— National championships set for Osoyoos in 2007 —

(OSOYOOS TIMES — July 12, 2006)
With the sun blazing overhead on Sunday, 365 dedicated athletes took to the lake and the road to compete in Osoyoos' second annual Desert Half Iron Triathlon.
Local athletes Carl Weber and Paul Eby were two of last weekend's Desert Half Iron competitors. This year's event saw nearly double last year's number of competitors. Athletes from across Canada, throughout the Pacific Northwest and as far away as California and Florida came to test their endurance in the desert heat.
The triathlon began at 7 a.m. with a two-kilometre swim in Osoyoos Lake. The weather was a little cool, but by the time the athletes scrambled out of the water to begin the 90-kilometre bike ride up Richter Pass to Cawston and back, things were heating up. A 21-kilometre run course around Osoyoos, finishing up at Legion Beach, completed the event.
Last year's winner defended his title to take the top spot again. Matt Seeley of Polson, Montana finished with a time of 4:17:11. His pace was 6:23 per mile, and he broke his last year's record by nearly four minutes. The top female finisher was Canadian National Duathlon champion Lucy Smith, of Victoria. This was Smith's first time at the Desert Half Iron; she placed 10th overall with a final time of 4:42:09 and a pace of 6:31 per mile.
Weber, an Osoyoos chiropractor, placed 20th overall male, with a final time of 4:50:59. His pace was 7:25 per mile and he finished in 4th place out of 46 in his division. But once he crossed the finish line, Weber needed some attention.
I gave too much and knew I was in trouble even before the run. The heat was a factor. My body was going into shutdown mode, he said Monday. Weber said his body lost a lot of potassium and salt, especially on the bike portion of the event.
I was taking the salt off my face and licking my hands. You get so focused on your goal “ finish line, finish line, finish line “ I honestly don't remember what happened for about 15 minutes after I crossed the line.
Weber, who has competed in a number of events already this year, said he will race every weekend until September, but will not do another long race until next year. He praised the volunteers and the organizers for the care he received in the athletes' tent.
Osoyoos Fast Photo storeowner Eby placed 125th overall, with a final time of 5:47:14. The Oliver resident kept up a pace of 8:52 per mile and finished 7th out of 29 in his division. He agreed with Weber that the bike portion was the most challenging on such a hot day.
There were a lot of very competitive athletes, and it's good to see more of these local race events happening now in Osoyoos and Oliver. Joe and Sarah Dixon really put on a well-run event and the volunteers are incredible. Eby said he has been involved in triathlons since 1984 and has competed in a couple of full Ironmans. He said was pleased with his overall standing and his improved time over last year.
Organizer Joe Dixon, of Outback Events, said Osoyoos is a great location because of its fantastic weather and community support. We are thrilled to have partnered with the Town of Osoyoos to host this event and couldn't have been happier with the way this race played out. Almost every athlete crossed the line and immediately commented on how awesome they thought the volunteer support had been for them. There is a huge potential for this event, as word seems to be spreading quickly about how tough and rewarding this race is. We received some great feedback this year and look forward to planning an even better event next year.rnDixon added Osoyoos will host the Canadian National Championships in 2007.