The annual summer sporting event that was synonymous with the City of Penticton for decades will have its final iteration later this summer as Ironman Canada announced Tuesday that this yearsa国际传媒 event in August will be its final one.
Ironman Canada was held in Penticton from 1983 through 2012.
There was shock in the community when the event and corporation moved the event to Whistler in 2013. It was replaced with a series of other events, including the Challenge Family series, which never came close to reaching the popularity and impact of Ironman.
Shortly after being elected in 2018, then Mayor John Vassalaki announced Ironman was returning to Penticton. However, it was only held once since then due to various cancellations caused by the worldwide pandemic and smoke from nearby wildfires.
Last yearsa国际传媒 event was cancelled only a couple of weeks before the scheduled race weekend in late August due to dangerous levels of smoke caused by wildfires sweeping across the province.
Current Mayor Julius Bloomfield said while hesa国际传媒 disappointed Ironman will be leaving Penticton for Ottawa starting in 2025, his goal is to ensure the 2024 event in August is a roaring success
鈥淲hile the decision of Ironman Canada to cancel its contract is disappointing, we will make sure the dedicated athletes and support teams enjoy the full Penticton experience this August,鈥 Bloomfield said in a statement.
鈥淲hat makes our community a destination for major events is not only our unique geography but the people who rally to provide an unmatched atmosphere. The Penticton spirit has made this event and many others memorable over the years.鈥
This yearsa国际传媒 event will be held on Sunday, Aug. 25.
Organizers with Ironman Canada said making the decision to leave Penticton and move to Ottawa was not an easy one.
We are grateful for the wonderful partners that we have in Penticton for hosting and helping to build the legacy of Ironman Canada triathlon into one of our longest-running and most popular events,鈥 said Keats McGonigal, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of North America for The Ironman Group. 鈥淲ith over 30 years of history, all who have participated in one of the iconic Ironman Canada triathlons, either in Penticton or Whistler, can attest to what an amazing experience this captivating event has offered since it was first introduced in 1983. We cherish the memories that have been created and look forward to building on those with our athletes and amazing community of volunteers in Penticton this August as we celebrate the important role the city and its people have played in Ironman history.鈥
Limited registration for both events are available by visiting and .
In 2025, Canada’s Capital city of Ottawa will take over as host for the iconic Ironman Canada brand, with the new event making its debut in front of Canada’s Parliament on Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. For more information on the 2025 Ironman Canada-Ottawa triathlon, part of the VinFast IRONMAN North America Series, visit .
For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit . Media inquiries may be directed to press@ironman.com.
Ironman Ottawa will make its debut in front of Canadasa国际传媒 Parliament buildings on Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025.
Retired city councillor Judy Sentes said she was heartbroken to hear the news Tuesday morning that Ironman was leaving Penticton once again.
鈥淚tsa国际传媒 the end of an era,鈥 said Sentes. 鈥淚 was very involved with this event for many many years as president of the Ironman Canada Race Society. We were responsible for organizing and putting on that race.
鈥淭he community here in Penticton is legendary through Ironman and the triathlon world for the hospitality that we showed, the absolute beauty of our course was iconic and remains iconic.鈥
The fact the event was an unqualified success every single year between 1983 and 2012 clearly shows that Penticton and Ironman will remain synonymous for many years to come, said Sentes.
鈥淚 believed in Ironman and that it was an engine driver, an economic driver for the city,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t worked so well for so long. We had 4,000 volunteers at one time, which was just unheard of. It was amazing.鈥
For hundreds of competitors, Penticton also became well known for having huge amounts of racers stay in the homes of local families during the event, she said.
鈥淲e had so many home stays,鈥 she said. 鈥淧eople opened up their homes to accept strangers. We had people at our aid stations, from families to friends to service clubs and there was actually a contest to see who could do more for the triathletes once they arrived in Penticton.鈥
Sentes said she personally met hundreds if not thousands of competitors who told her that Penticton was their favourite Ironman event anywhere in the world.
鈥淚t just makes me sad,鈥 she said.
鈥淚t is the end of an era.鈥
Sentes wouldn鈥檛 speculate about why Ironman Canada executives have decided to move out of Penticton and move to Ottawa.
鈥淚 just don鈥檛 know and I don鈥檛 want to speculate,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he way we did it was a success accomplished on the backs of a whole lot of volunteers. But itsa国际传媒 changed. The world is always changing and itsa国际传媒 not what we knew all those years. Itsa国际传媒 different now.鈥
