Iron Bronco once again a triathlon

By Matthew Cucuzza

After one year as a duathlon, the eighth annual Iron Bronco is a triathlon once again.

Organized by Campus Recreation, the event requires participants to run 26.2 miles, swim 2.4 miles and bike 112 miles over a two-week period beginning April 26 through May 10.

The requirements can be completed individually or split between a group of up to three.

Last year's event did not include a swimming component, as the Sullivan Aquatic Center was still under construction.

"This event will be a great way for the SCU community to come see the new pool if they haven't already," said Assistant Director of Recreation Erin Patchett via email.

Participation in last year's Iron Bronco fell by over 150 people from 2007 in part due to the event dropping to a duathlon.

This year, participation is expected to match or surpass the nearly 350 people that competed in 2007, said Patchett.

Senior Sasha Wright works as a marketing student coordinator in the Campus Recreation office, and she said that the Iron Bronco is one the department's biggest events of the year.

"They're incredibly dedicated to Campus Recreation in general and they're always trying to find new ways to get people on campus and be more active," said Wright of Patchett and Janice DeMonsi, Director of Campus Recreation.

The Iron Bronco triathlon was started by former Director of Recreation Dave Gilmore in 2002.

Patchett said the event has continued annually because of its popularity and ability to allow busy Santa Clara students to participate in an Iron Man-style triathlon.

"By giving the participants two weeks instead of one day to finish, it allows far more people to get out and be active," said Patchett.

In 2007, 247 of the 342 participants completed the two-week long triathlon.

Last year, only 182 people participated in the duathlon, but 170 completed the event.

Wright said nearly 100 e-mails poured into Campus Recreation last year when the Iron Bronco was announced as a duathlon.

"We do expect the participation numbers to return to a rate closer to 2007 since the event is once again a triathlon and the pool facility is open," said Patchett.

For most students, the triathlon also has a fourth event: juggling schedules.

Some may have trouble finding time to complete the swimming mileage in the often-crowded Sullivan Aquatic Center.

"I really can't do the swimming because I have so many time commitments during the day," said Wright, who signed up for this year's Iron Bronco as part of a team.

To compensate, Wright's teammate will cover the swimming while Wright takes all the biking. The two will split the running portion of the Iron Bronco.

Nick Richmond, one of last year's earliest finishers, said he was fortunate enough to have a light workload during last year's event, but still multi-tasked while completing the biking.

"I took the opportunity while I was on the bike to take a textbook out to study," said Richmond.

The junior will complete his pool mileage early in the mornings to avoid the crowd at Sullivan Aquatic Center.

For sophomore Meghan Skarzynski, completing last year's Iron Bronco served as inspiration to stay fit.

"The Iron Bronco inspired us to take our athletic competitiveness to the next level," said Skarzynski. "This year, my sorority sisters and I are training for a marathon that benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society."

The Iron Bronco entry fee is $5 per person. Sign-ups began on Monday.

Those who complete the triathlon will receive a free t-shirt, but there is no overall winner of the triathlon.

Participants must keep a log of their time and submit it to the Iron Bronco triathlon binder in the Malley Center's weight room by midnight on Sunday, May 10.

Contact Matthew Cucuzza at (408) 551-1918 or mcucuzza@scu.edu.