Mark Allen (triathlete)

File:MarK Allen.jpg

Template:MedalTableTop Mark Allen (born January 12, 1958, in Glendale, California) is an American triathlete and six-time Ironman Triathlon World Champion.

Education

He graduated from UC San Diego, where he was an All-American swimmer, with a degree in biology.<ref name="Norcross">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref>

Career

After competing and losing in the Ironman Triathlon Championships six times (often to Dave Scott), Allen emerged victorious in 1989, winning one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world.

This was the first of six Ironman victories for Allen, the last coming in 1995 at age 37, making him the oldest winner of the event at that time. He has also excelled at the Olympic distance, winning the sport's inaugural World Championships in 1989 in Avignon, France,<ref name="New Straits">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> by more than a minute. He was undefeated in 10 trips to the Nice International Championships,<ref name="Gibbs">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and from 1988 to 1990 he had a winning streak of 21 races.

Over the course of his racing career, which ended in 1996, he maintained a 90% average in top-three finishes. He was named Triathlete of the Year six times by Triathlete magazine, and in 1997 Outside magazine dubbed him The World's Fittest Man. Allen was inducted into the Ironman Triathlon Hall of Fame in 1997.<ref name="Norcross"/> He has also been inducted into the USAT Hall of Fame and the ITU Hall of Fame.

Allen has summarized his career in four characters: "1-6-21-infinity".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> "1" is for his victory in the first official triathlon World Championship. "6" is for the six times he won the Ironman. 21 stands for his two season run of 21 straight victories, along the way defeating every one of the top 50 triathletes in the world. "Infinity" represents his acknowledgement by ESPN<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> as "The Greatest Endurance Athlete of All Time."

Allen owns and operates Mark Allen Coaching,<ref name="Mark Allen Coaching">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> a global online triathlon coaching concern.

Results

YEAR	RACE	POSITION	SWIM	BIKE	RUN	RESULT
1995	Ironman World Championship, Kona, Hawaii, US	1st	51:50	4:46:35	2:42:09	8:20:34<ref name="Staton">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1993	Ironman World Championship, Kona, Hawaii, US	1st	---	---	---	8:07:46<ref name="NY Times">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1992	Ironman World Championship, Kona, Hawaii, US	1st	---	---	---	8:09:08
1991	Ironman World Championship, Kona, Hawaii, US	1st	---	---	---	8:18:32<ref name="NY Times2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1990	Ironman World Championship, Kona, Hawaii, US	1st	---	---	---	8:28:17<ref name="Lawrence">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1989	Ironman World Championship, Kona, Hawaii, US	1st	---	---	---	8:09:14<ref name="Associated Press">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1988	Ironman World Championship, Kona, Hawaii, US	5th	---	---	---	8:43:22
1987	Ironman World Championship, Kona, Hawaii, US	2nd	---	---	---	8:45:19<ref name="Modesto">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1986	Ironman World Championship, Kona, Hawaii, US	2nd	---	---	---	8:36:04
1984	Ironman World Championship, Kona, Hawaii, US	5th	---	---	---	9:35:02
1983	Ironman World Championship, Kona, Hawaii, US	3rd	---	---	---	9:21:06
1982	Ironman World Championship, Kona, Hawaii, US	DNF	---	---	---	---

• DNF - Did not finish

External links

• markallencoaching.com
• Video Of The 1989 Triathlon World Championships
• Interview