More than 750 athletes are slated to compete in Sunday’s Oliver Half Iron triathlon, starting with a 7 am swim at Rotary Beach.
The 10th annual Eastlink Oliver Half Iron will take place on Sunday, June 2.
The triathlon has grown each year in size and this year’s event will see Oliver host more than 750 athletes from around the Pacific Northwest and across Canada.
The event has been sold out since April with athletes coming from Alberta, Montana, Washington State, and Idaho. The event has grown steadily in size each year since the inaugural event in 2004 with many of the athletes racing this year returning year after year.
“The athletes feel very welcome in Oliver to both race and train. Athletes have been coming to train in Oliver each year from as early as March,” said race director Joe Dixon. “The beauty of the area combined with the venue for a race like this is really exciting. It has been a pleasure working with the community to hold a first rate event.
The Half Ironman course is comprised of a 2 km swim in Tucelnuit Lake, a two loop 93 km bike course around Oliver on Highway 97, Tucelnuit Drive and Black Sage Road. The 21 km run is two loops along Lakeside Drive and Meadows Drive, continuing along Meadows Drive onto the hike and bike path along the Okanagan River and back to the finish at Rotary Beach. The transition staging area will again be at Tucelnuit Elementary School fields.
Again this year, Lakeside Drive will be closed from 6 am Saturday morning until 7 pm Sunday night.
“We couldn’t do this event without the great support we get from the residents of the Tucelnuit neighbourhood, especially those on Lakeside Drive,” Dixon said of the cooperation necessary for the street to be closed down during the race. “And the volunteers – they can make or break a successful experience for the athletes. The volunteers in Oliver have quickly gained a reputation as some of the most supportive anywhere.”
The event is expected to bring 1500–2000 people to the area and brings over $250,000 to the local economy. The race starts at 7 am Sunday and the final finisher is expected to cross the finish line at Rotary Beach at 3:30. Registration and the pre-race Expo take place on Friday and Saturday at the Oliver Arena.
The post race lunch for athletes and volunteers begins Sunday at noon for the afternoon until the race awards at 4 pm.
Steve King, “the voice of Challenge Penticton,” will again be back to announce the race this year. The race is a qualifier for Ironman Canada.
Contributed
To the Chronicle
