Despite the early hour, the more than 100 or so people who gathered along a line at the North Athletic Field on Sunday morning appeared pumped up and energetic.
This was the first year that UCLA Triathlon has held the Bruin 5k Race around campus.
The event, which was open to the community, welcomed both “competitive racers and recreational runners,” according to the UCLA Triathlon Web site.
About two-thirds of the participants appeared to be UCLA students.
Seth Neumuller won the race for the men and Nina Baldwin won for the women, finishing in 16 minutes, 24 seconds and 22:02, respectively. Both are members of the triathlon team.
“We’ve been training a long time for this race, so it feels really good to win,” said Neumuller, a graduate student. “(UCLA Triathlon) coach Gareth Thomas prepared us well for the event.”
Baldwin, a third-year business economics student, echoed similar thoughts.
“It’s exhilarating to win. I’m very tired,” she said minutes after the race ended, still gasping for breath.
While some showed up to compete, others ran for a good workout or a fun challenge.
“My friend is on the triathlon team, and she told me about the race, so I thought I would give it a try,” said Laurie Noyes, a second-year Spanish student.
“I didn’t go out to win, but I ran well for me, and I had a lot of fun. Everyone was really enthusiastic,” she said.
The race began and ended at the North Athletic Field and looped counterclockwise around the perimeter of the UCLA campus.
Participants could sign up as individuals or in teams of five people.
The race cost $25 per person with proceeds benefitting the triathlon team.
UCLA Triathlon is a club team whose members train to compete in triathlon events, which are known as notoriously difficult races because they combine swimming, biking and long-distance running.
The team competes at the national level within the West Coast Collegiate Triathlon Conference, according to President David Quiros.
Along with the Bruin 5k Race in the fall, UCLA Triathlon hosts the IronBruin Triathlon in the spring. IronBruin is a “400-meter swim, 13.5-mile bike and 3-mile run competition,” Quiros said.
The next IronBruin will be held Sunday, March 8.
UCLA Triathlon will compete against other teams from the conference, but anyone up for a challenge is invited to participate as well.
UCLA Triathlon was founded in 2002. There are currently about 85 members, according to Quiros.
Quiros said, “About one-fourth of the team members are serious athletes, but most of us are just looking to stay fit, have fun and be a little competitive in the process.”
Quiros joined the team his first year, having come from “a running background in high school.”
Now a fourth-year environmental science student, he considers triathlon to be one of the defining activities of his college career.
He said, “It’s something I enjoy because I continue to improve, the group of students in triathlon is great, and the relationship and healthy lifestyle the sport has built upon me is something that is unmatched anywhere else in my life.”
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