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Cierra Sullivan will represent Team USA at the International Triathlon Union competition in Odense, Denmark in July of 2018.

Sullivan qualifies for International Triathlon Union competition

     Cierra Sullivan competed in the duathlon at the USA Triathlon National Championship in Bend, Oregon, June 17 and qualified for the International Triathlon Union competition in Odense, Denmark in July 2018.
     Because she is allergic to chlorine, Sullivan could not participate in triathlons. However, when attending Boston University in Massachusetts, she found out about duathlons. Sullivan began competing in duathlons in 2014, but her biggest, heaviest season has been this past summer, she said.
     Duathlons are similar to triathlons which have three legs of races, including swimming, biking and running. However, a duathlon is a run, bike, run sequence, she noted. A standard duathlon is 10K run, 40K bike and 5K run, while a sprint is 5K run, 20K bike and 3K run, Sullivan explained.
     Although she already qualified to represent Team USA in Denmark next year, she participated  in several other competitions this summer including the ITU multisport World Championship competition in Penticton, Canada Aug. 19-21.
     In the sprint competition she placed sixth in the 25-29 age group and 78th out of 269 in gender; and in standard distance, 10th in age group and 80th out of 220 in gender.
     In the Boulder Sunset race, a 5K run, 17-mile bike, 5K run Aug. 26, she placed second overall in gender.
     Sullivan competed again in Boulder on Sept. 17. She noted that it was a long course of a 5K run, 56-mile bike ride and a half marathon which is 13.1 miles. She finished the course in 5 hours and 14 minutes and won first overall female honors.
     Sullivan said during the off season in winter she trains three hours per day. However, during the season, two hours per day is pretty standard. During race week she trains 45-90 minutes per day.

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