The CU club triathlon team will be competing in their first race of the season in the annual Mountain Collegiate Conference this Saturday at Lake Havasu, Arizona.
The event is an Olympic-distance triathlon that includes a 1,500-meter swim, a 40-kilometer bike and a 10-kilometer run.
“It’s a tough course,” said coach Brad Seng. “It’s not flat, the bike course has hills, you run through sand and there’s a set of stairs the athletes have to run up and down.”
With a total of 16 national championships, Colorado holds the most championships among any other school in the nation.
Colorado will have around 60 athletes participating in this upcoming race, some competing in their first triathlon. CU usually only sends about 45 competitors to the regional championships, making this one of the biggest teams Colorado has seen at this event.
“I think that’s one reason why our team is so successful,” Seng said. “It’s not just about sport, it’s about the comradery and the social aspect cultivated with it.”
For the past six years, the CU triathlon team has won the national championship. However, Seng noted that winning championships is not his main goal. He wants his athletes to have an opportunity to out of their comfort zones, and ultimately have a good time.
The regional championship event will take place on Saturday, March 19 at 7:30 a.m.
After regionals, Colorado will be preparing for the collegiate national championship in Clemson, South Carolina. Nationals will take place on Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23.
