Frequently Asked Questions

TriCats is a University of Arizona affiliated sports club.

Triathlon is a multisport event that combines swimming, biking and running. There are various distances for each race. The standard distances are a 0.9 mile swim, followed by a 25 mile ride, concluded with a 6.2 mile run (1.5km/40km/10km). This is known as an Olympic distance triathlon, because it is the distance that is raced in the Olympics (how 'bout that?).

T-R-I-A-T-H-L-O-N...triathlon. Not triath-a-lon. not tri-cat-lon, not tri-gono-metery. It is spelled TRIATHLON. While we're on the subject, it is AEROBARS, not airobars, not airbars.

We are hoping to meet every Monday evening at 6:00pm in the upstairs conference room in the Rec. center (6th and Highland).
Of course, we also have group workouts planned for every day of the week.

Check the how to join page for details on how much membership costs this semester. With this money, the club pays for coaching, and race subsidization. Coaching is open to all members at no additional cost. (Even swimming!)

1. You get great deals through our sponsors. Our sponsors include:

• Trisports.com - 20% off all regular merchandise
• Competitive Edge Massage - discounts on massage therapy (oh la la!)
• Performance Footwear - 20% off shoes, 30% off clothing

2. You receive coaching, which is covered in the cost of dues.

3. We also work race subsidation into various races of the year.  Conference races are our emphasis, so you will get pretty good subsidation for those.

4. Of course, the biggest perk is that you get to hang out with and train with the coolest club in the universe.

The TriCat swim practices are held in the Student Recreation center pool.

Most rides start at the flagpole in front of Old Main.  We ride our bikes all over Tucson which is consistently ranked pretty high as a cycling friendly city.

The run locations are To Be Announced.

Nope. All are welcome.

Yup. There are 2 main goals of the club. One is to expose people to the sport of triathlon. Veteran members are more than willing to help out the newer ones. One thing you'll find about triathlon (I hope...) is that most people are friendly.

Well, if you ask nicely you can.

Yup. Triathlon is a great way to get in great shape. Another thing that I think you'll find is that triathletes who have been in the sport for a while are hot!

Yup. Most members start out with no biking experience. Try out the sport for a while. Our bike sponsor is TriSports.com and gives GREAT deals for new bikes.

TriCats are allowed a certain percentage of non-student members. The president never really keeps track of the numbers though. There is a little more difficulty in getting in to swim practices because of rec center rules about non-students. None-the-less, non-students are more than welcome in the club!

From the above questions, the club sounds like it is full of wimps and slackers. I have fourteen state titles in cross-country, track, swimming, and wrestling. Will I have people to challenge me and push me to a higher level?

I hope so. In previous years, TriCats has put at least 2 people in the top 20 at nationals, finished for the men as high as 6th overall. Our girls have placed as high 11th. And of course, we have people who are awesome swimmers, but can't run worth @%&*, and vice-versa. There are usually members who have competed at the NCAA division 1 level in both running and swimming and routinely win races around Tucson. There should be people to challenge you and to learn from.

As a club sport, we don't have the resources to offer scholarships. We receive limited funding from the rec center, which we use for subsidization of members racing in club approved events, such as conference races, regionals, and  collegiate nationals.

To kick butt! Every year we travel to the National Collegiate Triathlon competition. Of course we want to represent the school and place well.

The 2010 USAT Collegiate Nationals is going to be in Lubbock, Texas. It is going to be awesome! We will be swimming in Buffalo Springs Lake. We had a great time last year, competed against over 80 other college teams, and finished the year with the 9th place men's team, 17th place women's team, and 12th place overall team.

Our annual races include the sprint distance Tucson Triathlon series located on the UA campus. We tend to do another Olympic Distance in the spring. Our conference race schedule can be located here.

Yup, the Tucson Triathlon series is what is known as a sprint distance. The lengths are about half the Olympic distance (The UA races are 825yd swim, 12 mile bike and 3 mile run).

The Ironman is the ultimate triathlon. It consists of a 2.4 mile swim, at 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run (a marathon). There isn't a club focus on these, so don't worry about being forced to do one of these! (Unless of course you have been really bad...)

A reasonable estimate is anywhere from $600-$1000. The bike is the biggest initial expense. You'll also need good running shoes and the skimpiest Speedo possible (just kidding, the running shoes don't have to be that good).

Nothing beats the feeling you get when you cross a finish line of a triathlon. It is truly an awesome experience. Plus you get the benefits of not burning yourself out on cycling, running, or swimming if you are doing one sport. There are usually cookies at the finish line as well.

Of course. We always need money and we will be very gracious if you want to donate it to us.

We put each of our sponsors name on our team uniforms each year. A link will go on the website. You also get direct exposure to over 70 triathletes, most of them at the college level...so we'll be making lots of money in 10 years. Other terms and conditions can be discussed.

Use the contact us link in the red bar at the top of the page.

TriCats is a University of Arizona affiliated sports club.