Richard Murray
Hometown: Beuningen Overijssel Netherlands and Durbanville South
Africa
Richard Murray
Age: 34
Hometown: Beuningen Overijssel Netherlands and Durbanville South
Africa
'Nothing worth wanting comes easy. Derived from aTheodore Roosevelt quote - Nothing in the world is worth having or worthdoing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty.' Richard Murray
Richard's Story
Growing up on a farm, Richard started running and cycling with his family for fun. Later through high school, Richard ran track and field and road cycling races, and mountain biking races. This led to duathlon and ultimately Triathlon after this. Richard Murray's athletic achievements began with back-to-back victories at the Junior Duathlon World Championships in 2007
and 2008. In 2010, he showcased his prowess in both triathlon and duathlon by securing the U23 African Championships title, propelling him into the
spotlight. In 2012, Richard claimed his inaugural WTS triumph in Hamburg, followed by two more podium finishes that season.
In 2016, Richard's trajectory faced a setback when he suffered a collarbone injury during the WTS Gold Coast race, despite previously triumphing in the World Cup series event in New Zealand and attaining second place in WTS Abu Dhabi. After a three-month hiatus, he made a triumphant return, emerging as the victor in the Duathlon World Championships, the Island House Invitational, and impressively securing 4th place in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
GREATEST CHALLENGES:
Coming from a duathlon and running background, learning to swim fast enough to make the front pack has been a challenge of mine and I have to continue to work hard daily to maintain standards or improve.
SEASON GOALS:
Qualify for Paris 2024 Olympics for the Netherlands.
KEY RESULTS:
WTCS win in London 2017
WTCS win in Hamburg 2012
WTCS win in Edmonton
4th Rio Olympic Games
3x Duathlon World Champion
STRONGEST DISCIPLINE:
Running.
TOP 3 SWIM TIPS FOR SOMEONE GETTING STARTED IN TRIATHLON:
- When possible, get into the open water to swim, it is where you will race.
- Get a good coach who knows his thing about technique and coaching.
- Have fun and join groups/clubs, triathlon after all is mainly a participation and social sport.
WHICH ZONE3 KIT DO YOU RECOMMEND THE MOST/HAVE FOUND THE MOST USEFUL:
The Vanquish-X wetsuit is my favourite, I have raced it in past years and love it. The swimming costumes and gear is all top quality.
FUN FACT:
I enjoy coaching, videography and travel.
The sport has given me so much. Meeting new people, places
and cultures for me has been the most amazing thing of the sport. I love to visit new places and to do the sport I love.
The triathlon community is like nothing else, very welcoming
and less " elite ". I enjoy getting out the door and doing exercise
and being able to do this as work is an amazing thing.
