Morgan Pearson

Name: Morgan Pearson
Sport: Triathlon
Height: 5’11”
Birthdate: Sept. 22, 1993
Hometown: New Vernon, N.J.
Current Residence: Boulder, Colo.
High School: Delbarton School (Morristown, N.J.)
College: University of Colorado at Boulder

Career Highlights

2024 U.S. Olympic Silver Medalist, Mixed Relay

2024 Olympic Games, 31st (Individual)

2024 WTCS Yokohama 1st place

2023 World Triathlon Cup Karlovy Vary, 1st place

2022 WTCS Abu Dhabi, second place

2020 U.S. Olympic Silver Medalist, Mixed Relay
2020 Olympic Games, 42nd (Individual)
3-time World Triathlon Championship Series medalist (2 silver, 1 bronze)
2022 silver medalist at World Triathlon Championship Finals

Personal

Pearson is originally from Spring Lake, New Jersey, where he grew up as a competitive swimmer, ocean lifeguard, and promising high school runner. He went on to run cross-country and track & field at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he was a seven-time All-American. He got his start in elite triathlon through USA Triathlon’s Collegiate Recruitment Program, which identifies top NCAA swimmers and runners who have the potential to excel as triathletes. After winning the overall title at the USA Triathlon Age Group Sprint National Championships in 2017, he debuted as an elite triathlete in 2018. He experienced a breakout 2021 season, winning bronze in Yokohama and silver in Leeds, England, to become the first U.S. male to earn multiple World Triathlon Championship Series medals. His older brother, Andrew, passed away in March of 2021, and after qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Team in Yokohama, Pearson said, "He gave me the boost I needed today, and I was just thinking about him. Hopefully when I’m at the Olympics, he’ll be there with me.” Pearson then went on to podium at the Tokyo Olympics when he was a member of Team USA who claimed the silver medal at the debut Mixed Relay event. 

Triathlon Career

2024: Started the 2024 season with a win at the Americas Triathlon Championships Miami • Traveled to Japan and won the WTCS Yokohama race, becoming the first U.S. man to win since 2009 • Placed second in the mixed triathlon relay at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games • Placed first overall in the IRONMAN 70.3 La Quinta.

2023: Qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the World Triathlon Paris Test event by finishing as the top U.S. man, in sixth place • Similar to his 2022 season, Pearson missed a large part of the season due to injury.

2022: Missed a large part of the season due to injury and recovery, but returned in November to compete at the debut World Triathlon Cup in Vina Del Mar in Chile and placed 50th • Competed in Abu Dhabi at the World Triathlon Championship Series Finals and placed second overall in the men's individual event, becoming the second U.S. man to medal at World Championships.
2021: Qualified for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team with a bronze-medal performance at the World Triathlon Championship Series Yokohama • Became the first U.S. man in history to win multiple World Triathlon Championship Series medals, earning silver in Leeds • Made his Olympic Games debut in Tokyo on July 26, placing 42nd in the men's individual event • Earned a silver medal in the debut of Triathlon Mixed Relay at the Olympic Games, teaming up with Katie Zaferes, Kevin McDowell and Taylor Knibb. Pearson and McDowell are the first U.S. men in history to medal in a triathlon event at the Olympic Games • Ended his 2021 year by competing in the World Triathlon Championship Series Abu Dhabi and placed 24th
2020: Placed eighth as the top U.S. man at the 2020 World Triathlon Championships in Hamburg, Germany • Was part of the silver-medal-winning U.S. team at the 2020 World Triathlon Mixed Relay Championships in Hamburg, Germany
2019: Finished 5th at the Clermont CAMTRI Sprint Triathlon American Cup, • Placed 7th at the Mooloolaba ITU Triathlon World Cup • Finished 36th at the New Plymouth ITU Triathlon World Cup • Finished 29th at the ITU World Triathlon Bermuda • Placed 15th at the ITU World Triathlon Yokohama • Earned silver at the Huatulco ITU Triathlon World Cup, on June 9 • Finished 41st at the Nur-Sultan ITU Triathlon World Cup • Placed 6th at the ITU World Triathlon Edmonton • Earned bronze as a member of the U.S. Mixed Relay team at the ITU World Triathlon Mixed Relay Series Edmonton • Placed 25th at the Tokyo ITU World Olympic Qualification Event • Was the highest-placing U.S. man at the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Lausanne, Switzerland, finishing 11th
2018: Closed his season with a top-five finish at the Salinas ITU Triathlon World Cup • Teamed up with Renée Tomlin, Jason West and Taylor Spivey at the Sarasota-Bradenton CAMTRI Mixed Relay American Championships (held in a duathlon format), anchoring the team to the win • Earned a career-best 4th-place finish at the Sarasota-Bradenton ITU Triathlon World Cup, which was held as a duathlon, • Finished 41st at the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Gold Coast, Australia • Earned his first elite victory at the Montreal CAMTRI Sprint Triathlon American Cup • Finished 46th at the ITU World Triathlon Hamburg • Earned a silver medal at the Wuustwezel ETU Sprint Triathlon European Cup on June 23, his first podium as an elite triathlete • Placed 18th at the ITU Triathlon World Cup Antwerp  • Finished 17 at the ITU Triathlon World Cup Cagliari • Placed 14th at ITU World Triathlon Yokohama • Finished 6th at the ITU Triathlon World Cup Chengdu • Placed 14th at the New Plymouth ITU Triathlon World Cup • Raced in his first elite ITU competition at the Mooloolaba ITU Triathlon World Cup, placing 7th as one of the top ITU World Cup debuts in U.S. history
2017: In his first national-level triathlon competition, he claimed the men’s overall title and qualified for his elite license at the USA Triathlon Age-Group Sprint National Championships in Omaha, Nebraska
Collegiate Running Accolades: Member of the 2014 NCAA National Champion CU Boulder men’s cross-country team • Seven-time All-American in cross-country and track • Set the eighth-fastest mark for a CU Buff in the outdoor 5k with a time of 13:26:22 in 2015 • Placed third in the 5k at the NCAA Indoor National Championships in 2015