University of Georgia Athletics
Murray Tackling First Triathlon On Sunday
May 15, 2026 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
As a football player, Aaron Murray was always diligent about his preparation. Between the practice field, film study and the weight room, the former Georgia quarterback was eager to put in the work to prepare for the next opponent.
Now, the SEC's all-time leader in career passing yards and touchdowns is about to take on a new challenge. It's one that will test everything the 35-year-old has physically and mentally. On Sunday, Murray is competing in the Chattanooga IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon — that's a 1.2-mile swim, a 56.7-mile bike ride, and then a 13.1-mile run.
"I love a new challenge. I love mentally pushing myself and physically pushing myself, and trying to figure out the boundaries for what my body can do," said Murray, Georgia's starting quarterback from 2010-13.
The swim will be in the Tennessee River, thankfully going downstream rather than against the current. The cycling section will be around and up and down the many hills surrounding Chattanooga, with more than 2,500 feet of elevation gain, and the half-marathon run will also be challenging, with more than 550 feet of elevation gain.
"It's a good race if you're not a great swimmer, but it's not a great race if you're not a good biker, because it's pretty hilly," Murray said.
The half-marathon run is the part that Murray isn't too worried about. In March, he and his wife, Sharon, ran a marathon in California; it was the second one for both of them in the span of nine months. Afterward, he decided to give a triathlon a go. He's only had about nine weeks to train, but he's gone all-in on his training ever since he decided to do the Chattanooga triathlon.
"My mindset was, OK, I am going to be in great running shape with the marathon I just did, so I got the running knocked out. And I thought I could figure out the bike and swim," Murray said.
Like a lot of triathletes, it's the swim training for someone without competitive swimming experience that has been the most challenging.
"Swimming has been very frustrating for me. I think I went in with the wrong mindset of, I'm just going to swim a bunch of laps, and I'm getting in swimming shape that'll translate to better speed. What I've learned from swimming and talking with coaches is it's such a technique sport," Murray said. "My times have gone down a little bit, but not as much as I want — and a lot of it is because my technique is so bad. I grew up with a pool, but not one for swimming laps. We just had a pool for fun."
As you can tell from Murray's words, he's not lining up at the start line Sunday just to finish the race. "I want to be able to get the best time possible," he said.
Murray, who does some work for ESPN during football season and also works with the leadership company he founded, Red Zone Advantage, is active on social media. He has chronicled a lot of his triathlon training on Instagram, including doing some videos with the Georgia swim teams and coaches, with the UGA Cycling Club, and even one of him riding his indoor trainer at Sanford Stadium.
He's discovered through his posts on social media that the triathlon community is vast and passionate, and he's met numerous people who have helped him with his training.
"It's a lot bigger community than I thought it was," he said. "There are so many people who are super supportive, people who wanted to go on rides and stuff like that. It's been really, really fun."
With every mile that Murray covers, he will be raising money for Extra Special People, the charity for people with disabilities that he's been closely involved with since he was playing for the Bulldogs. He even serves on ESP's national board and hosts a charity golf tournament to raise money for it. If you'd like to contribute to Murray's fundraiser, here's the link: https://give.espyouandme.org/campaign/795891/donate.
"It's a great organization, and I'm hoping we can raise a lot of money for it," he said.
The start of the triathlon will feature a mass of competitors entering the water at the same time. Murray figures his time as a football player may come in handy as everyone battles for space in the river.
"Everyone's like, People are going to be hitting you; it's going to be physical, it's going to be crowded," he said with a laugh. "I'm like, listen, I've played football my whole life, and I played quarterback, so I'm used to being hit. If anyone's ready for that, it's probably me."
Staff Writer
As a football player, Aaron Murray was always diligent about his preparation. Between the practice field, film study and the weight room, the former Georgia quarterback was eager to put in the work to prepare for the next opponent.
Now, the SEC's all-time leader in career passing yards and touchdowns is about to take on a new challenge. It's one that will test everything the 35-year-old has physically and mentally. On Sunday, Murray is competing in the Chattanooga IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon — that's a 1.2-mile swim, a 56.7-mile bike ride, and then a 13.1-mile run.
"I love a new challenge. I love mentally pushing myself and physically pushing myself, and trying to figure out the boundaries for what my body can do," said Murray, Georgia's starting quarterback from 2010-13.
The swim will be in the Tennessee River, thankfully going downstream rather than against the current. The cycling section will be around and up and down the many hills surrounding Chattanooga, with more than 2,500 feet of elevation gain, and the half-marathon run will also be challenging, with more than 550 feet of elevation gain.
"It's a good race if you're not a great swimmer, but it's not a great race if you're not a good biker, because it's pretty hilly," Murray said.
The half-marathon run is the part that Murray isn't too worried about. In March, he and his wife, Sharon, ran a marathon in California; it was the second one for both of them in the span of nine months. Afterward, he decided to give a triathlon a go. He's only had about nine weeks to train, but he's gone all-in on his training ever since he decided to do the Chattanooga triathlon.
"My mindset was, OK, I am going to be in great running shape with the marathon I just did, so I got the running knocked out. And I thought I could figure out the bike and swim," Murray said.
Like a lot of triathletes, it's the swim training for someone without competitive swimming experience that has been the most challenging.
"Swimming has been very frustrating for me. I think I went in with the wrong mindset of, I'm just going to swim a bunch of laps, and I'm getting in swimming shape that'll translate to better speed. What I've learned from swimming and talking with coaches is it's such a technique sport," Murray said. "My times have gone down a little bit, but not as much as I want — and a lot of it is because my technique is so bad. I grew up with a pool, but not one for swimming laps. We just had a pool for fun."
As you can tell from Murray's words, he's not lining up at the start line Sunday just to finish the race. "I want to be able to get the best time possible," he said.
Murray, who does some work for ESPN during football season and also works with the leadership company he founded, Red Zone Advantage, is active on social media. He has chronicled a lot of his triathlon training on Instagram, including doing some videos with the Georgia swim teams and coaches, with the UGA Cycling Club, and even one of him riding his indoor trainer at Sanford Stadium.
He's discovered through his posts on social media that the triathlon community is vast and passionate, and he's met numerous people who have helped him with his training.
"It's a lot bigger community than I thought it was," he said. "There are so many people who are super supportive, people who wanted to go on rides and stuff like that. It's been really, really fun."
With every mile that Murray covers, he will be raising money for Extra Special People, the charity for people with disabilities that he's been closely involved with since he was playing for the Bulldogs. He even serves on ESP's national board and hosts a charity golf tournament to raise money for it. If you'd like to contribute to Murray's fundraiser, here's the link: https://give.espyouandme.org/campaign/795891/donate.
"It's a great organization, and I'm hoping we can raise a lot of money for it," he said.
The start of the triathlon will feature a mass of competitors entering the water at the same time. Murray figures his time as a football player may come in handy as everyone battles for space in the river.
"Everyone's like, People are going to be hitting you; it's going to be physical, it's going to be crowded," he said with a laugh. "I'm like, listen, I've played football my whole life, and I played quarterback, so I'm used to being hit. If anyone's ready for that, it's probably me."
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
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