Ironman Canada Penticton cancelled due to wildfires

With the devastating fires that have forced the evacuation of Yellowknife and is burning houses in Kelowna, it comes as little surprise that putting on an Ironman event in the Okanagan Valley wasn’t likely to happen next week. Ironman has just released a statement, cancelling next weekend’s Ironman Canada event in Penticton.

You can read the full statement from Ironman below.

A province-wide state of emergency declared in British Columbia because of the fires, along with “the order restricting travel to B.C.’s Southern Interior for those travelling for non-essential purposes and seeking temporary accommodation,” meant Ironman had to cancel the race in Penticton “for the safety of all involved.”

“While it will be disappointing to the athletes who have trained so hard, I know they will understand the decision to cancel this year’s Ironman event is the right one to make,” said Penticton mayor Julius Bloomfield. “The need to support those who have been so severely impacted by the ongoing wildfire situation needs to take precedence. The unpredictability of the fires means the province needs to have maximum flexibility to ensuring the proper supports are available to those who need them. We have seen conditions change dramatically – almost hour by hour – and all resources need to be directed towards keeping our communities safe.”

Athletes registered in the event will receive an email with more information – presumably on deferral options.

Earlier this year organizers were forced to cancel Ironman 70.3 Mont-Tremblant due to smoke from forest fires in Quebec. That event will run in conjunction with tomorrow’s full-distance race at the Quebec resort.

Ironman 70.3 Mont-Tremblant rescheduled to take place alongside full-distance event in August

Event Update: 2023 Ironman Canada – Penticton

Our continued thoughts are with those that are being affected by the Canadian Wildfires. We are shocked and saddened to see the level of devastation caused by the wildfires.
 
Based on a province wide state of emergency that has been declared in British Columbia along with the order restricting travel to B.C.’s Southern Interior for those travelling for non-essential purposes and seeking temporary accommodation, we regret to share that the 2023 IRONMAN Canada-Penticton triathlon scheduled to take place on Sunday, August 27, 2023 has been cancelled for the safety of all involved.
 
For an event that has been a long-time athlete favorite on the IRONMAN circuit, we were excited to once again showcase this beautiful region and provide you with a race experience that you deserve. However, due to the mandates in place and to allow the local resources the space they need to focus on the local community, this was the necessary decision.
 
“While it will be disappointing to the athletes who have trained so hard, I know they will understand the decision to cancel this year’s IRONMAN event is the right one to make. The need to support those who have been so severely impacted by the ongoing wildfire situation needs to take precedence. The unpredictability of the fires means the province needs to have maximum flexibility to ensuring the proper supports are available to those who need them. We have seen conditions change dramatically – almost hour by hour – and all resources need to be directed towards keeping our communities safe,” shared Mayor of Penticton, British Columbia, Julius Bloomfield.
 
With all IRONMAN events, our utmost priority is ensuring the safety of our athletes and the members of the local community. We don’t take these decisions lightly as we know the time and effort that has been dedicated to racing so we appreciate your continued understanding with these unforeseen events.
 
All registered athletes of the 2023 IRONMAN Canada-Penticton triathlon will be receiving an email with further information. If athletes have additional questions or do not receive the email with further information, they are asked to please contact canada@ironman.com.
 
IRONMAN would like to thank the local hospitality industry for welcoming our athletes in Penticton for so many years. We wish them the best in hosting those who need assistance next week. Athletes with local accommodation bookings are asked to contact local providers for details on their options.
 
We thank our athletes for their continued understanding and look forward to welcoming them back to British Columbia with a great event in 2024 or at a future IRONMAN event.