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Collegiate tri races as an age-grouper?
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I just finished my first season in the sport and am planning for the next year. I was looking for early-season tune-up sprints within a reasonable drive, and most of what popped up are ones run by college teams. For example:

I'm guessing there are similar college-run events around the country. The college kids often have their own wave starts but they seem to allow AGers.


Anyone done these types of races? Are they generally a positive experience / well-organized for regular age-groupers? I can't tell if they're meant to be fundraisers for the college teams or if they're more like regular races that just happen to have a college club component mixed in.
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Re: Collegiate tri races as an age-grouper? [burkenfurter] [ In reply to ]
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I’ve done MTS as an age grouper numerous times. It is a great race and well run. It is just very small. Every year I’ve done it I have won my age group... because I’m the only one in my age group. I think that last year there were only 5 women oly AG racers total.

It is definitely a college kid race but loads of fun. As a mustang alumni I enjoy supporting the race and cheering on the kids. And the mustache contest is a hoot.

Aside from being small, I think the only thing different than a non-college race is that there are no finisher medals. No biggie.

I will say that MTS can be very cold. There was snow on the hilltops one year and we froze our asses off. The lake is usually nice (wetsuit recommended) but it can be super chilly.

Hillary Trout
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Re: Collegiate tri races as an age-grouper? [burkenfurter] [ In reply to ]
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burkenfurter wrote:
I just finished my first season in the sport and am planning for the next year. I was looking for early-season tune-up sprints within a reasonable drive, and most of what popped up are ones run by college teams. For example:

I'm guessing there are similar college-run events around the country. The college kids often have their own wave starts but they seem to allow AGers.


Anyone done these types of races? Are they generally a positive experience / well-organized for regular age-groupers? I can't tell if they're meant to be fundraisers for the college teams or if they're more like regular races that just happen to have a college club component mixed in.

I have done tons of the college races over the years. I just did the UC Davis race a few weeks ago. Have done Stanfords and Cal's. I loved those races when we saw in the college pools and ran in the college campus.

The races clearly have a college focus. They usually are pretty low key. But if you want to race, they are great. Yep, AGers are at the end. Yes they help with fundraising.
I may do the Stanford race again. Just tough since so early that I may not have gotten any swimming in yet.

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Re: Collegiate tri races as an age-grouper? [burkenfurter] [ In reply to ]
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West Point Triathlon is incredibly well run. Never an issue, cool awards (sabre if you win the entire race), incredible talent usually shows us, focus is on every-one. Fairly large event. Highly recommend.

West Point Duathlon is also incredibly well run. Much smaller, more focus on the college kids, but all are welcome.
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Re: Collegiate tri races as an age-grouper? [burkenfurter] [ In reply to ]
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I'd recommend them! I raced UC Davis's a few weeks back, UCLA's Ironbruin earlier this year, along with Stanford's and UCSD's Tritonman the past two years -- all as an age grouper. Non-collegiate for all of these races has been in it's own wave generally towards the end of the overall schedule. Typically I've been seeing something like this - "Collegiate Men, Collegiate Women, Age Group Men, Age Group Woman", where the spacing is like 5-15 minutes apart between waves. The downside of this pattern as an age-grouper is that you don't really get the opportunity to race against the crazy fast collegiate guys - and the overall density of the age-group wave is usually very small (except Standford's race - that has always been a sizeable AG wave for me). On the upside, most of these races are super easy logistically (packet pickup the morning of), very cheap, and a great way to practice racing!

Oh, and on your last question - these are typically fund raisers for the respective teams. I've helped with Cal's event for the last two years and everyone that you see if there is a volunteer. The funds for their event goes entirely towards helping offset things like membership dues and the costs associated with the yearly USAT Collegiate Club National Championship race.
Last edited by: daswafford: Nov 23, 17 23:01
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Re: Collegiate tri races as an age-grouper? [daswafford] [ In reply to ]
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Great info, thanks everyone. Going to sign up for Stanford and MTS and maybe hit a couple more college races later in the season.
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Re: Collegiate tri races as an age-grouper? [burkenfurter] [ In reply to ]
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Sweet!

Here's two more that will be later in the year to keep an eye out for too -

- Sept - UC Berkeley's Bearathlon (bearathlon.com)
- Oct - UC Davis' Aggiethon (http://ucdtri.com/ucdrace/)
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Re: Collegiate tri races as an age-grouper? [burkenfurter] [ In reply to ]
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burkenfurter wrote:
I just finished my first season in the sport and am planning for the next year. I was looking for early-season tune-up sprints within a reasonable drive, and most of what popped up are ones run by college teams. For example:

I'm guessing there are similar college-run events around the country. The college kids often have their own wave starts but they seem to allow AGers.


Anyone done these types of races? Are they generally a positive experience / well-organized for regular age-groupers? I can't tell if they're meant to be fundraisers for the college teams or if they're more like regular races that just happen to have a college club component mixed in.

UC San Diego's tri team puts on the Tritonman. They're done it for many years in a row, but they haven't put the link for this year - hopefully will. Usually it's a two-day event that has a draft legal format one day and a non drafting tri the next day.

Super fun race, plenty of age groupers in addition to all the college athletes, and it's really neat to see the energy those kids bring to the event. Well run as well and reasonably priced. If they do it this year I'd recommend you try that one too.
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