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Sanders and Findlay set to compete at the PTO Canadian Open in Edmonton

Top Canadian distance stars set to compete in July

Photo by: Challenge Daytona

We reported last month that Edmonton would serve as the first “Open” race on the Professional Triathletes Organisation calendar – the PTO Canadian Open will take place on July 23 and 24, 2022. We’ll be looking forward to getting more information about the upcoming race at a press conference tomorrow that will include two of the biggest Canadian names in long-distance racing, Lionel Sanders and Paula Findlay.

$5.5 million PTO Tour kicks off with Canadian Open in Edmonton

The race in Edmonton is being put on by Do North Events, the group that previously put on the World Triathlon races in Edmonton, including last year’s World Triathlon Series Championship Final.

According to a press release from the PTO we can expect an “exciting new course in the heart of Edmonton’s unique River Valley.”

The race will offer a $1 million prize purse and feature a 100 km distance – 2 km swim, 80 km bike and an 18 km run. The PTO Canadian Open will also include age group racing, “giving amateurs the opportunity to meet and race alongside the professionals,” and there will also be “world class TV production broadcast live to a global audience.”

5 Takeaways from the PTO 2020 Championship

Paula Findlay at the Challenge Daytona press conference 2019. Photo: Jose Luis Hourcade.

“It is great to have the inaugural PTO Canadian Open in my hometown of Edmonton,” says Findlay, a 2012 Olympian and the winner of the PTO 2020 Championship. “I am very excited for Triathlon to entertain new and existing fans and it’s a fantastic opportunity for Professional Triathletes to raise their profile through global TV coverage and win some meaningful prize money. The PTO is showing that by having professional Triathletes working together and having an equal interest in the success of the Tour events like the PTO Canadian Open, the sport can continue to gain in popularity and reach new audiences.”

Today’s press release didn’t include a quote from Sanders, but he’s listed as an attendee at tomorrow’s press conference and will likely arrive in Edmonton as one of the favourites to win the race.