Jamie Zachary

Most dealerships will go the distance to make sure their customers are happy. One local group is taking it a step further. Centaur Subaru — home to the Forester, Out

back and, most recently, XV Crosstrek — will be meeting its customers on the trails, lakes and everywhere in-between this Sunday. The dealership will be supporting Ironman 70.3

Calgary — a gruelling 1.9-kilometre swim, 90-km bike ride and 21.1-km run that will attract more than 1,000 triathletes from as close as Calgary and as far away as Japan.

The brand’s association with the city’s active sect is natural, says Paul Williams of Centaur Subaru.

“It’s how Subaru builds its cars — it doesn’t matter what’s going on around you, what the weather is like, what the obstacles are, it’s knowing you’ve got to go,” he says.

Williams has a personal connection to Ironman 70.3 Calgary. In addition to being involved as a sponsor for all five editions, he participated in the first two as a competitor.

He notes the dealership’s association with events such as Ironman 70.3 Calgary and the Calgary Half Marathon is personally gratifying to him and his staff because they give the dealership an opportunity to affect real change.

“I’ve always said that we could throw money at a number of causes, but it likely won’t put a dent in finding any cures,” says Williams.

“But a lot of health issues are caused by inactivity. If we can get more people out of their seats and celebrate their own ‘victory laps,’ then that’s money well spent.”

Ironman 70.3 Calgary kicks off Sunday at 7 a.m. from McKenzie Lake, ending in Glenmore Park. The course record is three hours and 51 minutes.

Registration for Ironman 70.3 Calgary is closed. For spectator information, visit ironmancalgary.com.