Esprit Triathlon joins Challenge Family

Dominique Piche, the former Ironman Mont-Tremblant race director, has taken over the long-running Esprit Triathlon from long-time organizer Danny McCann. The new event will become the second Challenge Family event in Quebec – in September Piche announced Challenge Cap Quebec.

“After organising 39 triathlons in the heart of Montreal, surrounded by exceptional people, it is with confidence that I pass on the torch to Dominique Piché and the Challenge Family team,” said Danny McCann, founder of Esprit de Montréal Triathlon. “Their passion for the world of triathlon and their desire to take this event even further are very touching. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us for the 40th anniversary and to have a front row seat next September!”

It’s a hit, and there hasn’t been a race yet. Will Challenge Cap Quebec live up to the hype?

Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2024, the Esprit event takes place on the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve at Parc Jean-Drapeau on St. Helen’s and Notre Dame Islands in the St. Lawrence River just off the shore of Old Montreal. Traditionally the race has attracted over 3,000 athletes. The swim takes place in the Olympic Basin (used for rowing, canoeing and kayaking events at the 1976 Olympic Games), followed by a multi-lap bike ride around the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, which hosts the Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix every year. Things round out with a run over gravel pathways and trails within the park before finishing in front of the famous biosphere.

“It is with a high level of pride and respect that we will continue the history of this triathlon, created and led with passion by Danny McCann since its inception in 1984,” says Piche, the executive producer of Esprit Challenge Montreal. “It is important for the Challenge Family team and myself to continue the values of excellence, inclusion and caring for which this event is renowned and so appreciated by athletes and spectators alike.”

The race weekend (Sept. 6 to 8, 2024) will feature four distances – initiation, sprint, Olympic and middle.

We’ll have more on this announcement – stay tuned.