After Penticton's City Council discussed whether or not to renew their contract with Ironman Canada after this year's race, they came to the conclusion that they would keep the race in Penticton for another 5 years.
Even though Ironman Canada has been a long time tradition since 1983 in a small town of 30,000 residents, it has cost the city an arm and a leg to keep it here over the years. Most hometown residents would agree though that this is where the race belongs, with almost a quarter of the participants coming from Penticton alone.
Two of the hometown favorite Ironman participants include father and son duo Brad & Chris Cochrane. This will be Senior cochrane's 22nd race this year. Brad grew up visiting his parents in Vernon, and knew he would eventually move to the Okanagan one day once he had a family of his own.
But Ironman Canada is what brought him to Penticton. He says over the years he remembers bringing his son Chris in his arms across the finish line, until finally last year Chris was old enough to enter the race where they both competed together. Chris was the youngest competitor to ever enter Ironman Canada, and he placed 7th in the 18-25 year old division. He says his father's training kept him motivated and determined throughout the race. But Brad is back again this year on his own, even admitting that training this year has been pretty lonely without his son.
This year's Ironman Canada race will commence Sunday August 29th, at 6:00am, and end at 12:00pm. Competitors start with a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike, and finally a 26.2 mile run. The swim is a mad dash into Okanagan Lake in a straight out and back line. The bike circles around Skaha Lake two times, and then heads towards Osoyoos, and back to Penticton. By 2002, Ironman Canada has grown to over 2000 participants each year, and continues to grow on a yearly basis.
For more information on Subaru Ironman Canada, visit their website: http://www.ironman.ca.
Subaru Ironman Canada Triathlon 2010
