The Arizona TriCats will host the first Cat Me if You Can 5k race at Reid Park on Sunday.
The 5k race will raise funds for the TriCats club team and the Challenged Athletes Foundation. The money will go toward reducing membership fees for the club as well as the foundation.
“Since we are not recognized by NCAA, we don’t get any type of funding,” race coordinator Hayley Gibler said, “and we don’t want to discourage new members from joining because of the club fees.”
Annually, TriCats members pay between $200-$300 in club fees. The fees help fund club events and equipment and pay for instructors and coaches.
“To participate in the club, it is somewhat expensive to have the appropriate equipment and pay for club fees,” Gibler said.
The funds from registration will go toward team expenses and equipment while the funds from a raffle will be donated to the Challenged Athletes Foundation. The raffle includes prizes from donors such as Gentle Ben’s Brewing Co. and TriSports.
Every year during the fall and winter, the team participates in the Mountain Collegiate Triathlon Conference, competing against other college triathlon club teams from Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming.
“By participating in different races throughout the year, it helps us to improve our ranking as a team and it helps us when we compete in nationals,” Gibler said.
This past April, the team traveled to Tempe, Ariz., to participate in the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships. The championships were a two-day event that included a 1,500-meter swim, 36k bike ride and a 10k run. The TriCats competed against more than 100 teams comprised of college club teams and non–college team participants.
The men on the TriCats placed 11th overall, the women placed third overall and the team as a whole placed seventh.
The Cat Me if You Can 5k will be this Sunday. Adult registration is $28, students pay $26 and children under 13 pay $24. Tickets can be purchased at eventbrite.com or on the day of the race.
—Follow Daniela Vizcarra @Vizcarra_dw
