With the big day fast approaching, registration for the Gerick Sports Wasa Lake Triathlon is set to close Thursday, June 9.
The annual Wasa Lake Triathlon is slated for this coming weekend — Saturday, June 11, and Sunday, June 12, at Wasa Lake Provincial Park. As of print deadline Tuesday, a total of 798 participants have already registered for the event, including 323 registrants in the elite Olympic challenge.
“The event attracts families from all over B.C., Alberta and northwest U.S.A.,” said Charlie Cooper, race director, in a media release. “The growth in recent years has been led by the number of young triathletes coming with their families. We are proud to cater for all ages, with the first event day being dedicated to our younger competitors.”
The TriKids Triathlon kick-starts the weekend on Saturday, with a variety of race options for competitors based on age. TriKids competitors will run anywhere from 500 metres to three kilometres, bike 1.5 km to 10 km and swim 50 m to 300 m.
“We want these young triathletes to love the sport, experience the competition,” Cooper said, “but above all, it’s about participation and have a fun weekend with the family.”
As of print deadline Tuesday, there are already 197 registered participants for the TriKids Triathlon. TriKids competitors receive orienteering and preparation in order to make the big day memorable and safe. The race is scheduled to begin Saturday at 10 a.m.
Sunday features the big race day, with both the sprint and standard-distance events for individuals and relay teams. There’s a grand total of $4,500 on the line, with $1,000 each awarded to the top finisher in the female and male categories.
The standard event challenges participants with a 1.5-km swim, 40-km bike and 10-km run. The sprint triathlon is targeted for participants ages 16 and older, featuring a 750-m swim, 20-km cycle and five-km run.
The sprint triathlon, for individuals and relay teams, is slated to begin at 8 a.m., with the Olympic event getting underway at 8:30 a.m.
With a number of top triathletes in the west expected to participate, there are many records on the line in 2016, many of which were set back in 2008.
The record for fastest sprint by a woman was recorded by Tanya Salomon (1:04:59) in 2008. The fastest spring by a man was set by Trevor Williams (54:32) in 2004. The fastest women’s Olympic time on record belongs to Kerry Spearing (2:03:14), having registered it in 2008. Andrew Russell is the holder of the fastest men’s Olympic time (1:50:32), also set in 2008. Finally, the quickest Olympic relay team on record is “Break a Leg,” featuring Seth Bitting and Ryan Cain (1:57:03) in 2008.
With the event taking place this weekend, registration is well within the last-minute registration phase, meaning it will cost interested participants $130 for the youth sprint, $150 for the adult sprint or $155 for the Olympic event. TriKids registration remains at $55.
Finally, registration for relay teams varies based on team size and event, ranging from $90 to $180.
The annual Gerick Sports Wasa Lake Triathlon is a Triathlon B.C. sanctioned event.