Ironman Canada cancels swim portion shortly before Penticton event

Photo: Visit Penticton - file photo

The entire swimming portion of Sunday morning's Ironman was cut due to cooler water temperatures in Okanagan Lake.

In an update posted to Facebook just before 7 a.m., Ironman Canada announced the decision to cancel the swimming portion of the event. The full Ironman kicked off at about 7:30 a.m.

“We have made the decision to cancel the swim due to the water temperature and regulations upheld by World Triathlon and TriBC,” Ironman Canada said.

The move come just an hour and a half after the organization had announced the swim would be shortened to 900 metres, down from 3.8 kilometres, and that wetsuits would be mandatory. But that step was deemed not far enough, and the entire swim has now been cancelled.

The swim portion of the event was meant to start at the Peach at Penticton's Rotary Beach.

According to rules from World Triathlon and from Triathlon BC, published in 2022 and 2023 respectively, a swim should be cancelled if water temperatures fall below 12 C. Ironman Canada did not include in their post what temperature was recorded in the lake at Rotary Beach Sunday morning.

The air temperature is 13 C in Penticton Sunday morning, after hitting a low of 7.4 C at 5 a.m.

Instead participants are now biking the 180 kilometre loop to Osoyoos and back, along with the 42.2 kilometre run through Penticton.

The cancellation of the swim is likely disappointing for participants, as this will be the last Ironman held in Penticton.

The City of Penticton had signed a five-year contract with Ironman Canada in 2019, announcing the return of the race after eight years away.

But that contract is now up this year, and Ironman Canada announced earlier this summer that it will not be returning. Last year's event was cancelled due to the wildfire in the area.