Whistler wins bid for Ironman Canada 2013 – registration opens October 18th

Whistler wins bid for Ironman Canada 2013 after the City of Penticton and Ironman parted ways earlier this year, Ironman Canada has been up for grabs for 2013. Last Thursday, October 11, a few days before the World Triathlon Corporation intended to make the announcement due to Whistler Tourism pre-empting the announcement on their website, that the race would be coming to Whistler for the next five years. Other cities on the shortlist were Kelowna and Huntsville, Ontario.

Many triathletes are delighted that this prestigious race will stay on the West Coast, and Whistler is an obvious choice. Having proudly hosted the Olympics in 2010, the Ironman is just another accolade to add to its list. Ironman Canada has traditionally accepted 3,000 athletes each year, and sold out the day after the race, and it’s expected that the 2013 Whistler race will attract over 2,000. Ironman Canada will be held on the last weekend of August in 2013, as always, but will move to July from 2014 onwards.

The 2.4 mile swim will take place in Alta Lake, which boasts a balmy 22 degrees Celsius in the summer months; the 112 mile bike course will be an out-and-back, travelling along the scenic sea-to-sky highway past the Callaghan Valley, and north of Whistler to Pemberton. The bike course is comparable to the Penticton course in elevation, with incredible views of glaciers and mountains along the way. The marathon distance run includes two loops on the Valley Trail past Lost Lake and Green Lake, returning through Whistler Village at the halfway point. Athletes looking to sign up for Canada Ironman 2013 are able to register from October 18. This may be the easiest year to get a place in this sought-after race, as historically all places (apart from the few qualifying spots) are taken the day after the previous year’s race.