Tulanians now have another club with which to fill their time this year, as a triathlon club is in the chartering process. Mac Cerceo, a first-year Tulane law student who started training for and competing in triathlons after graduating from the University of California at Santa Barbara, wanted to bring the same opportunity to Tulane students. 

“There will be consistent trainings throughout the week in all three disciplines,” Cerceo said. “I myself am able to help coach and train everyone in the club. We are shooting to have coaches for each discipline to make sure all athletes can develop … Even though we are just starting, we have many resources for all interested.”

Olympic triathlons consist of 1.5 kilometers of swimming, 40 km of biking and 10 km of running. However, club members will be encouraged to participate in events outside of those three.

“Races will be primarily sprint distance, with the occasional standard/Olympic distance race open,” Cerceo said. “Members are free to compete in additional races outside of the schedule and encouraged to race in as many conference races as able, while still being a good student of course.”

Cerceo has seen some difficulty in bringing the triathlon club to Tulane. Because it is still in the chartering process, he did not have the opportunity most clubs had to campaign for students’ interest at the activities expo. The club’s recognition by Tulane has also been a point of contention. 

“To start a club, you need to fill a niche with sufficient interest in the community,” Cerceo said. “After you achieve that aspect, you need to secure an advisor and draft a club constitution that is then approved by the university staff responsible for club sports. One struggle so far in the process is getting the word out about the club potential prior to being able to be university-recognized.”

Cerceo has been relatively successful in finding club sponsors compared to the difficulty of the rest of the process. He has also found success in getting the word out about the club through his Facebook group and by word-of-mouth.

The only other collegiate triathlon club in Louisiana is the LSU Tri Club, established in 2006. The Tulane club plans to be competing alongside them in the South Midwest Collegiate Conference.

For more information or to join the club, contact Mac Cerceo at [email protected].