'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
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.