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Ironman events in Mont-Tremblant “cannot happen in 2021” – no options to defer to 2022 races

Athletes given multiple race options including refunds

Photo by: Kevin Mackinnon

There won’t be any Ironman events in Mont-Tremblant this year and athletes won’t be able to defer their entries to 2022. Ironman announced today that the Ironman and the Ironman 70.3 events in Mont-Tremblant “cannot take place in 2021” (yeah, we’d call that “cancelled,” too) and have offered athletes a number of different options, none of which include simply deferring an entry to next year’s race. The event update also says that Ironman is “working diligently on all potential future year options …” which indicates that the 2022 races at the Quebec ski resort are not confirmed.

Does that mean there won’t be any more Ironman events in Mont-Tremblant in the future? That’s hard to say. The latest contract between Ironman and the city expires this year, and, based on the fact that Ironman is not offering the option to defer entries to the events in 2022, it would appear that the contract has not been renewed. All Ironman officials can say at this point is that “the team is working diligently with the host venue on future year options.”

The singing the national anthem at the 2019 Ironman Mont-Tremblant event. Photo: Kevin Mackinnon

Ironman Mont-Tremblant

“Based on the latest conversations with the health authorities and local officials in the Province of Quebec in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and the current restrictions related to large events, we regret to share that the 2021 Ironman Mont-Tremblant triathlon cannot take place in 2021,” Ironman posted on the event website. “We are working diligently on all potential future year options and further event updates will be communicated as soon as possible.”

Competitors registered in the full-distance race in Mont-Tremblant will be automatically transferred to this year’s Ironman Canada event in Penticton on September 26, 2021 unless they pick any of the other options Ironman is making available to them. Those include free transfers to: Ironman Lake Placid – July 25, 2021; Ironman Wisconsin – September 12, 2021; Ironman Maryland – September 19, 2021; Ironman Chattanooga – September 26, 2021; Ironman Waco – October 23, 2021; Ironman California – October 24, 2021; Ironman Florida – November 6, 2021.

Athletes will also have the option to get a “refund of entry fee paid upon registration (please note, processing refund may take up to two weeks after the selection listing expires).”

The men’s podium from the 2019 Ironman 70.3 Mont-Tremblant race (L-R): Canadians Brent McMahon and Jackson Laundry, along with American Eric Lagerstrom.

Ironman 70.3 Mont-Tremblant

A similar update was posted on the Ironman 70.3 Mont-Tremblant web page, and athletes have been given a number of options. The default option for athletes registered in this year’s 70.3 race in Mont-Tremblant will be automatically transferred to Ironman 70.3 Timberman on August 22, 2021 unless they choose any of the other options. Free transfers are available to Ironman 70.3 Ohio – July 25, 2021;  Ironman 70.3 Oregon- July 25, 2021; Ironman 70.3 Michigan – September 12, 2021; Ironman 70.3 Wisconsin – September 12, 2021; Ironman 70.3 Atlantic City – September 12, 2021; Ironman 70.3 Augusta – September 26, 2021; Ironman 70.3 Waco – October 24, 2021; Ironman 70.3 Oceanside- October 30, 2021; Ironman 70.3 Indian Wells/La Quinta – December 5, 2021; Ironman 70.3 Florida- December 12, 2021.

Athetes can also choose to get a refund with the same stipulations as for the full-distance event.

Ironman’s future in Mont-Tremblant

It is hard to imagine that we wouldn’t see Ironman continue its long-standing events in Mont-Tremblant – since the Ironman and 70.3 events stared in 2012 the site has become one of the most popular events on the Ironman circuit. The events, especially the 70.3 event, routinely fill up. In 2014 the ski resort became the first site outside the United States to host an Ironman world championship when Ironman began its rotation of the 70.3 worlds there. Ironman has had a tough go in Quebec over the last few years, though. In 2019 founder and long-time race director Dominique Piche resigned and earlier this year we learned that Ironman had lost the contract for the Montreal Marathon.