By the time most Pentictonites mosey out of bed Sunday morning, grab a little breakfast and get ready for the day, 300-plus ridiculously energetic athletes ranging from teenagers to golden agers will have already swam a kilometer and a half, biked 40K and run another ten.
All in the heat of competition.
It's the 40th anniversary of the Peach Classic Triathlon, one of the oldest and most celebrated events of any kind in the Okanagan and one of the most venerated endurance sporting events in the entire province.
And it all begins at 7 am Sunday morning on the northern shores of Penticton, just a few meters west of Rotary Park (near The Peach).
Not only is it the 40th anniversary of the Peach Classic, it’s also the first since an ownership change that unfolded last winter. The first since the old guard, the folks who stewarded it for decades, announced last year they wanted to let it go and move on with their lives.
And when co-owners Steve Brown and Jeff Plant made the announcement, citing among other reasons advancing age, there were plenty of valid questions as to who would -- or could -- replace them.
Then in January the answer came. The Penticton Triathlon Club, a non-profit entity composed of triathletes and the triathlon-obsessed, had come to the rescue.
And now, in less than 24 hours, we get to see how they fare.
The new spokesperson for the event, at least for now, is new Peach Classic race director Brad Sawa, well known in these parts for his involvement with the ultra-endurance event known as Ultraman Canada.
Sawa has nothing but respect for both ownership groups.
"It was Steve Brown's race," he said. "Steve Brown and Jeff Plant and this crew of people who’ve been putting on (endurance) events in Penticton for the past 30, 40 years. They're all getting up there now, and they were looking to pass the torch. And I think they really cared who they passed that torch to.
"They passed it to the right people. I'm super impressed. I'm working with all these people from the community who aren't paid to do what they're doing, and they work so hard. They do so much extra, like the beer garden, like food trucks. And it's all for the benefit of the racers."
Sawa points to Jean King, who with hubby and famed race announcer Steve King has been a fixture at events just like this for a quarter century or more.
"It's wonderful seeing the returning volunteers," he said. "Like Jean King. She's a volunteer coordinator. She's been doing it for 30 years. It's such a well-oiled machine."
According to Sawa, this year's Peach Classic is currently "hovering around 300 (registrants)." To get more specific, the "Sprint"-distance event (a shorter race run simultaneously with the regular triathlon ) is sold right out. And there's just a couple dozen tix left for the latter.
"A large number have come in over just the past few weeks," said Sawa. "And I think we've had 20 or more in just the past 24 hours."
Among the registrants, added Sawa, are local triathlete stars Jen Annett and Jeff Symonds.
Vehicular traffic in the area of the event will be impacted. According to a Wednesday City of Penticton announcement, "This one-day event requires a road closure on Lakeshore Drive in the morning, with cyclists and runners sharing the road for the majority of the event between Penticton and Naramata. Anyone driving in the area Sunday morning is advised to slow down, watch for flaggers and allow extra time, should traffic need to be stopped briefly."
More specifically, Lakeshore Drive between Riverside Drive and Winnipeg Street will be closed from 6 am until 9 am. The stretch of Lakeshore Drive between Winnipeg Street and Front Street will be closed starting at 6 and will reopen in waves, with the last section between Winnipeg and Martin reopening at 12:10 p.m.
Anyone wanting to witness the start of the event -- an undeniably awesome spectacle that sees as many spectators, family and friends crowding the boardwalk as there are athletes on the beach and in the water, is advised to shoot for an arrival of 6:30 am to get a good viewing spot.
For more info on the Peach Classic Triathlon, head here.
