Homeless in Arizona

Of course the Royal Rulers of Tempe (the Tempe City Council members) don't call it the Tempe Town Toilet, they call it the politically correct name of Tempe Town Lake.

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Tempe touting Town Lake during collegiate triathlon championship

By Dianna M. Náñez The Republic | azcentral.com Fri Apr 12, 2013 10:48 PM

Today, Tempe Town Lake will be the stage for more than a thousand athletes from some 110 universities as the Valley hosts its first national collegiate triathlon championship.

On Friday, triathletes raced in the so-called “sprint” version of the sport, heralded as one of the greatest tests of grit and endurance.

That race led up to today’s Olympic-distance and mixed-gender team relay races in the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championship.

Swimmers speeding through Town Lake’s rippling waters on Friday looked like a school of fish until they burst onto the shore, fresh from a 750-meter swim and ready to take on a 20-kilometer bike ride and 5-kilometer run.

“It’s a great course,” said Erin Jones, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs triathlete who won Friday’s women’s race in 1 hour, 4 minutes.

“I loved the turns ... (and) booked it down the straightaway. That was one of the coolest runs I’ve ever done,” she said.

On the men’s side, Ben Kanute of the University of Arizona finished first in the sprint triathlon on Friday with a time of 58 minutes, 26 seconds.

The championship comes to the Valley at critical juncture for Tempe and for college triathletes.

The Tempe City Council hopes that the competition will cast a national spotlight on the man-made lake, which has drawn criticism from residents for its costly maintenance.

“The benefit of the triathlon is we’re bringing more than a thousand of the top college athletes to Tempe, Arizona,” Mayor Mark Mitchell said. “It’s even being aired on TV. It’s going to showcase Tempe ... (and) a dynamic event ... to, really, a national audience.”

The buzz among students on Friday focused on triathlon gaining legitimacy with the NCAA.

Women’s triathlons are on the cusp of being sanctioned, stoking fans’ and competitors’ hopes for a turning point that leads to sanctioning of the men’s sport.

Jones said NCAA sanctioning would mean college scholarships would be offered for triathlon, allowing more students to compete and creating a stronger pipeline for elite U.S. triathletes.

“I want it, NCAA sanction, right now,” Jones said, still out of breath from her win. “If it was sanctioned I would have done it four years ago.”

Jones started competing for her college triathlon club only recently. In high school, she was a swimmer. When she went to college, she became a competitive runner.

“I wanted to make that jump,” she said of turning to triathlons at Colorado Springs, which is known for having one of the nation’s best triathlon programs.

Jones has her eye set on competing at the Olympic level.

“I want to be there in 2016,” she said, referring to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

Athletes’ enthusiasm mirrors the sport’s growth locally and nationally.

In 2001, Tempe hosted its first triathlon at Town Lake. Within four years, the city and its 21/2-mile lake would attract the attention of organizers for the Ironman, the pinnacle of triathlons globally. The race includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run.

Ironman officials have said that they were skeptical about hosting a triathlon in the desert at a man-made lake, but the Arizona venue has exceeded organizers’ expectations.

The first Ironman was hosted at the lake in 2005. It grew from about 2,150 registered athletes to about 2,775 within five years.

Tempe tourism officials have said that the Ironman’s economic impact, which includes spending on hotel rooms, restaurants, shopping and gas, results in about $3.9 million for the city.

Mitchell said this weekend’s competition allows Tempe to market the lake and region to out-of-town visitors who may return for vacations.

“They’re seeing a gem in the middle of the Valley that we’re utilizing as a resource for our residents as well as for visitors,” he said.

But large lake events like today’s are not without criticism.

Some residents complain about traffic headaches resulting from street closures, and others argue that they are unable to use a publicly-funded park and lake because of crowds.

On Friday, Kara Thom, 44, and Laura Herrick, 44, said they came to the Valley this weekend with their husbands because they are competing in the LeadmanTri Marquee triathlon at Town Lake on Sunday.

Thom lives in Minnesota, Herrick in Texas. The longtime friends, who rented a house in Tempe during their stay, have been competing in triathlons, including a turn in the Ironman, for more than two decades.

“When we saw all these kids we couldn’t believe how many college athletes are into triathlons now,” Thom said as she stood on the lakeshore watching dozens of students on a practice swim.

Jeff Dyrek, USA Triathlon national events director, said NCAA sanctioning would be a big step for younger triathlon athletes.

Currently, the NCAA is considering designating women’s triathlon as an emerging sport. The sport needs 10 universities to sign letters of support to move forward for consideration.

So far there are seven letters, Dyrek said, including one from the University of Arizona, which, along with Arizona State University, will compete in today’s race.

“We’re getting there. ... U of A (triathletes) asked: ‘Where’s ASU’s letter?’ ” Dyrek said. “If the women’s is sanctioned ... you would anticipate the men’s would follow.”

If you go

What: Olympic-distance college triathlon, featuring a 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike and 10-kilometer run.

When: Men’s race starts at 7:30 a.m. Women’s at 11 a.m.

Where: Tempe Town Lake, 80 E. Rio Salado Parkway.

Admission: Free.

Watch online: Streaming live at usatriathlon.org. Coverage begins 7 a.m. Arizona time.