Courtesy: USAT

Membership in USA Triathlon continues to grow at a phenomenal rate. The national governing body for multi-sport today announced that its annual membership has exceeded 70,000 for the first time in its 24-year history.

Annual memberships have more than tripled over the past six years, climbing from just-under 22,000 in 2000 to its current mark of 70,291. In addition, the number of races sanctioned by USAT is at an all-time high, nearing 1,900.

"A year ago, USAT launched the promotional slogan 'fueling the multi-sport lifestyle' to reflect the many programs and initiatives that we embrace to fulfill our mission to grow and develop the sport," said USAT Executive Director Skip Gilbert. "Clearly our membership growth to over 70,000 is a strong indicator that we are on-track in supporting our constituents and they feel that we are a relevant component of their multi-sport lifestyle. I commend our staff for the work they have done and our Board for their visionary guidance in helping us to this milestone."

"Multi-sport is growing by leaps and bounds throughout the country, and the word "triathlon" is becoming an everyday vocabulary word that you hear being said by your neighbors and Hollywood alike," said USAT Membership Services Director Jennifer O'Day. "It's exciting to listen to a person who just completed their first triathlon talk about how much fun they had and that they can't wait until the next one.

"The excitement is infectious and is spreading as we not only see our membership numbers grow, but participation in general. It seems like everyone I talk to has either done a triathlon, thought about doing one, or knows someone who has. It really is a lifestyle sport for participants, with the reward of finishing, not necessarily finishing first."

O'Day identified a number of USAT initiatives that may have had significant impact on membership growth:

A conscious outreach to the youth market has seen membership grow in that area from 2,000 to 6,000 in the last year.

The growth in the number of races has allowed participants to find triathlons to compete in every weekend within a reasonable distance of their home in most areas of the country.

Better communication by USAT with members and making the renewal process easier has led to higher retention rates.

Reaching out to one-day participants through goody bag flyers and regional representatives at events.

"Really every program we have from coaching to officials to the elite athlete development, is contributing to the overall exposure of the organization," said O'Day. "But I would say primarily, as non-glamorous as it sounds, it's the new youth initiative and greater participation in the sport through the increased number or races available to them that are the main reasons for the increase."