There is still time for athletes to race in the Wasa Triathlon.
The race is taking place June 10 and 11. The regular deadline is May 15 but late registrations will be accepted for an additional fee.
Hundreds of amateur and elite triathletes will compete in this swim-bike-run event in Wasa Lake Provincial Park north of Cranbrook.
Elite athletes will compete for $4,500 in prize money, which will be divided equally between female and male competitors. All participants will receive a BBQ lunch, finish line food, competitor shirt, swim cap, race bib, electronic timing, awards and draw prizes.
Competitors will swim loops of the lake starting from the Horseshoe Bay beach. They’ll cycle through the Canadian Rockies and along the Kootenay River heading south toward the Heritage Town of Fort Steele.
Participants can register to compete solo or in teams and can choose between competing in a standard distance triathlon or a sprint triathlon.
The standard triathlon will have athletes completing a 1.5 kilometre swim, a 40 kilometre bike ride and a 10 kilometre run. The sprint is half the length of the standard triathlon and is designed for those looking to run a shorter race.
Relay teams can compete in both the standard and sprint triathlons. The minimum age of each participant is 18-years-old for the standard and 16-years-old for the sprint. Top teams in each category in both the standard and sprint events will be recognized with awards.
Clubs from across Canada and the U.S. will be competing against each other to earn bragging rights as the fastest club at Wasa. Results will be based on the lowest total time for the top five triathletes, at least two of whom will be women. On top of the traditional three person relay team, participants can also race in teams of two athletes.
In past years, competitors have posted some blistering times at Wasa but none has broken a course record since 2008. The woman’s record is held by Tanya Salomon, who completed the course in 1:04:59 in 2008. Trevor Williams holds the men’s record of 54:32, which he posted in 2004.
The Wasa Triathlon bills itself as one of the most family-friendly festival weekends in Western Canada.
Triathletes aged four to 15 years old are invited to compete in the Trikids triathlon event. There will be six different races for various age categories. Young competitors will receive the same race experience as their adult counterparts including encouragement from announcer Steve King, drink stations, a catered lunch and a t-shirt.
Sign up by Monday, May 15 at 11:59 to avoid paying the late fee. For more info, click here.