Racing in 2020: Ontario’s Stoney Lake Triathlon sells out

This weekend Ontario will host another triathlon race – this one won’t be taking place in Caledon, but rather at Stoney Lake, near Peterborough.

According to race director Dave Dame, the sprint triathlon and duathlon (750 m swim or 3 km run/ 20 km bike/ 5 km run) has sold out.

“We’ve got a maximum of 170 people,” he told us this week. “We’re putting on two waves of 85 people per wave. That keeps us under the provincial mandate of 100 people for an outdoor gathering, including staff and volunteers.”

“The Stoney Lake Tri has been running for about 10 years,” Dame continued. “It’s grass roots racing at its best – it is very scenic, has a small field and is an accurate course. Last year Dominika Jamnicky showed up for a workout and spanked the field.”

To get approval to put on the race, the race organizers had to “submit their COVID plan to the township,” Dame said. “The staff, along with public health, helped us come up with the COVID protocols before it was approved by council.”

Related: Photos from Alberta’s only triathlon in 2020

Those protocols will make for a different race experience for the competitors this weekend. As a sign of the current times, the race will feature a number of changes from years past, including:

• No aid stations in transition or on the course
• Athletes need to be self-sufficient throughout the race, and also before and after
• no post race food or drinks
• no awards ceremony
• no swag
• extra room in transition and extra racks
• COVID screening upon arrival
• extra room in the parking area
• no spectators
• participants in the first wave must vacate the race venue by 11:30 am in order to accommodate the 12:30 pm wave
• athletes must bring their own swim cap
• no body marking
• the only interaction with staff/ volunteers will be when athletes receive a timing chip – athletes are asked to sanitize their hands immediately after getting their chip
• social distancing will be required at all times

Peterborough wil also be holding an open-water swim event on August 30.

You can find out more information here.