West Coast Spectacular Subaru Sooke Triathlon
This is one of the most beautiful places, and races, on the planet.
While the avid triathlon crowd in Victoria take the spectacular scenery and conditions almost for granted, the rest of the Canadian triathlon community now has a great excuse to see what we’re missing. Designed to take full advantage of the west-coast beauty of the Sooke area – last year more than 500 athletes from around the world enjoyed the Subaru Sooke Triathlon.
The race is part of the Subaru Western Triathlon Series. Included in the day of racing are a sprint, Olympic and half-Iron events.
The Olympic-distance was showcased on TSN last year. The event featured a $15,000 prize purse and an exciting “chase” format where the pro women were given a head start on the men.Brent McMahon overcame the 15-minute deficit to beat Amanda Stevens to the line, while Jeff Symonds rounded out the top three.
The Sooke area is just outside of Victoria and features lush evergreen forests, rainforest, picturesque coastal scenery, rugged cliffs and sandy beaches. It is a haven for both leisurely and extreme activities including year-round charter fishing, scuba diving, windsurfing, hiking, zip-lining and surfing.
The race-course design manages to incorporate some of the spectacular scenery. The closed bike course heads up the scenic Pacific Marine Circle Route with its unique coastal communities and ocean views. In addition to the spectacular scenic Pacific Ocean vistas, the course also includes a run on to Whiffin Spit – a narrow one km trail where the Pacific Ocean surrounds the athletes on both sides as they run towards a lighthouse.
“This is one of the most beautiful places, and races, on the planet and we want the rest of Canada to see it,” says LifeSport’s Lance Watson.
In addition to all the racing action, the event also features a two-day sport and lifestyle expo, which is held at the official race hotel, the Prestige Oceanfront Resort and Conference Centre.
Information on the Subaru Sooke Triathlon and Subaru Western Triathlon Series is available at www.triseries.ca
