DESTINATION RACE

World Triathlon Bermuda

How’s that for a nice compromise? Many Canadian triathletes (not to mention the event organizers) were devastated last year when it was announced that the world championships slated for Edmonton had to be cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Adding insult to injury, World Triathlon decided that Edmonton also wouldn’t host the event in 2021. The Grand Final, World Triathlon announced, would take place in Bermuda, as originally planned. In August, though, the sport’s international governing body decided that it would split the Grand Final – Edmonton will host the elite, U23 and age-group standard distance races, along with the age-group super-sprint events, from Aug. 17 to 22. Bermuda will host the first Sprint and Relay World Championships from Oct. 15 to 17. That event will feature the elite super sprint and mixed relay world championships, along with the world sprint and mixed relay events for age groupers. There’s also an open race for those who weren’t able to qualify for a national team but wanted the opportunity to race.

The race will take place in the Hamilton, but since the island is just 54 square kilometres, no matter where you are staying you won’t be far from the race site. The official hotel for the race is the beautiful Hamilton Princess, just a few minutes walk from the race site at the ferry terminal. (Those not staying at the Princess might want to look at taking a ferry to the event on race morning.)

The average air temperature in Bermuda in October is 27 C, so the conditions promise to be quite pleasant, especially for sprint racing. Open water swimming in Bermuda is a year-round activity – the water temperature in October is typically 26 C, but for those who are looking for a pool, there is an excellent 50-m facility at the national training centre, which is just a few minutes’ drive from Hamilton.

Although the details on the courses haven’t been officially announced, in previous years the swim has taken place near downtown Hamilton. That’s followed by a run up a short hill to the transition area in the city hall parking lot before heading out on the technical bike course that has, in the past, taken athletes up the challenging Corkscrew Hill, a difficult climb that is the main feature on the bike course. Once finished the bike the athletes head out for the relatively flat, 2.5-km out-and-back run course along Hamilton’s Front Street.

Less than a three-hour flight from Toronto, Bermuda is renowned as a fantastic vacation spot with a mix of beaches and historic sights to take in as part of your race experience. A good portion of Bermuda’s 65,000 residents are likely to be on hand to watch you race, too, making it a one-of-a-kind experience. If the world is finally back to some sense of normality by October, 2021, Bermuda will likely be a very welcome spot to head to for a triathlon.