Race Previews

Tri West Hosts Club Championship..

Thursday, 29 June 2023 00:10

By Mike Combs

Local triathlon clubs are great for the triathlon community and are a wonderful way for athletes to train together. When you go to a triathlon in Minnesota, you see athletes with tri club attire from so many different clubs. Tri West Triathlon is going to highlight the many great clubs around our great state, along with hosting the first annual Minnesota Triathlon Club Championship. Between now and Tri West, there will be articles from interviews from different triathlon clubs....

The first triathlon club we are featuring is DuTri, which was formed in 2010 out of St. Cloud, Minnesota and is made up of all ages, levels of experience, and ability. DuTri is a club inspired by the sport of (Du)athon and (Tri)athlon. The vision of the club is to provide a supportive instructive and motivational environment for athletes, and build camaraderie through a network of informative supportive services, training, racing, and social activities.

DuTri members have the opportunity to participate in many training opportunities and events which include weekly time trial rides, weekly group open water swims, and bi-monthly group rides. These training opportunities are a baseline for what the group does together, but almost daily, especially during race season, team members get together in smaller groups to train based on times that work best for them. 

Along with training opportunities, DuTri offers many educational events. Members have access to nutritional clinics, bike maintenance clinics, and swim clinics. These events are open to the public as well, and anyone interested in the club or the sport of triathlon is encouraged to participate in DuTri training opportunities and social events.

As a club, DuTri is passionate about giving back to the community. The club volunteers at a water stop for the St. Cloud Earth Day Half Marathon in April. This race is put on by Active Central Minnesota, which is a group DuTri works very closely with. Active Central Minnesota is also the host for the Apple Duathlon held annually in Sartell, MN and the Graniteman Triathlon Series. DuTri has volunteered for the past four years by running their triathlon clinics the Tuesday before each race. 

The heart of DuTri is a variety of triathletes, ranging from those who have never done a triathlon before, to those that have participated in Ironman World Championships, as well as USAT Worlds Championships at every distance. They are currently accepting new members and those simply interested in the sport. DuTri has a variety of events that range from beginner through intermediate, to advanced training. Regardless of if you are new to the sport or you have been racing for years, DuTri is the perfect way to meet like minded friends and find new training partners. You’ll be amazed at how much you’ll learn from others, and how much you will benefit from being part of this inclusive group that welcomes all levels of athletes.

For more information about DuTri, be sure to check out their Facebook page “DuTri”. It is a public page that anyone is welcome to join where all events (both social and training) are posted as well as impromptu training sessions. They also have a website, www.DuTri.org, which is not as utilized as their Facebook page, but it is where you can go to register as a member and it’s a great resource for general information.

DuTri is just one of many clubs that will be competing at Tri West on Sunday, July 23rd. Find more information here: www.tinyurl.com/triwest2023