I came out from BC and raced the Oly distance this year. You are correct in that Dows Lake is a mud hole. Race morning the swim was cancelled due to the bacteria count being too high.
They changed it to a duathlon. I understand that it was ok the next day for the sprint race.
I would have to say that even if the bacteria count has acceptable that lake is really unappealing to swim in, and I was thankful I had all my vaccinations up to date.
On the other hand the bike course along the canal was one of the nicest courses I have done.
The run was just ok.
Love the city of Ottawa.

Race morning the swim was cancelled due to the bacteria count being too high


My understanding is that the issue with the cancelled swim was a delay in the paper-work and permits. Ounce that was in place - they were good to go with a swim.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I believe Steve's understanding is correct. The source of water is the Rideau River on which Mooney's Bay is located a couple of miles away. Tons of people swim in Mooney's Bay and the water quality there is only an issue if there has been significant rainfall, and even then it's a rare occurrence. Having said that, I agree that Dow's lake is an unappealing swim venue.

Thanks for the comments. I think I'll stay on the fence for a little longer - it's nice to have another early season Oly in this part of the world. Of course, Guelph Lake was already scheduled for the same day.

Cheers!

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Munq

I wanted to confirm that the swim issues were indeed the result of a delay in receiving water testing results. I'm part of the local organizing committee for the race, and water quality is of utmost importance to us. The event website has a specific page related to water quality (http://ottawatriathlon.ca/water-quality/) which will be updated as we get closer to race weekend.

We're excited to make triathlon an important part of Ottawa's 2017 celebrations. Sharon Donnelly (2000 Olympian) will be the new race director for the weekend, and we've also taken steps to ensure that all events run more smoothly and provide a better overall experience for athletes and spectators. I'm happy to discuss any specific questions or concerns.

In the meantime, please consider doing the Winterlude Triathlon, which will be the Triathlon Ontario Provincial Championship. The skate will be on Dow's Lake and water quality definitely won't be an issue.

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http://www.bytowntriathlon.com