MARTIN, Tenn. - Known universally as one of the most physically demanding and spiritually rewarding events any athlete can compete in, a triathlon is defined as "an athletic contest in which participants compete without stopping in three successive events, usually long-distance swimming, bicycling and running." Jay McCurdy, who competed in cross country for The University of Tennessee at Martin from 2003-05, has mastered this art and recently finished in third place out of over 400 runners at the Music City Triathlon in Nashville in late July.

McCurdy, who graduated from UT Martin with a degree in landscape and turf grass management, finished the 31st annual Music City Triathlon in 2:02.04, just a mere five minutes off the pace. The 1.5k swim, 40k bike, and 10k run took place in downtown Nashville, through LP Field and in the Cumberland River.

Winning the male 25-29 division by nearly a full 15 minutes, McCurdy said he knew he was in close contention for third place when he crossed the finish line. The toughest leg of the race was, as McCurdy said "always is", was swimming.

"Despite lots of time in the pool this past year, I'm still not a swimmer," McCurdy said.

The incredible story on the Dyer native began before he stepped foot on the UT Martin campus, after he graduated from Gibson County High School.

"When I left high school, I was kind of chubby," McCurdy said. "So I started running. Within a year, I had come a long way. With the help of a few friends, I ran two marathons. I was hooked."

The next step came during his sophomore year at UT Martin, when he walked on the cross country squad for head coach Jason McKinney. The next season, Gordon Sanders was named head coach, a move that was beneficial to McCurdy because Sanders "has been a huge influence in my athletic career and my life."

"Jay hadn't participated in any high school sports, and he joined the team after preliminary attempts at marathons and triathlons," Sanders said. "Since then, he has transformed from a 25-mile-a-week jogger to 20-hours-a-week of endurance training."

It was around the end of his collegiate career that McCurdy started training specifically for triathlons. While taking a year off from running to recover from a recurring injury, McCurdy focused on cycling and swimming. By the time the injury was slowly healing in 2007, he began adding run mileage to his routine and by the spring of 2008, he was back to his old form again - a form which Sanders never doubted would return because of the injury setback.

"Without question, Jay consistently tried as hard as his body could absorb, and always had an active recovery from injury restraints," Sanders said. "It's great to see him on his own initiative at this level. He's definitely blossomed at a late stage."

His old form, as it turns out, qualifies to rank amongst the world's best, as he has been invited to be a part of the Team USA Amateur team for the Age Group World Triathlon Championships to be held in Australia on Sept. 12.

"There will be over 42 countries represented by at least 2,000 athletes," McCurdy said. "It's an honor to compete on such a stage with so many other international competitors."

Training at such an elite level might seem like a full-time job to most, but McCurdy has also spent a majority of time focusing on furthering his academic career. Last May, he earned a Masters of Plant Science degree from the University of Tennessee, and this fall is starting his PhD in agronomy and soils at Auburn University.

In order to gain more experience, McCurdy recently spent nine months as a research agronomist at a golf club in Hong Kong. When time permitted, McCurdy trained in the far northern reaches of Hong Kong, which he said offered "fantastic places to train."

"Most athletes associate China with poor air quality and crowded streets," McCurdy said. "The traffic was bearable, and the scenery was phenomenal. The Chinese focus a lot of attention towards developing their national and regional triathlon squads, so there was always highly competitive athletes to challenge for podium positions."

What's next for McCurdy after the Age Group World Triathlon Championships and completion of his PhD at Auburn?

"I would love to return to China," McCurdy said. "It is a fascinating place full of wonderful people. In time, I would like to race internationally. Who knows, with sufficient sponsorship, perhaps I'll return to Asia for some racing."

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