British Columbia venue chosen for National Age Group Championships
Race also offering high number of spots for AG Team World Triathlon Championships
British Columbia’s wine country has been chosen to host this year’s Triathlon Canada Age Group National Championships.
The Kelowna Apple Race Series has been chosen by Triathlon Canada to hold the sprint and standard triathlon, and standard aquabike championships August 9-10. The event is expecting to draw athletes from across the nation, hoping to be crowned a champion. Awards will be given to the top three finishers in each five-year age group.
A full weekend of championship racing
The weekend of racing includes the Western Regional Championship/BC Super Series Provincial Championships, an age group super sprint, standard relay, and a kids’ race. The swim will take place in Lake Okanagan, followed by a two lap bike course for the standard distances and a single loop bike course for the sprint distance. The run takes in the lake views and Kelowna’s downtown green areas.
“It’s the perfect location to gather Canada’s age group athletes, alongside emerging high performance talent competing in the Western Regional Championship,” Triathlon Canada CEO told Kelowna media outlet Castanet. “With Kelowna’s history of hosting world-class triathlons, it’s the ideal spot for this prestigious event.”
Age group World Triathlon Championship spots
The race will also be awarding Age Group Team Canada spots for the 2025 Triathlon World Championships to the top three finishers in each five-year age category. The world championships will be held in Wollongong, Australia on October 15. In total, there are 37 races across Canada this season offering a varied number of spots in each age group. These include race qualifiers not only for the Triathlon World Championships but also the Multisport World Championships, which features longer distance races and cross triathlon.
The Multisport World Championships will be held in Pontevedra, Spain, June 21-29, 2025.
Interested age group athletes need to submit an Expression of Interest, found on the Triathlon Canada website, a minimum of three weeks before they enter a qualifying race to identify their interested in taking an Age Group Team Canada spot should they finish high enough in their age group.
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A race venue with a long standing history
The Apple Triathlon has been a fixture on the racing roster in the Okanagan for years. After a four year hiatus related to COVID, it returned last year in August. The marathon event, formerly known as the Okanagan International Marathon, also returned last September.
Apple Race Series Society president, Jonathan Arkle, said the organization was proud to see continuous growth for the event since its return last year.
“The 2025 championship promises to be another high-caliber event and a celebration of our sport’s future champions,” he said.
Registration is already open. Finalized course details will be released soon.