Triathlons are some of the most physically-demanding and spectacular athletic trials. Most of the time, this arduous display of strength and endurance has participants push their limits by swimming, cycling and running for 30 miles or more. But when spending bitcoin and promoting the principles of “A Cypherpunk’s Manifesto” (including human rights, freedom of information, free speech, privacy and transaction freedom) are the fundamental goals, any sporting event becomes a lot more interesting.
Between August 24 and August 28, 2019, seven athletes from three different nations will take on a 222 miles (357 kilometer) challenge which begins in the central city of Zug, Switzerland, and concludes in Munich, Germany. The name of the triathlon is the Satoshi Freeathlon, and its purpose is to raise public awareness around the importance of decentralization in power and money.
Originally, Bavarian entrepreneur Vitus Zeller sought to create some positive Bitcoin-related media coverage with a 621 miles (1,000 kilometer) bicycle ride across the Swiss Alps. The initiative, which marked the 10th anniversary of Bitcoin, was called Tour de Satoshi and put him in the middle of a 10-day trip from Florence, Italy, to Frankfurt, Germany, and challenged him to pay for his hotel rooms with bitcoin.
“I scouted more than 50 hotels to be able to stay at seven hotels,” Zeller told Bitcoin Magazine. “And doing such a crazy bike tour in winter was, in every hotel, received as a special thing. I am quite sure the staff in all of those hotels were talking about this … so I’m sure it raised attention there. Also, en route, people asked me what I was doing and why I was travelling by bike in such harsh conditions.”
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