'This is the big show': Fans allowed in the stands at World Triathlon Championship in Edmonton
Organizers at the World Triathlon Championship are excited to be able to welcome spectators at the event in Edmonton later this summer.
The championship and other events will take place August 20-22 at Hawrelak Park.
The event will not only feature world-class racing but include community events for all ages, including a kids’ splash and dash, an open water swim, American Ninja Warrior, corporate triathlon, and open amateur triathlon.
In addition, the Edmonton Urban Cycling Fondo community bike race will take place on a closed course. Participants will enjoy a route travelling through the river valley and have a variety of distance options.
Stephen Bourdeau, general manager at World Triathlon Edmonton, said the event will have different races and events for anyone and everyone. The main highlight will be the World Triathlon Championship.
Edmonton has typically hosted a world series event, not a finals event.
“This is the big show,” Bourdeau said.
The competition will see about 200 athletes from 40 different countries swim, run, and cycle their way around Hawrelak Park and central Edmonton.
The triathlon was originally scheduled last summer but was delayed due to the pandemic. Originally, organizers had planned to host it as a closed bubble event to ensure athletes could still compete safely.
Bourdeau said while triathlons have still been running in the past eight months, now fans will be able to share in the competition.
“It is huge that we got the news that spectators could come down and watch the event,” he said.
“These are the best athletes in the world. But they have been racing behind a curtain, without that lift and benefit of a crowd. It’s great that we’re able to be the first race in a long time for these athletes to be able to race in front of spectators.”
Seats in grandstands for the elite events will be free but spectators are asked to register in advance. Reservation will be done online, on a first come, first serve and available closer to the event. People will also be able to watch along the course.
“We are ecstatic that Edmontonians, and Albertans, will be able to participate and enjoy.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.