Our Club

OTC History

The Oakland Triathlon Club (OTC) was found in March 2013 by Chris Van Luen, an East Bay native and firefighter/paramedic.  He posted an event on meetup.com in hopes of decreasing the solitude that triathlon training can sometimes bring, expecting his friend and previous OTC coach David Wild and maybe a few other people.  Instead, over 70 people turned out, and Van Luen realized he could build a club that had a more “populist vibe to an often-expensive activity.” 

Among over 30 triathlon clubs in the Bay Area, OTC quickly became popular due in part to many first-time athletes and was even voted Best Club by Competitor Magazine in its first year.

Through the years, OTC has worked towards inclusivity, including a pilot juniors program while focusing in our early years an elite development team.  We were honored to be the team behind rising star Alistair Eeckman, in whose posthumous honor we work to expand access to the sport.  

Since its beginning, OTC has made a priority of connecting triathletes to loaner gear, race discounts and coached workouts in addition to providing support to community organizations. Over the years, we’ve maintained the commitment of the founder to create the most diverse club in the Bay Area  -- and also be the friendliest, most approachable club.