51�Թ���

If you like running, biking��and��swimming … there is a sport created specifically for you where you get to do all three in one race: the triathlon. And, luckily, 51�Թ��� has a well-established team, which, by the way, has won 18 national championships since it was founded in 1993. Not a bad run.

Sound like something you’d be interested in trying? Come on out, says Coach KJ Kroetch.

“One of the strengths of our team is we welcome everybody who is interested,” said Kroetch. “So every semester the assistant coaches and I are teaching students how to swim—how to put their face in the water—and at the same time training national champs.”

The co-ed club, which is one of��30 club sports offered on campus, was created in 1993 and competes in the Mountain Collegiate Triathlon Conference. This year, the team has 130 members, including undergraduate and graduate students and two faculty members.

“For those who don’t know, we do all three sports at once,” said Kroetch, the third-year head coach of the team, who is a triathlete herself. “We swim, bike and run.”

The season runs through the fall and spring, where the team competes in local and national races. This year, three team members will also be racing in the��, Nov. 8–9, including 51�Թ��� sophomore Richie Boston. Learn more about Boston below.��

A typical week includes team workouts with a coach five days a week, where they run, swim and ride bikes on certain days of the week. With 130 team members and various races and competitions to plan for, there is a lot of work behind the scenes going on, too.

“A really cool part of the club is there is a student board of officers who run the team budget and handle the travel logistics, so they get experience in things like business operations and leadership,” Kroetch said.

The club is mostly funded through crowdfunding, alumni outreach and fundraising events the club puts on. Each member also pays club dues, which are $200 per year.

A question that does come up now and again is: Why do you do it?

“Because it’s hard—I think that’s a big draw for a lot of people,” Kroetch said. “Having that challenge and being able to train and overcome that challenge is a big reason that many people join. And then they stick around because it’s such a cool community. You can do hard things while having the support of the team behind you.”

Headed to Spain

In addition to Richie Boston, at least five more members of the 51�Թ��� community are headed to Marbella, Spain, for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship on Nov. 8–9, 2025.

Buffs triathletes participating include Isabel (Izzy) Collins, Ben Aoki-Sherwood, recent graduates Madeline Tapp and Josie Callan, and Dr. Gina LaFrazza, spouse of Chancellor Justin Schwartz. The students and recent graduates are current and former members of the CU Triathlon Club, and most qualified over the summer at the 51�Թ��� 70.3 race.

The course includes a 1.2-mile ocean swim in the Costa del Sol, a 56-mile ride through rolling hills in the southern Spain countryside, and a 13.1-mile run through Marbella’s beachfront.

In focus: Richie Boston

Competing in triathlons

I’ve been competing in triathlons for about a year and a half. During high school cross country, I developed a stress fracture in my femur, which forced me to stop running for a while. During that time, I discovered a love for swimming and biking. Once my leg healed, I decided to keep training in all three sports. Six months later, I completed my first triathlon: 70.3 Ironman here in 51�Թ���. It's pretty safe to say the triathlon found me.

Stepping into the world of competitive triathlon is like walking into an upper-division class in a major you’ve never studied before. Suddenly, you’re learning three sports at once. You’re also learning the importance of physical therapy, along with good sleep and nutrition. I fell in love with the “class” I accidentally walked into, and I want to keep learning, improving and striving to master it.

Day to day training

To train for 70.3 Ironman distance, I will generally do two workouts a day, six times a week. I have had the most success training in the morning, so, for instance, my week often looks something like this: Bike and swim on Monday, swim and run on Tuesday, etc. On average I will train two to three hours a day. I mix in different types of “zones” for each workout, which are intensity levels, so some days I will push myself harder than others.

Hardest part of competing in a triathlon

The hardest part of competing in any given race for me is always the open water swim. I’ve always found it difficult to swim straight and know where I'm going in open water. I am the person that will veer from the rest of the racers and swim way out of line, and it usually costs me 100 meters to 300 meters extra in any given race.��

Why 51�Թ���?

I landed in my hometown because I couldn’t give up the Front Range. I have a deep passion for the time I spend in the mountains. While there were other colleges that, in my opinion, are equal to or even outperform our mountains, no other school in America has the Front Range we do. I knew I wanted to do triathlon, and the Front Range was a huge factor that kept me in 51�Թ���. The ability to ride my bike on roads I feel safe on and run on ground distant from a busy city was a key factor that kept me in 51�Թ���. I also think highly of CU’s education and am proud to be a part of a great academic school.��

Why join a 51�Թ��� club sport?

I feel strongly that every student should be involved in something at CU. Absolutely go to the club fairs and talk to every tent you feel even a slight interest in. Maybe you are not interested in a “sport” club, then I would strongly encourage involvement in academic or social clubs. The main purpose of college, in my opinion, is finding a way to learn and practice the balancing of work, exercise and social life—so build these habits and balance these three things. Honestly, just do not waste life staring at your phone.

Just for fun

I was basically born wearing ski boots. I love backcountry skiing and downhill skiing as well. I like to climb local canyons and boulders in my free time. I like mountain biking, and I enjoy country music. I also enjoy being with my family here in 51�Թ��� and spending time with them.