CMC Three Time National Champions

By Robin May

What happens in Vegas is supposed to stay in Vegas. Except when it is a national championship meant to be brought home to Columbia – which is exactly what 125 competitors from the Columbia Multi-sport Club (CMC) did in Las Vegas in October. CMC claimed the USA Triathlon title at the Land Rover Pumpkinman Triathlon.


The team competed in the largest USA triathlon club division against metropolitan teams such as Phoenix Triathlon Club, San Diego Triathlon Club and the Los Angeles Triathlon Club. The LA Triathlon Club is the largest triathlon club in the nation with more than 1,300 members. With 180 competitors in the competition and half a point given for every finisher, the L.A. club had an early advantage. “We were outnumbered at the start,” says CMC President Mark Livesay. “But when it came to finishers on the podium, that’s what made the difference.” The CMC group included men and women from all ages and skill levels.

The youngest competitor was Chris Miller, 14. Both his parents also competed. Terry Dunscombe was the oldest CMC member in the competition, winning the 70-74 sprint division. Athletes chose between an intermediate or sprint distance triathlon. The intermediate distance race consisted of a 1.5K (0.9 mile) swim in Lake Mead, a grueling 40K (24.8 miles) bike segment with views of Lake Mead and the surrounding desert and a10K (6.2 miles) run through city streets and hilly desert trails.

Sprint distance competitors competed at half the distances of the intermediate racers. Transporting 125 bicycles, coordinating travel arrangements and logistics for the competition wasn’t an easy feat but Dwayne Miller accomplished the task. The club rented a semi truck and Miller and a crew built a shelf the length of the trailer to safely transport the bikes. “Quote from Dwayne here,” Miller says.

The club raised more than $30,000 in fundraisers and corporate sponsorships to fund the trip. Each athlete paid $20 plus his/her airfare. This is the third consecutive year that CMC has won the championship, which is an amazing accomplishment for a city the size of Columbia and a club as young as CMC.

Founded in 2002 with 25 members, CMC is now one of the largest triathlon clubs in the nation with more than 500 members. This growth, Livesay says, is a credit to the club’s supportive and nurturing culture that welcomes beginning athletes. Also a credit to the club, it will host the 2007 USA Triathlon Championships in St. Louis Sept. 15-16.