In 2020 the COVID pandemic forced the Gerick Sports Wasa Triathlon to first postpone and then altogether cancel the event, but this year organizers are back at it and planning for a two day triathlon scheduled for August 14 and 15.
READ MORE: Wasa Triathlon rescheduled for August
READ MORE: Gerick Sports Wasa Triathlon committee is going ahead with planning 2021 event
“What a literal wild ride the past year has been, all thanks to COVID,” the committee said in a press release. “We have all had a lesson or two on adversity and adapting. With that in mind, we are excited to be in the trenches planning for August– two days of thrilling events!”
This year will consist of two days of events, tailored to suit everyone across all age groups and skill levels. It will begin with pancake brunch of Saturday, Aug. 14 followed by a sprint distance triathlon and duathlon and a warrior sprint. Saturday afternoon is dedicated to the trikids.
On Sunday there will be the standard distance triathlon and duathlon, standard teams, warrior standard and a barbecue lunch for all Sunday participants will be provided.
There are some changes for this year, including of course the 2021 dates, as the event has been adapted to abide by the mandates of the Provincial Health Officer, though the committee said the quality and high standard of the event will remain the same.
READ MORE: Sun shines on the Wasa Triathlon
This year there will be several wave starts rather than mass starts, with each wave having a separate arrival time. There will also not be any live meetings this year, these will be replaced with a virtual pre-race meeting. There will also be no medal ceremonies this year and no spectators. Organizers say the best way to spectate is to volunteer.
The only exception to this is for the trikids, who will be allowed to have a parent their to support them.
The pick-up location for race bags has been moved to Cranbrook and meals will be served to-go.
“We would like to acknowledge and thank BC Parks and EK Parks for working with us and allowing the event to occur during their peak season vs shoulder season,” the committee said. “In doing so, we will be taking measures to ensure the events’ impact will be reduced as much as possible on the park’s recreational/tourism activities.”
In order to ensure a safer event and accommodate water sport activities in August, the swimming component will be moved to the small north bay of Wasa Lake.
Having to move the event to August has posed several hurdles to the committee, including having a smaller group of organizers and less time to do it, meaning they have several roles needing to be filled and less time to recruit volunteers.
If you’re interested in taking on a role on the committee or as a course captain/coordinator, you aren’t required to live in Kimberley, but they ask that applicants are reliable, safety conscious, detail oriented, have basic leadership skills and can work with the event committee virtually.
General volunteer roles will open up online on July 5 on their website at http://www.rmevents.com/triathlon/
You can also find information on registering for the event at the same link. Organizers say that due to 2020 participants having their registration roll over into the 2021 events. there will be limited registration numbers and they expect to fill up quickly.
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