Rudy von Berg grew up in France but today has gained US citizenship and also has an Italian passport due to his mum’s nationality and a Belgian one due to his father’s.

RUDY VON BERG has been a sporty person for as long as he can remember and his passion for triathlon stemmed from his father, who was a professional triathlete in the 1980s.

Rudy’s achievements to date have included Collegiate National Champion (2014 to 2015), ten Professional podiums and a win in the Half Challenge San Gil. Still a student at university he’sconfident that if he continues to train hard and set himself new race challenges he will one day reach heights similar to those of his father.

Read on to find out more about Rudy’s pursuit of triathlon glory, his training regime and his ambitions in the sport for the rest of the year and beyond.

Who helped nurture your passion for sport and could you tell us your earliest memories of sporting success?

As long as I recall I’ve been doing sports and I could never stay still. When I was in high school in France where I lived for most of my childhood, I ran cross country, I played soccer, tennis, I was in a swim club and I rode MTB and road bikes. 

The passion for triathlon came from my dad, who raced professionally in the ’80s and from three trips we did to the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii when I was five, nine and 13 and to various other races around the world. Seeing that at such a young age definitely makes you think “damn I really want to race here one day”. 

Early on I was pretty good at sports, especially in cycling and running. I wasn’t great at swimming. I would usually win or get on the podium in the local races and that helped me to continue in the sport.

Rudy pictured with his father, who was a professional triathlete in the ’80s.

When did you start competing in triathlon and what have been some of your biggest successes to date?

I started competing when I was maybe 12 years old. By now triathlon is in my blood for sure.

I haven’t had any major success to date. A few of my best results are two times Collegiate National Champion (2014 to 2015), ten Professional podiums and a win in the Half Challenge San Gil. 

Rudy started competing at 12 years old and hasn’t looked back as his passion for the sport has only grown.

How passionate are you about the sport and what is it about triathlon that really makes you tick?

I absolutely love racing and training for triathlons, by now it’s what I do, it’s part of me and it’s my lifestyle. I am still a student at CU Boulder though, and that offers a good balance. The fact that there are three sports in triathlon is really the best part, you get to develop yourself in all these different domains that it keeps the process exciting and fun. Also, the race itself is an amazing journey, and that you’re competing in a one-hour triathlon or a ten-hour ironman triathlon you will have ups and lows and it will all be worth it. I highly recommend triathlons!

Although a full-time student in business marketing, Rudy is able to maintain a strict triathlon training regime.

How hard are you currently training and how difficult is it juggling this with other life commitments?

I am currently training extremely hard; I commute ten minutes to class three times per week, I swim in the creek for ten minutes and sometimes I run upwards of ten miles per week.

Just joking! I am training pretty hard, it is a consistent 20 to 25 hours per week week, with 25km of swimming, five hours of running, eight hours of cycling and two-and-a-half to three hours of strength work. And there is a lot of intensity every day.

I have to juggle that with being a full time student in business marketing. It is possible to do by staying organised and by not going out too much.

For 2016 Rudy’s main goals are the U23 World Championships and the 70.3 Half Ironman European Championships.


In which discipline of triathlon do you excel at and in which area do you have to work the hardest?

I am pretty even in all three disciplines, but I don’t have any very strong discipline. Depending on if I am racing long distance or short course racing, my strength will be the swim and the run for long distance, and it will be the bike for short course.

I’ve had to work the hardest on my swim the last couple years, but now it’s more the run. 

What are your aims and ambitions for 2016 and beyond and how do you intend to get there?

For 2016, my main goal is the U23 World Championships (14th in 2015), and the 70.3 Half Ironman European Championships.

I just need to stay consistent in my training, and work hard but smart, and it should all come along smoothly!