We hope everyone is looking forward to springtime and a return to warmer weather, dry roads as well as enjoying more time outdoors.
When we canceled the Triathlon Series in June of last year we certainly hoped we would be back to “racing as normal” in 2021 however, there is still more progress that needs to be made. We have all made significant sacrifices and given-up a great deal over this past year. By continuing to make the best possible choices in the coming months, in-person events stand the best chance of returning.
There is hope on the horizon as vaccines are being rolled out around the province. Having said that, we strongly believe that gathering limits and social distancing measures will still be required throughout the summer.
To give a bit more background on gathering limits, if an area is in either the GREEN, YELLOW or ORANGE Zones, only 100 Participants are permitted to attend organized OUTDOOR public events hosted by event companies like Multisport Canada. These gathering limits are out of our control and we must abide by them. To learn more about the provincial framework – click HERE.
Should larger gatherings be permitted later in the summer, we have plans in place to return our event to their normal formats although we feel this is very unlikely.
So what MIGHT summer 2021 look like?
Virtual Triathlons and Duathlons - Launching This Week
There will be two virtual events named after races in the series and will feature:
• Race Specific Medal and T-Shirts
• Sponsors e-Coupon basket
• Online Kick-Off Event and Post Event Draw Prizes
• All for Only $50 (plus tax and processing)
Lakeside – Sat June 5th to Sun June 20th
• Give-It-A-Tri or Du-A-Du
• Sprint Triathlon or Sprint Duathlon
• Olympic Triathlon or International Distance Duathlon
K-Town - Sat July 3rd to Sun July 18th
• Short Course Triathlon and Duathlon
• Long Course Triathlon and Long Course Bike Run
Modified Triathlon (In-Person) Events
Please note that we will NOT launch registration for our modified Triathlons until we are confident that the events can be held.
All Modified Triathlons will be organized as follows:
• Each day will be split into multiple cohorts.
• Each cohort will be a maximum of 100 people
• Each cohort will have a separate start throughout the day
• One-at-a-Time Swim or Run Starts
• Online Pre-Event Briefing and Post-Event Draw Prizes
• Extensive hygiene and safety protocols
• Spread-out Race Sites to allow for Social Distancing
Welland – Fri June 25th to Sun June 27th
• Swim in the calm waters of the Welland Recreational Waterway
• Closed Bike Course on Canal Bank Street
• Run on the Paved Pathways along the Recreational Waterway
• Three (3) Cohort start times per day
Bracebridge – Fri July 23rd to Sun July 25th
• Swim in the Muskoka River
• Bike on Santa’s Village Rd
• Run alongside the Muskoka River
• Two (2) Cohort start times per day
Toronto Island – Fri Aug 20th to Aug 22nd
• Swim from Hanlan’s Point Beach
• Bike and Run on the quiet West side of Toronto Island
• Two (2) Cohort start times per day
Next Steps
We will be sending out emails over the course of the next week to all those who deferred their 2020 entries, including instructions on how to use your event credit for our 2021 events.
We remain hopeful at the prospects of hosting our Modified Triathlons as they fit within the provincial framework for areas in Green, Yellow or Orange.
However, in the unlikely event that our areas stay in Red or Grey and our Modified Triathlons are NOT are permitted to occur, ALL events this summer will be hosted Virtually.
We will look to provide another update in mid-April. Until then, keep training and stay safe.
We are looking forward to seeing everyone this summer,
Jason Vurma, John Salt, Joseph Park and the MultiSport Canada Team
