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It was officially announced in July of 2019, but it wasn't 'til this past Sunday that the giant known as Ironman Canada finally returned to its Penticton birthplace.
And if the reception was any indication -- not just at the start/finish line but across the entire course -- it'll be a long time before it leaves the South Okanagan.
The crowd gathered early Sunday morning at Rotary Beach for the 6:50 am kick-off of the 3.8-kilometer swim, the first discipline of the event.
The promenade to the west of the start chute and the beach to the north were already lined several deep a half hour early, and if you weren’t there by then chances are you had to push folks aside for a decent view.
And if you didn’t wear a warm jacket, chances are you were shivering. The temperature Saturday night had dropped into the single digits for the first time in several weeks.
But the wind was light and the skies were clear. And as the morning wore on and the temps rose into the 20s, it was easy to see that this would be a good day for racing.
It would be calm and warm, but not scorching as Penticton can be in late August and bereft of the rough water and tough winds of the day before.
According to Monday's Ironman press release, approximately 1,500 athletes took part in the event.
But it didn’t take long on the bike leg for one of them to separate himself entirely from the pack.
His name is Jeff Symonds and if you happened to be watching the race from the southern reaches of the course, you saw ample early proof of his dominance.
His lead as he passed the service station at the intersection of Hwy 3 and 3A in Keremeos -- effectively the bike turnaround point -- was approximately 15 minutes. That's pretty impressive stuff.
A quarter-hour behind Symonds in Keremeos was 29-year-old Cory Mayfield of Pasadena, California, who maintained a two-minute gap on third place, 22-year-old youngster Jameson Plewes of Brandon Manitoba.
Those positions would not change for the remainder of the day.
Local fave Symonds would gradually extend his lead even further by the end of the bike leg, then watch some of it slip away on the run.
Ultimately, he crossed the finish line with a commanding 21-minute margin over Mayfield, who finished almost six minutes up on Plewes.
Symonds is, however, a pro triathlete. He went into the event knowing his results wouldn’t officially count. But he competed anyway because he's always wanted to enter an Ironman in his hometown.
"It was a good swim today," said a happy Symonds later. "I got out of the water and got a jump on them in transition. And I didn't look back. I took what the course gave me and pushed it."
Symonds admitted he "kind of blew up" during the run, blaming himself for "over-biking" earlier. But he added that local knoweldge was a big plus over the course of the day, particularly on the bike.
As for the lack of pro competition and the unofficial final result, he maintained that racing the clock is ample motivation.
"There's was nothing on the line really today," he said, "but the beauty of this sport is that the longer you go, the more it is you against the sport. And there were some good guys out there today."
Symonds now heads back to classes in Kelowna. He wants to be a teacher -- Social Studies or PhysEd.
"I'm thinking middle school," he said. "There are probably more lucrative careers, but really what's rewarding for me is to make a difference."
The male age group winner and the first non-pro to cross the line, Mayfield, studying to be an orthopedic surgeon, gave huge props after his victory to the region and the event.
"I've heard so much about this race," he said. "It's one of the legendary Ironman races.
"And it was legendary. The swim was beautiful, the bike was actually unbelievable -- the scenery was perfect -- and the run and the crowd was incredible. I think the community here knows how to do Ironman right."
Mayfield, amongst many athletes we spoke with Sunday, picked up on something PentictonNow also noticed -- the number of people throughout the South Okanagan who came to their front yards or nearest gathering point or nearest tough climb -- to acknowledge the competitors.
We met up with spirited groups along Hwy 3 in Cawston, outside fruit stands in Keremeos, on the tough climb toward Yellow Lake, and after the short but brutal hill at Twin Lakes Golf Course.
Many brought homemade signs. Others brought noisemakers. And they were all there to scream their lungs out.
"People came out and sat on their lawn and cheered us," said Mayfield. "There were groups on just about every climb. I was riding alone for about 95 miles, so it was great to have some cheering."
On the womens' side it was Jessica Cullen from Waterloo, Ontario taking top honours, and doing so in style, hitting the tape in 10:08:05. As on the men's side, the margin of victory was nearly 21 minutes.
It was Cullen's fourth lifetime Ironman, having competed at Lake Placid, Wisconsin and Florida before Ironman Canada.
"It's beautiful out here," she said when asked what brought her out west. "I prefer hilly races, so this is my thing. It's hilly, but it's still pretty fast."
Cullen said she signed up for the event during the pandemic in 2020, hoping it would eventually go ahead that year. When that didn't happen, she, like so many others, crossed their fingers for '21. Then '22.
"It felt amazing," she said, adding that she didn’t ride or drive the course at all before engaging it for real on race day.
"It helps to have the right coach, who's also my husband," she laughed, nodding to her hubby a few feet away.
With the result, Cullen qualifies for the Ironman World Championship this October in Hawaii.
In the womens' runner-up position was Christina Charles of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, five minutes ahead of Kelowna triathlete Cailla Patterson.
All in all, it was a pretty good day for Penticton. There was pro racer Jeff Symonds up front but unofficial, and just a bit back there were notable locals like Dave Matheson (the first to sign up for the event in 2019) and Kevin Cutjar.
Matheson, at 50 years of age, finished 18th overall. Cutjar, six years older, came home two and a half minutes later in 20th. Both were 1st in their respective age groups, and both got big receptions at the finish line.
Speaking of locals, it's hard not to mention announcing legend Steve King. King called the swim in the morning and was later stationed outside the SS Sicamous for the run. And as always, he informed and entertained as only Steve King can.
We'd love to see him in the main booth, but we'll take what we can get.
For race director Susie Ernsting, the grand return of Ironman Canada to Penticton was "everything I hoped for."
"It's been three years in the planning," she said. "And there have been a lot of false starts. So it's been tough for the athletes. I put my heart and soul into this and to see it all come together, and to some how much the community has come out today, is phenomenal."
Ernsting knows of what she speaks when it comes to endurance athletes. She's an Ironman herself, having competed in the Canadian event in 2010 and Coeur D'Alene in 2012 before having a couple of kids and re-setting for a 70.3 (half) Ironman earlier this year and the Ironman 70.3 World Championship this October in St. George, Utah.
"People are so passionate," she continued. "I think a lot of people have either experienced Penticton and what Ironman was, or heard stories about it and had to experience it.
"I'm thrilled. I'm just thrilled."