints, anatomical distribution, healthcare utilization, training impact, and associations with demographic and training characteristics among adult triathletes during the 2023 season. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional survey was conducted among community-based triathletes recruited through social media and triathlon organizations. Adults aged ≥18 years who completed or intended to complete at least one triathlon in 2023 were included (N = 245). Demographic characteristics, years of participation, race focus, and weekly training volume were collected. Main outcomes included self-reported musculoskeletal complaints, anatomical location, complaint classification, healthcare utilization, and training disruption. Results: Of 245 participants (60.0% male; most frequent age group 30–34 years), 127 of 242 with available complaint data (52.5%) reported at least one complaint, totaling 175 reported complaints. The lower extremity accounted for 79.4% of complaints, most commonly the hip/pelvis (22.3%), lower leg (18.7%), knee (17.3%), ankle (15.1%), and foot/toes (15.1%). Running was the most frequently reported activity associated with complaint onset (61%). The number of reported complaints was not significantly associated with the broad demographic or training characteristics examined. Healthcare utilization was reported for 62.4% of complaints with available healthcare data. Among complaints with available training impact data, 50.6% resulted in both missed and modified training, 28.2% in modified training only, and 21.2% in missed training only. Conclusions: More than half of the triathletes surveyed reported musculoskeletal complaints during the 2023 season, with lower-extremity and overuse complaints predominating and running most frequently associated with complaint onset. Broad demographic and general training characteristics were not significantly associated with the number of reported complaints. These findings highlight the burden and training consequences of self-reported musculoskeletal complaints among adult triathletes and support the need for prospective surveillance incorporating discipline-specific exposure and more detailed training load measures.