Penticon's Ironman swim and bike courses were ranked among the best in North America by the athletes who competed in 2022.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Ironman
February 22, 2023 - 11:17 AM
Triathletes travel the world for Ironman competitions every year and Penticton is among 14 destinations in North America. Those who competed, and were surveyed, ranked the Okanagan race as having one of the best swimming courses of them all.
Ironman athletes chose the course as the third best in 2022, as part of last year's athlete choice awards, according to an Ironman news release issued today, Feb. 22. Penticton also ranked fourth best of the bike courses in 2022.
The swim course is a 3.8 kilometre Okanagan Lake loop, reaching nearly to the west shore and Highway 97 before curling back to the beach.
"This picturesque swim course takes place in beautiful Okanagan Lake, the heart of British Columbia's wine country. Athletes enter the water in a rolling start format at the Peach at Rotary Beach and swim one loop of the course exiting the water at Okanagan Lake Park," the Ironman website reads.
The bike course is a 180 km loop where athletes travel south to Osoyoos, beginning and ending at Okanagan Lake Park.
Athletes ranked the Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, race as superior to the Okanagan race, however. It landed second place among swim courses and first in bike courses.
Penticton couldn't crack the top ranks in other categories, including best overall, best venue and best running course.
The 2022 Penticton Ironman was a long-awaited return after a 10-year hiatus.
After the August 2022 race, athletes will line up again this summer for the more than 220 km race.
The race is scheduled for Aug. 27, 2023.
Go here for more information on the 2022 athlete's choice awards.
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