Race Coverage

"The Coolest Part...is the Atmosphere"...

Tuesday, 25 April 2017 23:10

ED. This is one of the finest race reports you'll ever read! Enjoy.

By Kristina Swenson (kristinaswenson.wixite.com)

Collegiate Nationals Race Report - I’ve experienced a lot of triathlon in my short racing career, from small local races to draft-legal junior elite races to the ITU World Championship, but nothing quite compares to USA Triathlon Collegiate Club National Championship. This past weekend, I competed in my second Collegiate Nationals in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Nearly 1,300 athletes and 120 club teams came from all over the country to compete against the best of the best in collegiate triathlon. This is a two-day event that consists of a draft-legal sprint distance race, a non-draft Olympic distance race, and a super sprint mixed team relay race.
 
The coolest part about this race is the atmosphere. This is the race that every college triathlete around the country trains for each year. This is our opportunity to show the world what happens between our classes and late night study sessions at the library. This is where those 30-hour training weeks and every party you missed because you...

had to be in bed early for your Saturday morning ride become worth it. This is where your teammates become your family and your coaches become your parents away from home. This is where you set aside your school rivalries for a weekend, and every athlete becomes someone for whom you’d sacrifice your race.
 
It has become tradition for the Iowa State team to set up our team tent along the finish chute. From the first finisher to the last, whoever isn’t out racing or on the course cheering, is at the finish line, leaning over the fence, screaming and cheering as loud as they can for every racer. As an athlete, you can’t help but grin as you hear your name being announced and the volume of hundreds of fellow athletes you don’t know cheering for you. Each and every one of us proudly bears our alma mater on our chest and legs, full of such pride for our respective schools and teams. Crossing the finish line brings with it hugs, kind words, and a mutual understanding among complete strangers that you have accomplished something that most of your friends back home just don't get.  READ MORE