Dave.....please remove your WTC rose coloured glasses.....The WTC would not commit to Penticton long term, calling it "their business decision".....Penticton made their own business decision and went with Challenge.....WTC is free to organise an IMC race anywhere they want, any city the want, on any day they want....Even the most ra-ra Challenge advocate understands this, but please CP misinformation ??.......This issue about comments made in Kelowna was reported on this thread by someone that is pro Kelowna for the IMC. The reasons/source of these comments are not forthcoming, only the City of Kelowna's denial, understandably they do not want to be seen as the source....the city said something, not WTC (read into that what you will, but I find it odd that it wasn't a joint statement)

The Challenge race will go ahead, I would say it is a done deal that IMC will never be held in Penticton again, that bridge is long gone......IMC will be restarted somewhere else....someone hoping that the CP is a success, doesn't mean someone is anti IMC, but it would seem that you have an issue with anyone that remotely likes the idea of CP.............you need to get over it.

I hope that both CP and IMC are successful races, giving me as an athlete choice.......but we will all see if the WTC has the remotest idea of what is best for the sport of Triathlon, its legacy, its future, or is it going to be a pure business decision, and screw what everyone else thinks when it chooses the location and date of the new IMC.

Dave, I am not "nasty" about IMC....I'm just nasty about what happened to one of the greatest Iron distance races in the world, the great Ironman Canada.....The race was driven down into the gutter by the WTC, from being a premier event, to one that was an afterthought....The WTC started another Race on the same damn day in Louisville, stripped IMC of its Pro Prize money, stripped its Kona spots, and prevented local business from benefitting from the event....I am not blind to these facts, just because it was a WTC run event, doesn't make it the best event for Penticton.

Will I race the new IMC, absolutely, if it is not in Kelowna, on the same day, as then frankly I hope it sucks the big one.....will I race CP, absolutely its not the first time the race has had a new name....It was there before the WTC, it will be there after the WTC has gone off to a new buyer. I'm not against any Iron distance race, I just want what is best for the sport, and its not currently the WTC.


I really think this is more than a WTC/Challenge battle for holding races, it is more for the soul of our sport, a soul that WTC does not care for, it only cares for the $$$...hence trying to place an event on the same day, 60km's away.[/quote
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We agree on that neither of us will race Kelowna on the same day as Penticton Challenge ... we both agree that would be obnoxious and not right.
I think it was sad for all of us to lose Penticton IMC .... we don't see the cause though because I think BOTH parties were responsible... not just WTC. I hope Whistler is the choice... because it really will be epic and I want to go there ..... I would have been back in 2013 for IMC Penticton!
Best regards,
Dave

Hey Maurice - likley true - WTC and Challlenge are competing for turf - we the athletes will have to vote with our entry fees. I am all for the competition and I think that Challenge - just like Rev 3 are good for us all. It will help grow the sport and offer us choice. if anything I think going head to head is mistake for WTC - the gaul of it would make me want to do the challenge race just for the fun of it

Say hi to Clint for me!!

Reported elsewhere on this forum, the WTC is contracting in Europe with IM Regensbourg , IM 70.3's Ireland (Galway), and Antwerp, all cancelled for 2013. This on Top of IM St George being downsized to a 70.3, depsite over 1780 registrants

Surely somewhere in the WTC headquarters, there is a little voice saying "Are we doing something wrong, what are our custoimers, the athletes saying ?"

No "real" long distance Triathlete wants to see any IM event fail, but if the WTC cannot see/hear the growing discontent/complaints from athletes, the bottom line $$ will not only get impacted, the whole IM brand could be threatened, if its not seen as profitable in the future, with limited if any growth, who would buy it ?.........too big to fail ?....there won't be a Govt bailout for Triathlon......Come on WTC get athlete friendly, find the soul of the sport. Please do what is right for triathlon, forget this issue with CP, and place IMC in a place and time where it can be the best IMC possible, for the athlete.

So i guess the odds of kelowna getting the ironman must be about 300 to 1 then....?

It takes two to tango....
that said it was the WTC that wouldn't commit to Penticton long term, when asked the WTC only said it is a business decision and will deal with it when the time comes.

To me at least that is a slap in the face considering Penticton's history. Penticton has been a great partner and deserved a commitment from the WTC.

WTC has done a great job branding the product and has done a great job for the most part but they have slipped a considerable amount in the last few years. I have been around 1st as a fan then a participant since the very 1st IMC so this isn't an off the cuff comment/observation.

WTC has a choice on how to proceed and many will judge the WTC on their actions.

Even ardent WTC supporters will view Kelowna on the same day as Penticton's Challenge as a bullying tactic and not as an advancement of the sport or with athletes in mind.

I am encouraged by the ground swell of support Penticton is receiving and hope the citizens of the South Okanagan will be rewarded for the decades of effort put forth ensuring a great race for all.

I know that you said "that said" after the two to tango, but the other partner in the dance also made a very visible strictly "business decision" and *you* can really make the same exact statement above but substitute Penticon in place of WTC. As they went for the most money, they are also slapping the history in the face, could have continued onwards with their commitment, that had the same choice in how to proceed, etc

We really do not know what the reasoning was over the years of people's opinions on their quote/unquote devaluing IMC, but you would have to assume the decision were thought-out in reducing KQ, placing Louisville on the same date, etc

The thing is when when I go back to race Challenge Penticton in my mind this will be my 4th time finishing Ironman Canada.

For me as long as there is an Ironman distance race in Penticton it will be Ironman Canada.