Challenge Penticton

[JagXKR]

Looks like it is overloaded. Been trying for over 40 minutes and the site is bogged down. Next year this should be addressed as the server they are using can not handle this many requests.

[fluffy]

I noticed that too. I was trying to find information on road closures/restrictions (which I did find at the City of Penticton site) but had no luck accessing the Challenge site. I imagine there are a lot of people worldwide trying to keep an eye on this one, and appearances are everything in this day and age.

[Symbonite]

They should use squarespace.com because it could never goes down.

[Captain Awesome]

Well, it is Sunday. May be they're closed on weekends.

[Madhue]

Not impressed with Challenge. Meh. Missing Ironman

[Bunnyhop]

What about Challenge Penticton aren't you impressed with?

[XT225]

I am VERY impressed with the new Challenge race today. It was almost like going back in time to what the Ironman started out to be but then got TOO big and TOO greedy, etc. This was a real family event and the spirit seems to be really showing again. I recall when Ironman said that it would never exceed 1200 entrants (mainly due to safety concerns); then it went to 2000; again more and more; then almost 3000. Too many, too dangerous and not the way it was intended to be. I believe we had 800 single entrants and 1400 or so in total with relay events. Good job folks! The website had a few problems but once it was up and running again it went very smoothly and worked well.

[Madhue]

Challenge seems like just another race in a small town.
It has little energy, almost not build up. Heck if I don't know it was on I wouldn't have known it was going on.
Ironman was electric! Challenge... Well seems dull, don't get wrong I'm glad to see so many locals enjoying the chance to participate but it's not putting Penticton on the map.
We've traded the Super Bowl for a backyard flag football game.

[nepal]

The first North America Challenge Penticton was impressive and great community spirit! I heard several glowing comments from international participants. Also, the weather was almost perfect. This is a great start and it will continue to grow, as a premium event.

[pentona]

I, too, think that the new Challenge race was excellent. Ironman got too big; too fast and seemed greedy; no wonder the city dumped them. Some of the Iron athletes seemed to show a real "attitude" and I never saw one instance of that with the new event. Good going Penticton; ya done good!

[Anonymous123]

The race should be moved to one or two weekends prior to Ironman. This would allow the Ironman participants to use the Challenge competition as a precursor to Ironman.

[fluffy]

That would certainly be a route to consider, the Ironman Whistler event is a "qualifier" for the grandaddy of them all, the Hawaii Ironman. Competitors will pass up on Penticton's challenge race in favor of the Ironman. It sure looked like a move of pure spite for the WTC to schedule Ironman Whistler on the same weekend as Challenge Penticton.

I'm also interested in seeing what sort of reviews this weekend's Challenge race will get on the international stage, we were under the microscope for this race by some prominent journalists in the triathalon community.

[XT225]

The race should be moved to one or two weekends prior to Ironman. This would allow the Ironman participants to use the Challenge competition as a precursor to Ironman.

Ironman Canada 2014 in Whistler will be July 27th; Challenge Penticton is August 24th. Not enough time in between the two, if you ask me. Few participants would be physically able to do both. However, Ironman Whistler MIGHT leave enough time in between to allow someone to enter Ironman Hawaii (the big one). We are better off to forget Ironman and concentrate on the Challenge circuit. This is only the FIRST location in North America and surely won't be the last.

[Madhue]

I, too, think that the new Challenge race was excellent. Ironman got too big; too fast and seemed greedy; no wonder the city dumped them. Some of the Iron athletes seemed to show a real "attitude" and I never saw one instance of that with the new event. Good going Penticton; ya done good!

Too big !! Too fast?!???
You mean grew in like 20+ years to be an event that 4 cities in BC would fight to have vs an event half the size with 1/4 of the energy. I don't think it was Ironman that was greedy but the city of Penticton.
Now we have less tourists visiting, with more locals participating.
You don't need a calculator for this one.
We can pat ourselves on the back about the success of a mediocre accomplishment, of a mediocre event, in what will soon be labeled a mediocre town. It's shameful.
What happens to ambition folks? Losing Ironman was a huge loss.

[FSmith59]

Too big !! Too fast?!???
You mean grew in like 20+ years to be an event that 4 cities in BC would fight to have vs an event half the size with 1/4 of the energy. I don't think it was Ironman that was greedy but the city of Penticton.
Now we have less tourists visiting, with more locals participating.
You don't need a calculator for this one.
We can pat ourselves on the back about the success of a mediocre accomplishment, of a mediocre event, in what will soon be labeled a mediocre town. It's shameful.
What happens to ambition folks? Losing Ironman was a huge loss.

Penticton hosting a triathlon is not a new event. It is simpy a new organizer with a different concept. Challenge has had great success in Europe. This, being the first Challenge in North America, was successful.

This was the first year and it did happen on the same weekend as our "old" Ironman event in Whistler. When we first hosted the Ironman, it also had much smaller numbers than expected by the pessimists. But it turned out to be great, and it obviously satisfied people like you, and your expectations. Challenge will prove the same.

This Challenge event is much more family oriented and the relay part is a great concept. This event will grow to "Ironman" numbers within a few short years.

Next year, the Challenge Penticton race, and Ironman Whistler, are a month apart. I guarantee you will see a significant increase, in participants, in next years field.