Overshadowed at UCLA against the backdrop of national
championship teams, there lies a relatively unknown triathlon
team.
Unlike many of the other collegiate sports, the triathlon does
not yet have a deep history. It has only recently been brought onto
the collegiate scene. Marcus George, now a second-year graduate
student, brought the triathlon to UCLA only four years back. Since
then the team has successfully grown and now hosts its own
triathlon here on campus.
UCLA’s IronBruin Triathlon was held on Sunday as the last
stop for collegiate teams that compete in the West Coast Collegiate
Triathlon Conference.
The competition boasted a field of around 250 competitors from
seven schools, including USC and UC Santa Barbara. This triathlon
was in reverse order with competitors running first, biking and
then swimming. UCLA had five women finishing in the top eight and
four men finishing in the top six.
George, who competed in the event he helped create, finished
second in the men’s race with a time of 1:02:59.
The UCLA women followed suit as Sara Painter and Paige Coulam
finished first and third, respectively, with times of 1:17:45 and
1:20:24.
The IronBruin has helped build exposure for the triathlon on
campus. A combination of three different sports ““ swimming,
biking and running ““ triathlon is not sanctioned by the NCAA.
It remains a club sport here at UCLA. Because of this, the
triathlon team boasts undergraduates to graduates to even some
non-UCLA students. The team has individuals between the ages of 18
to 60.
“When you combine that diversity with the positive energy
of the UCLA campus, it can only lead to a nurturing and fulfilling
environment for the team members,” UCLA coach Gareth Thomas
said.
A change of pace is what attracts many UCLA students to the
sport. Most of the Bruin triathletes ran track or cross country in
high school and were looking for a broader range of competition.
George was one of those who grew tired of running track and
field.
A local ad for a triathlon sparked an interest in George that
has developed into a passion now shared by the 50 members of the
UCLA triathlon team.
“After my senior year, I was burned out from running too
many circles around the track,” he said.
There are four different types of triathlon races: sprint,
olympic, half-iron man and the iron man. The sprint represents the
shortest distance and the iron man the longest distance. The sprint
has a standard set at a 400-meter swim, 10-mile bike and a
four-mile run whereas the iron man consists of a 2.4-mile swim,
112-mile bike ride and a marathon run.
The amount of individual time put into workouts is clearly
important as the triathlon is a heavy test of endurance. Unlike
long-distance running, swimming or cycling, triathletes need not
excel in any one particular sport but need to be well-rounded in
each sport. It is precisely for this reason that many athletes are
drawn to the triathlon.
“I really enjoyed the great strategy and uniqueness
involved with the three-event sport,” freshmen David Quiros
said. “What really sparked my interest was that I did not
have to do the same type of workout every day.”
As the UCLA triathlon team has grown and the athletes have
become more involved, the training regiment ““ and even the
results ““ have become secondary.
What started out as George’s triathlon experience is now
giving UCLA students a model for how to compete in life.
“Personally, I do triathlons not to do the triathlons, but
for the lifestyle of training that is required to get there,”
Quiros said.