Some 4,000 people are expected to attend the 21st annual Triton 5K race, and CSE -- which fielded the largest team at the 2016 race -- is hoping to register as many as 250 people for Team Race Condition (up from roughly 200 last year).
The Triton 5K is scheduled for April 9, 2017, and it will be followed by a festival open to the public at the UC San Diego Triton Track and Field Stadium (near the finish line of the race). The Computer Science and Engineering department is hoping to field one of the largest running teams at this year's event. Once again, Team Race Condition will be the primary CSE team, open to students as well as faculty, staff, alumni, family and friends.
Registration fees will support student scholarships, and the Triton 5K has raised more than $3.6 million in scholarships benefiting more than 1,000 students since 1996. "It not only helped me financially, but the scholarship allowed me to get to the position where I am today," said CSE alumnus Allen Nguyen (B.S. '15), who is now a software engineer. “The way to get the best out of people is to put them in the right place, and surround them with resources and opportunity to realize their full potential. I’m thankful for the generosity of others who helped me to realize mine.”
Early-bird pricing ends next Tuesday, February 28, after which faculty, staff and alumni will be charged an extra $5 (to $35) to register for the race. "Nowhere in San Diego can you participate in a great 5K like this one for only $30 (and no credit card fees)," said Rachel Ainza, the new captain of Team Race Condition, who took over this year from previous captain Cheryl Hile. "And as Rajesh [Gupta] said, the team T-shirt itself is worth it!"
Race Condition in April 2016
The overall deadline to register for a team is March 10 (to guarantee a team-affiliated race bib).
In 2016, CSE's Team Race Condition registered more than 200 runners and walkers -- winning a trophy in the categorty of "Largest Team" among the more than 80 in the race. Said Ainza: "We crushed the competition last year and we are going to crush it again this year. Let's push for 250 teammates this year!" Adding pressure to register more runners: GPS Globetrotters, which came close to winning the "Largest Team" prize last year, is now using its social media to encourage registrations to put the School of Global Policy and Strategy over the top if CSE's Race Condition falls short this year.
To be part of the team, register at http://5k.ucsd.edu and select "Race Condition" in the Team field. If you don't register with the team, you won't qualify for the Race Condition T-shirt.
To ensure that you get the properly sized T-shirt, go to the Google Doc online here. Fill in the information about the size of T-shirt you need (the sizing chart is on the second tab). To get the team shirt in time for the race, you MUST complete the form by noon on March 17.
Note that the team shirt is separate from the Triton 5K 2017 event shirt. We'll be ordering the same high-quality New Balance tech shirts as last year. "The 2017 shirt will be a different color," said Ainza, "because I know people are starting a collection!"
Learn more about the 3.1-mile Triton 5K race through the heart of the UC San Diego campus.