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New record may be set at gruelling Ultraman Canada in South Okanagan

Top three in the standings of 3-day endurance race are all female

Ultraman Canada may have set a new record this Sunday in Summerland.

The first three in the standings are women which is an Ultraman first. The first woman had been running for seven hours and 45 minutes, said a volunteer with the race.

It takes a certain type of person to enrol in an endurance sport that has you swimming, biking and running great lengths. Only 22 competed in this year’s competition.

Fighting temperatures upwards of 29 C each day, athletes of the three-day multi-sport Ultraman race arrived at the finish line at Memorial Park in Summerland on Sunday afternoon after coming down the hills of the old Princeton-Summerland Highway. The three-day multi-sport race took place over three days and spanned five different towns and cities from July 22 to 24.

On day one, competitors do a 10-kilometre swim starting at Manitou Park beach in Naramata followed by a 145-km bike ride on day one, a 275-km bike ride on day two through Oliver and Osoyoos, and an 84.4-km double-marathon to finish the competition.

Third competitor to come through the finish line. (Holly Dunlop Facebook)
Third competitor to come through the finish line. (Holly Dunlop Facebook)

The first Ultraman Canada took place in Penticton, in 1993 with eight participants and Tom Price as the winner. In years since only 211 participants (158 male / 53 female) have successfully completed the Canadian version of the three-day challenge.

Under Race Director (and 3 time Ultraman finisher) Brad Sawa Ultraman Canada returned to Penticton in July of 2019 after a four-year hiatus. Impressed with the success of the race and the positive feedback from the competitors, Jane Bockus and the Ultraman board of directors agreed to grant a new five-year Ultraman Canada license to the pair ensuring the longevity of this event.

Ultraman Canada is now part of four official and licensed events worldwide. Ultraman Canada, Ultraman Florida and, more recently, Ultraman Arizona. Which means, to be considered for the Ultraman World Championships in Hawaii you must be an official finisher of these listed events.

To see the results go to the Ultraman Canada webpage.

And if one ultra endurance race wasn’t enough for Penticton, competitors do it all over again next weekend, B.C. long weekend for the Ultra520 which goes through OK Falls and Penticton July 30, 31 and Aug. 1.

READ MORE: Ultraman sets new swim record



Monique Tamminga

About the Author: Monique Tamminga

Monique brings 20 years of award-winning journalism experience to the role of editor at the Penticton Western News. Of those years, 17 were spent working as a senior reporter and acting editor with the Langley Advance Times.
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