IRONMAN Canada has released the new course map for this year’s inaugural IRONMAN Canada race in Whistler. Canada’s top mountain resort won the rights to IRONMAN Canada after Penticton decided not to renew its contract with IRONMAN Canada and move in a different direction.
At 140.6 miles, the new IRONMAN Canada Whistler course is broken into three triathlon sections: 2.4-mile swims in Alta Lake, a 112-mile bike ride thru Whistler along the Sea-to-Sky Highway, and finally capped off with a 26.2 mile run thru Whistler’s Valley Trail and along the Sea-to-Sky Highway.
The swim course for IRONMAN Canada in Whistler consists of two-loops around Alta Lake at Rainbow Park, one of the more scenic summer areas in the mountain resort. In late August, Alta Lake has an average temperature around 67 to 72 degrees Fahreneit (19 to 22 degrees Celsius), making for a perfect summer swim.
IRONMAN Canada Bike Course Challenges Triathletes on Sea-to-Sky Highway.
After an early morning swim in the waters of Whistler’s Alta Lake, the IRONMAN Canada bike course will take participants on a single-looped course that stretches from the Callaghan Valley up to Pemberton. Riders will ride 112 miles on a one-loop course that is being described as comparable to other IRONMAN Canada venues. The bike course starts off heading south along the Sea-to-Sky Highway, before turning up into the Callaghan Valley for a more difficult challenge reaching a max elevation of 2890 feet.
After reaching the max elevation early in the race, riders will then enjoy a nice descending route back to the Sea-to-Sky Highway and thru Whistler before embarking on a final climb into Pemberton and looping back to into Whistler for their second transition at Whistler Olympic Park.
To complete the majestic mountainous IRONMAN Canada race, the 26.2 mile run course will feature two loops of Whistler’s winding Valley Trail before passing Lost Lake and Green Lake below the Sea-to-Sky Highway. As a benefit to the racers, the two loop race allows participants to reinvigorate themselves off the energy from family, friends, and other IRONMAN Canada spectators as they run through Whistler Village and Whistler Olympic Plaza back out to Lost Lake and Green Lake.
The 140.6 mile Whistler triathlon finishes back at Whistler’s Olympic Plaza surrounded by family, friends, spectators, and the amazing beauty of Whistler’s mountain resort.
While some IRONMAN Canada triathletes may not be a fan of looped courses, the scenic views that Whistler offers cannot be matched as you swim, ride, and run through surrounding mountains and glaciers in North America’s top ski resort. With nearly 6 months to go before the inaugural Whistler IRONMAN Canada race, vacation rentals in Whistler are going fast for those that are bringing their family and friends along. Now is a great to plan training sessions on the recently announced inaugural IRONMAN Canada course in Whistler.