Ironman wasn’t built in 1 year
Dear editor: Joe Fries’ editorial (Herald, Aug. 21) called on the city to get Ironman on the phone and bring the race back to the Okanagan. But the opportunity for sport-tourism minded cities lies not in the past, but by re-imagining the future.
It’s true those were great days! I raced my first Ironman here, and the event gave me memories and friendships that changed my life forever. The “M-dot” helped grow the race, but it wasn’t just the global firm that put Penticton on the map. Long-distance triathlon was fresh and exciting, and the event benefited from enormous community support.
Today, traditional endurance and multi-sport events are losing appeal and participation.
Even in its new home, Ironman Canada has copied Challenge Penticton initiatives, such as relays and shorter-distance events, to maintain interest. After six years there, participation isn’t growing – but it isn’t shrinking, and in this market, that’s winning.
Ironman has long left its traditional homes, and the conversation we’re having here is happening all over the continent as cities like Penticton, abandoned by big events, grapple with how to bring back what they once had.
But I haven’t lost hope! Numbers are rising for any event that flips the script. Super League Triathlon has reinvented the sport, and as interest in this new racing format grows, so will participation.
Just like the ITU Multisport World Championships our team hosted last year, Super League attracted a field of worldclass athletes to Peach City. Following their idols here were amateur athletes from 19 countries, who raced a triathlon format created by Super League’s founders last year. The racing style and the brand are so dynamic, that Super League is one of the most disruptive initiatives to hit the sport in 35 years. Compared to Ironman’s 1983 start with 23 competitors, athletes registered for Super League numbered in the hundreds.
Super League is creating a whole new market of athletes – but it’s not only competitors who love it. The world’s triathlon and multisport fans are tuning in. In the last month alone, the race attracted an online global audience of nearly one million people in 45 countries, showcasing Penticton’s outdoor lifestyle in key national and international tourism markets. The possibility of a live online global broadcast in the future would be huge for a picturesque city like Penticton with so much to offer travellers.
Ironman’s growth in Penticton was thanks to the help of a global brand, an enthused and motivated group of athletes and a supportive city. With similar backing, there’s no reason Super League Triathlon can’t enjoy the same success, benefiting both the sport of triathlon and everyone who lives in Penticton.
Michael Brown, Race director, Super League Triathlon Penticton