Kristen Hetzel is a Duathlete & Triathlete.
Kristen Hetzel – The Duathlon is an event in which I run 10 kilometers, bike 40 kilometers, and run another 5 kilometers. The triathlon is an event in which I swim, bike, and run. I am on Team USA for the Duathlon and am in the top te
n in the World in my age group.
I started my competitive athletics in high school with cross country and track and then continued my love of cross country and track at the collegiate level where I was awarded an athletic scholarship to Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, WV. I raced for four years and was a 5 time All-Conference cross country and track runner, received the Collegiate Athlete of the Year Award in 2002, and was voted by my University in 2002 as the most likely athlete to make it to the Olympics. I continued racing as an elite level runner in graduate school and in 2006 I decided to try cycling. Within 3 years, I was offered a professional cycling contract with the Tucson based, Trisports Cycling/Eclipse Racing team, for whom I raced for 3 years.
In 2012 I tried my first multisport event which was the Duathlon National Championships in Tucson, AZ. I placed 3rd for my Age Group which got me a spot on Team USA and qualified me for the 2012 Duathlon World Championships in Nancy, France. This is now my third year on Team USA and I have been ranked All-American in the Duathlon for the last 2 years.