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Many stars of stage and screen are in tip-top shape. It comes with the territory: actors tend to be athletically fit for the most part. But did you know that the cast of one sitcom had a few of its members participate in triathlons? That show would be The Office, one of the most popular sitcoms of all time. 

But which members of the cast participated in triathlons? Let’s take a closer look at what a triathlon is, find out more about The Office, and determine which cast members from that show are also triathletes. 

What is a triathlon? 

If you’ve never heard of or participated in a triathlon, you may get tired just reading the description. 220 Triathlon describes it as “a demanding sport that tests an athlete’s skill and speed at swimming, cycling and running.”

Triathlons have varying distances depending on the race being run, but generally speaking, they all incorporate some combination of the three disciplines mentioned above. Because the race requires so much work to complete, it requires a significant amount of intense training. 

Triathlons began in the ’70s in San Diego. The San Diego Track Club encouraged its members to train in the three various sports that make up triathlons to avoid getting fatigued running on a track all the time. It’s a sport that requires optimal physical fitness and conditioning. 

‘The Office’ and its all-star cast

The Office ran for nine seasons on NBC. While it was enormously popular while on the air, it’s also had something of a second life as new fans of the show currently discover it by binge-watching it on platforms like Netflix.

The show centered around Michael Scott, the bumbling manager of the Scranton branch of paper company Dunder Mifflin. He often struggled to relate to his underlings, trying in vain to be both their boss and their friend (and usually failing with hilarious results).

The show also featured a truly breathtakingly talented comedic ensemble. Two of the show’s other main characters included Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly, the salesman and receptionist who had a love story that thrilled fans of the show. 

One of the show’s strongest attributes was its cast and the writing behind them. Some performances on the show were absolutely hilarious, making the show as memorable as a sitcom could be. 

A few of these cast members had a rather fun and fit side hobby — partaking in triathlons. 

‘The Office’ cast has a bunch of triathletes

Rain Wilson and Steve Carell filming a scene from 'The Office
Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute and Steve Carell as Michael Scott | Mitch Haddad/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
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According to Men’s Health, four members of The Office cast were also known to be triathletes — and the answer of who they were may surprise you: 

  • Ed Helms (Andy Bernard). Helms, a breakout star who’d later become known for his role in The Hangover movie series, was another one of the show’s delightfully dorky characters. 
  • Ellie Kemper (Erin Hannon). Kemper, who later starred in The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, became widely known for her role as Erin, the charmingly naive receptionist who replaced Pam. 
  • Rainn Wilson (Dwight Schrute). One of the show’s anchors, Wilson starred as Jim’s antagonist and Michael’s suck up. He was one of the most popular characters on the show. 
  • David Denman (Roy Anderson). The man who played Pam’s original fiancé and was more of a guest star on the show also enjoys competing in triathlons.

So there you have it — no word on whether the four were able to bond over the triathlete experience, but it certainly is quite the coincidence that all four appeared on the same show and have the same hobby after work hours. 

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