The final running of Ironman Canada in Penticton won't feature a swim – the first leg of the race has been cancelled and athletes will head off in a time trial start. The race announcement on Facebook didn’t specify the water temperature, but some social media posts have said the water is 13 degrees C. Based on the cancellation, it would appear that there must be points where the water temperature is lower than that. According to World Triathlon rules, a full-distance (3.8 km) swim should be shortened to 1,500 m if the water temperature is between 13 and 13.9 degrees, 750 m if it is between 12 and 12.9 degrees and cancelled if the water temperature is 11.9 degrees or lower. That would suggest that some of the water measurements in Okanagan Lake must have been below that threshold. Cool temperatures early Sunday morning forced the cancellation of the swimming portion of the triathlon, event organizers announced at around 7:30 a.m. Athletes started their journey on bikes near Okanagan Lake Park shortly after, as a result. Large crowds gathered across downtown Penticton to catch the start of the race. Everyone is invited to cheer on the athletes as they continue the more than 100-kilometre triathlon. They are also asked, however, to take care when travelling across the city. Multiple roads in Penticton will be closed during the race and aren't planned to reopen until late at night. Main Street, in particular, will be used for both the cycling and running portions of the triathlon. Intersections with Main Street will be open with traffic control and RCMP at Eckhardt, Duncan, Industrial, Warren, Green, and Yorkton avenues. Penticton City Hall has a call centre open until 3 p.m., to answer traffic-related questions at 250-490-2345. The final edition of Ironman Canada in Penticton is now underway. It was a fitting end for the area where the first North American IRONMAN triathlon was born as Canada's highest-profile triathlete produced a dominant display. The event is moving to Ottawa in 2025, event organizers announced earlier this year.
Ironman Canada: A Cold Start
Dipping temperatures – just 13 degrees Celsius in the water – put paid to the swim and meant it was a time trial start on the bike, with athletes setting off 30 seconds apart. The blind draw saw American Simon Shi set off first, with Sanders, in bib number one, in 14th but it didn’t take long for the order to be established. ‘No Limits’ had carved out 43 seconds on the field by the first checkpoint after 24km, that was up to 2:16 by the next at 65km and it just kept going out and out. By T2 – or more accurately T1 – he had over 10 minutes in hand on Aussie Sam Appleton in second.
Sanders Dominates, True Triumphant
So barring some massive mishap on the marathon it was game over and though the gap came down slightly it was still around eight minutes heading into the last 10k. It barely changed after that as Sanders continued his superb 2024. That’s now three wins out of four after victories at IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside and IRONMAN 70.3 Mont Tremblant, followed by third place last time at IRONMAN Lake Placid. In the women’s race Sarah True (USA) was the only top 100-ranked athlete and she too underlined her credentials with a clear-cut victory. The women’s race rapidly boiled down to a three-way battle on the bike. A third of the way through it was Jodie Robertson (USA) who led the way and there was around a minute back to Deborah Eckhouse (CAN) and True. At the 110km mark Robertson had almost doubled her advantage, with True at +1:51 and Eckhouse at +2:26. Coming into transition things went out a little further – Robertson now 2:26 in front of True as Eckhouse dropped out of contention. But everything changed dramatically on the run – and quickly. That deficit has been turned into a +1:14 advantage to True after just 5km and that would all but settle the race. There were almost three minutes between them after 15km and it ballooned from then on. True crossed the line in 7:52:29 after a 2:50:34 marathon, never in danger.
The Final Chapter in Penticton
The final edition of Ironman Canada in Penticton is now underway. Home favourite Lionel Sanders made it three wins out of four this season as he powered to an all-the-way victory at IRONMAN Canada in the final edition of the race in Penticton before it moves to Ottawa in 2025. His cause, or more likely his margin of victory, was probably helped by the swim being cancelled – more details here – but the rankings suggested he was a class apart and so it proved as he locked in an early slot for the 2025 IRONMAN World Championship in Nice. The event is moving to Ottawa in 2025, event organizers announced earlier this year.
The Race That Ate Its Young
While the race in Penticton is no more, the spirit of the Ironman continues, with the event moving to Ottawa in 2025. Despite the cold water and cancelled swim, the event was a resounding success, showcasing the grit and determination of the athletes. The Ironman legacy in Penticton will always be remembered as the birthplace of the sport in North America.
