Lake Lanier, Georgia, to Host 2022 USA Triathlon Collegiate Club National Championships This Friday and Saturday

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – One of the nation’s most high-energy triathlon events is set to take place this Friday and Saturday at Lake Lanier, Georgia, as more than 1,000 of the nation’s top collegiate club triathletes will compete for national titles at the 2022 USA Triathlon Collegiate Club National Championships.

Hosted by Empower Multisport, the Collegiate Club National Championships will bring together more than 60 collegiate clubs from across the country for two exciting days of racing.

“Collegiate Club National Championships annually is one of the most electric and exciting triathlon events in the U.S.,” said Tim Yount, Chief Sport Development Officer at USA Triathlon. “Collegiate club student-athletes show great passion and dedication for multisport, and for many athletes this will be their first experience at Collegiate Club National Championships. The collegiate club program and its athletes, coaches and schools are a vital part of our multisport community and one of the components that make this sport in our country so unique. I’m excited for them and USA Triathlon is excited to be headed to picturesque Lake Lanier in Georgia, with a great race host in Empower Multisport.”

Racing begins the morning of Friday, April 1, with the Draft-Legal Collegiate Championships. Up to 75 men and 75 women will compete on a 750-meter swim, 21-kilometer bike and 5-kilometer run course. The draft-legal racing format, which enables athletes to ride in packs and work together on the bike, is similar to the racing style contested in elite World Triathlon events and the Olympic Games. The collegiate men race first at 7:30 a.m. ET, followed by the collegiate women at 9 a.m.

Friday’s racing also includes the Mixed Relay, set for a noon start. Collegiate club teams are comprised of four athletes (two men and two women) with each athlete completing a super-sprint triathlon — 250m swim, 5k bike and 1.2k run — before handing off to the next teammate. The fastest combined time wins the race, and often the race comes down to a sprint finish. The fast, exciting and spectator friendly Mixed Relay discipline debuted as a medal event at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, with the U.S. team winning the silver medal.

The action concludes Saturday with the marquee Olympic-distance Collegiate Championships, which has long been a staple of the Collegiate Club Nationals program. Collegiate club athletes will cover a 1,500m swim, 41k bike and 10k run, with the first wave of men starting at 7:30 a.m. and the first wave of women beginning at 7:45 a.m.

The main race venue is located at Lanier Islands. For all races, athletes will swim in the calm waters of Lake Lanier. The fast and spectator-friendly Draft Legal and Mixed Relay bike and run courses are contained on the island. The Olympic-distance bike will take athletes through the rolling hills of Buford, Georgia and return to the island for a two-loop run. All races will finish adjacent to the beach, or “spirit central” where collegiate club team zones will be located.

Qualified athletes may compete in both the draft-legal and Olympic-distance Collegiate National Championship events, and both races will count toward the overall team scores. Winners of individual races, as well as team standings, will be recognized at the Awards Ceremony at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Margaritaville Beach. The overall club title will be awarded, as well as the top women’s and men’s clubs.

Other awards to be recognized include the annual Spirit Award, for the collegiate club that shows the most school pride throughout the event, and the winner of Journey to Nationals, a competition for collegiate clubs to submit short videos capturing their preparation, qualification and travel to Collegiate Club National Championships. Both awards are presented by Perspective Fitwear, USA Triathlon’s Official Training Apparel Partner.

The 2021 USA Triathlon Collegiate Club National Championships were held last September in Malibu, California, in conjunction with the Malibu Triathlon. The University of California-Berkeley won the overall club title. Cal-Berkeley’s Bear Schickel won the men’s title in the Olympic-distance Collegiate Championships and the University of California-San Diego’s Marissa Saenger won the women’s Olympic-distance Collegiate Championships title. Queens University of Charlotte won the Mixed Relay competition in 2019, the last year the Mixed Relay was held at Collegiate Club National Championships. 

Other recent overall collegiate club championship winners include: Queens University of Charlotte (2019), U.S. Naval Academy (2018) and University of Colorado, Boulder (2017).

Family members, fans and media can follow the action with coverage on USA Triathlon’s social media pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Visit www.usatrichamps.com for complete event information, detailed schedules and course maps for all collegiate races.

 About USA Triathlon

USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon, paratriathlon, and indoor and virtual multisport events in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,000 races and connects with more than 400,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors — as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation — USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including World Triathlon Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of World Triathlon and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).

– usatriathlon.org –