By Fredrick D’Anterny

A WEEKEND OF FEELING PROUD AND GOING BEYOND

On Sunday, August 19, Mont-Tremblant will welcome – for a seventh consecutive year – the Ironman triathlon, run in thirteen North American cities, but only in three in Canada. It’s a challenge for the courageous athletes from 57 countries: a 3.8 kilometre swim, 180 kilometres biking and 42.2 kilometres running. All this in a maximum time of seventeen hours. This year, close to 2800 athletes will start.

The 2018 version will host an exclusive pilot project for Mont-Tremblant, unique on the North-American circuit. Thirty relay teams will hit the starting line with headliners such as comedian Maxim Martin and actors Sébastien Delorme and Patrice Godin, who will all be part of the SPM team.

The first section of the event will start from the golden sands of the Beach and Tennis Club. Participants will then undertake 180 kilometres on their bikes. The last section – the marathon run – will take them along the P’tit Train du Nord trail and end up in the Tremblant pedestrian village.

And for the kids…

Two races, the Ironkids, one and five kilometres in length respectively, will again this year welcome the children of the athletes and those from area day camps. Each young participant will receive their bib and a participation medal.

Three donations to the community

You may remember that in 2017, the Ironman Foundation inaugurated the training route with its 90-kilometre cycling path. Earlier, it had contributed to the training centre at the Mont-Tremblant Aquatic Complex. This year, the Foundation has given the Ville a large wooden footbridge, 30 feet wide, placed at the new exit point of the Ironman swim at the corner of rue Lachapelle and rue Curé Deslauriers. In addition to shortening the distance for participants from the swim exit point to the transition zone, it will provide visitors and Tremblant residents with a structure from which to observe birds and wildlife.

Happy birthday

Created in 1978 in Hawaii by a US Navy commander, this triathlon – which has become world-famous – celebrates its 40th birthday this year. The event motto, “Anything is possible”, has not aged by a nanosecond. The challenges to be faced are enormous and the desire to surpass and to become an Ironman is as strong as ever.