Ironman will be announcing a new 70.3 in Canada … where might it be?
A fifth 70.3 event is coming to Canada.
Ironman has been teasing us with news that a new Ironman 70.3 race will be announced tomorrow. They’ve given us enough of a hint that it looks like it will be in Canada (OK, it could be Canarias, too, but since we saw the teaser on the Ironman 70.3 Augusta page, we’re going with North America vs the Canary Islands.)
The announcement is coming tomorrow, based on the above post, which got us wondering where exactly the race might be.
Right now there are four Ironman 70.3 events in Canada:
- Ironman 70.3 Victoria on May 26
- Ironman 70.3 Mont-Tremblant on June 23
- Ironman 70.3 Muskoka on July 7
- Ironman 70.3 Calgary on July 28
The obvious hole in the schedule is an event later in the summer, either August or September.
Heading to Whistler?
Could Ironman be looking to get back to Whistler for a triathlon event, possibly in that August or September time frame? It certainly could be, but with a UTMB event taking place in Whistler this fall that garnered some controversy when announced, one would imagine adding another Ironman race to the mix wouldn’t be a popular move at this point. (Of course, you could also make the argument that adding more business to the area would be popular …)
Is there room in Penticton?
Following in the steps of the Whistler event, adding a 70.3 to Ironman Canada’s race day might be an option. Since the announcement that Ironman Canada was returning to Penticton for 2020, there has been only one race. COVID ensured nothing could happen in 2020 and 2021, the race had just under 1,600 participants in 2022, then had to be cancelled because of forest fires last year.
So, despite the tough slog since its return that has likely hurt registration numbers, this option seems like a bit of a stretch. In its heyday, Ironman Canada in Penticton routinely had fields of well over 2,000 athletes, with over 2,500 athletes taking part in 2009 and those big numbers continuing until the final race in 2012. One would imagine that Ironman is banking on a return to that kind of popularity, so would it make sense to add a 70.3 race?
Edmonton?
It’s hard to imagine two 70.3 races in Alberta, but Edmonton has always punched way above its weight on the triathlon hosting front. With the worlds heading to the city in 2027, and no PTO event – sorry, T100 Triathlon World Tour event – slated for this year, one would imagine the city would be open to a 70.3 race.
It’s probably a non-starter, though. Ironman 70.3 Calgary is a long-standing, well run and popular event (that likely has an exclusivity clause in its contract for Alberta!), so adding another race to that province likely doesn’t make much sense. Unless, of course, you did it in September, but, as World Triathlon learned, things can get pretty cold in Edmonton in September!
Heading East?
Our first three options focussed on races out west. Ironman has already got two 70.3 races in that region, so what about doing something out east. (Sorry to those who truly live on the east coast, but we’re not thinking of something in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick or Newfoundland. Ironman tried that with Ironman 70.3 Cornerbrook, and never saw more than a few hundred competitors. We’re talking Ontario or Quebec.)
Challenge now has two events in Quebec (Challenge Cap-Quebec and Challenge Esprit), so might Ironman be looking to add another race to that province? One of the most logical choices, the Esprit event, isn’t an option (see the story above), and there are already three major half-distance races set to take place in Quebec this summer. Is there room for a fourth?
So that leaves Ontario, the country’s largest province in terms of population. For years there have been rumours that the popular Niagara Falls Barrelman was a potential 70.3 event. The timing would certainly work – it takes place on Sept. 15 this year. It’s a short drive for the huge triathlon crowd in Toronto. Are the organizers there ready to sell to Ironman?
We’ll know tomorrow
OK – so much for our speculation. Who knows if we’re on to something with our choices, or if Ironman will surprise us with a totally unexpected venue. Stay tuned.
