Local triathlon joins Super League
Organizer says new format is ‘totally spectator friendly’ with less impact on traffic
It will be unlike anything triathlon fans have ever seen. Michael Brown, executive director of sports management group MB Events, announced that Penticton will stage a stop in the new Super League Triathlon series, Aug. 17-19, 2018.
“It’s a pretty high-end race series that we’re lucky to be part of,” Brown said.
“I believe it’s going to offer a fresh outlook on triathlon. With the new format, it also allows for athletes to race in the morning and then stick around and watch other races in the afternoon, go to a restaurant or go out and see what Penticton has to offer.”
Brown has operated Challenge Penticton for the past three years, plus this past summer’s ITU Multisport World championship. He parted ways with Challenge Family last month as it failed to deliver the series of North American races it had originally hoped for in 2013 when the City of Penticton divorced itself from Ironman Canada after 30 years.
The new Super League, which also had stops in Australia and England in 2017, will feature much shorter distances.
There are two short events staged on the Friday and Saturday, and athletes are divided into separate races for age groupers and professionals.
Sunday’s main event is called an enduro, which will feature a 750-metre swim, 20-kilometre bike and five-kilometre run — and then repeated. (Distances have not been finalized.) Brown estimates the age group winner will complete the six-stage race in under two hours.
Super League also has other gimmicky events throughout the weekend, including a race that will mix up the traditional order of the disciplines.
With the short distances it will also cause less of a traffic impact, something ITU was regularly criticized for on social media.
“It’s going to be a really small footprint and not a huge impact on the community. That was a big concern moving forward after Penticton (Multisport) 2017.”
Super League, which will stage events in several continents next year, is co-founded by two-time Ironman world champion Chris McCormack.
The Penticton event will offer the top four male and female finishers their “golden ticket” and immediate qualification for the championship series, something Brown believes will be a selling point of the race.
In total, he anticipates attracting 1,000 age groupers along with 40 male and 40 female professionals.
Brown realizes the new format will take some getting used to and suggests watching a short YouTube video (called What is Super League Triathlon?) and visiting the website superleaguetriathlon.com.
“It’s totally spectator friendly,” he said. “With a small court we will set up the grandstands like Penticton 2017 and triathletes will run and bike past the grandstands.”
It will also have a festival atmosphere with a beverage garden, music, athlete village, athlete celebration and other events similar to the multisport festival.
Penticton’s website will go live Oct. 24 and registration will be Nov. 1. There is a link on the home page for volunteers.
“We don’t have a race without volunteers and we’re hoping that the legendary legion of volunteers that Penticton is famous for will again support this event,” Brown said.