Team competitions and challenges are something still relatively new to the sport of triathlon in the U.S. But with the increase both in the size and number of triathlon clubs around country event directors have been picking up on the desire of these clubs to compete with one another. The national governing body, USAT, has a National Club Championships competition each year. The 2010 event was held in the Myrtle Beach, NC. Its scoring is a convoluted calculation that takes into account team size, age group placing and even distance travelled to the event. With the team aspect being at the heart of SCE’s formation, we review some local triathlon race series to see what they offer in 2011.
USA Productions
Held in four locations USA Productions offers a generous $4,500 purse spread over nine triathlons this summer. SCE finished 5th at the Morgan Hill event last year. The scoring is loosely based on USAT scoring but adds additional points for best swim, bike and run splits and even points for providing volunteers. With no accounting for team size the challenge resembles more an incentive program than a competition disadvantaging SCE.
**Update 01/11/2011: USA Productions have changed their system and points are now divided by the number of club participants. Game on again for SCE. Details here.
TriCalifornia / Wildflower Triathlon
Wildlflower Triathlon has a Fastest and Overall Club Competition. The Fastest Club competition takes the fastest 3 men and women and adds their total times. Fastest time wins. Santa Cruz Endurance placed 5th in the Olympic Triathlon calculations last year. It is probably the most competitive team competition in the state with big SoCal clubs like L.A. and San Diego well represented. The negative is there is no cash prizes awarded for the winners. The Overall Club Competition is more or less a participation award with some bonus points for high age group placings. Hard to win without a big team.
Threshold Racing
Two Threshold races, Reservoir and Metro triathlons will count toward a team competition. It will be calculated the same way as the Wildflower fastest team competition and the results from the two triathlons combined. There is a large and small club category with $1250 for the winner of each. Last year SVTC won the large club division and the small club category was unclaimed. None of this is advertised on the website yet so I’m relying on the work of the race director but it seems like an attractive goal for SCE.
Santa Cruz Sprint and International Triathlons
SCE finished 2nd behind Monterey Bay Multisports in last years Sprint Triathlon organized by Finish Line Productions winning $150. The fastest combined time of the 5 top finishers, regardless of gender, was declared the winner. The structure of this year’s team competition hasn’t been announced yet.
USA Productions
Held in four locations USA Productions offers a generous $4,500 purse spread over nine triathlons this summer. SCE finished 5th at the Morgan Hill event last year. The scoring is loosely based on USAT scoring but adds additional points for best swim, bike and run splits and even points for providing volunteers. With no accounting for team size the challenge resembles more an incentive program than a competition disadvantaging SCE.
**Update 01/11/2011: USA Productions have changed their system and points are now divided by the number of club participants. Game on again for SCE. Details here.
TriCalifornia / Wildflower Triathlon
Wildlflower Triathlon has a Fastest and Overall Club Competition. The Fastest Club competition takes the fastest 3 men and women and adds their total times. Fastest time wins. Santa Cruz Endurance placed 5th in the Olympic Triathlon calculations last year. It is probably the most competitive team competition in the state with big SoCal clubs like L.A. and San Diego well represented. The negative is there is no cash prizes awarded for the winners. The Overall Club Competition is more or less a participation award with some bonus points for high age group placings. Hard to win without a big team.
Threshold Racing
Two Threshold races, Reservoir and Metro triathlons will count toward a team competition. It will be calculated the same way as the Wildflower fastest team competition and the results from the two triathlons combined. There is a large and small club category with $1250 for the winner of each. Last year SVTC won the large club division and the small club category was unclaimed. None of this is advertised on the website yet so I’m relying on the work of the race director but it seems like an attractive goal for SCE.
Santa Cruz Sprint and International Triathlons
SCE finished 2nd behind Monterey Bay Multisports in last years Sprint Triathlon organized by Finish Line Productions winning $150. The fastest combined time of the 5 top finishers, regardless of gender, was declared the winner. The structure of this year’s team competition hasn’t been announced yet.
Santa Cruz Triathlon
$1500 prize pool but only available to large clubs. Participation and performance points for each age group (1st – 5th). Four divisions, according to club size, were represented with Olympic Club, Kain Performance, Forward Motion Racing Club and Pacific Bicycles being declared the winners in descending order of size.
Troika Triathlon
While not in California the Troika Triathlon, held outside of Spokane Washington on August 7, is worth mentioning. It’s a half ironman distance awarding a significant amount of prize money for 1st place ($1000), 2nd place ($500) and 3rd place ($250) clubs and will be based on USAT club challenge rules and regulations.
Please let me know of races and details I may have missed and this blog will be updated.
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