Looking Forward to 2021 by Jason Vurma

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We begin 2021 with excitement at the prospect of a return to in-person events.  We truly missed seeing everyone last summer and we cannot wait to get back to putting-on your favourite events. 

It’s hard to explain to people what it means to run a “passion” business whose primary goal is to put on great events for their customers.  Some years are better than others, and it goes without saying that 2020 has been our most challenging year to date. 

We are looking forward to this summer and seeing you at the Finish Line. 

Jason Vurma 

President – MultiSport Canada 

 

2021 Series Overview 

We are planning for both modified in-person Triathlons, as well as virtual Triathlons.  These two formats will allow us to remain flexible and adapt to changes as the summer progresses.  We don’t feel that gathering limits will rise above 100 for outdoor events this summer, which is why we have modified our in-person events so profoundly. 

Virtual Triathlons 

We will be hosting both Lakeside and K-Town as virtual Triathlons.  Between these two events, participants will have the option to race ALL distances in our Triathlons or Duathlons.   Lakeside will take place in early June and K-Town will take place in early July.  That will give you plenty of time to train and prepare. 

You will be able to customize your entry based on your needs.  The virtual Triathlons will be priced at $25 with the option to purchase a race-specific medal (limited supply) for an additional $10 and/or a race-specific t-shirt for $15 – both including shipping within Ontario. 

Each event will be hosted over a ten (10) day timeframe and includes a: 

  • Virtual Pre-Race Briefing 
  • Online Results Submission 
  • Finisher’s Certificate 
  • Post-Race Virtual Draw Prizes 

Stay tuned for the launch of Virtual Triathlons in the coming weeks! 

In-Person Triathlons  

We’ve selected the venues where we know we can run a Safe, Fun, and Fair event.  We are planning for at least three (3) modified in-person Triathlons this summer in Welland, in Bracebridge, and on Toronto Island. 

 

To keep everyone spread-out and safe, here are some of the modifications: 

  • Several independent 100-person cohorts each day 
  • Hosted over three (3) to five (5) days (e.g. Fri to Sun) 
  • Individual Starts (e.g. one person every 10-15sec) 
  • Draw Prizes awarded virtually the day following the event 
  • As it is not fair to compare races done on different days and at different times, there will be no formal age-group awards 

Due to the limited capacity of these events, and the increased costs associated with these expanded formats, entry fees will need to increase for 2021.  To give you the flexibility to enter when you feel comfortable, prices will stay fixed throughout the entire season. 

For those interested in learning a bit more about why these decisions were made, please click HERE to watch an interview that our Race Announcer Steve Fleck did with Jason Vurma. 

We will launch registration for our in-person triathlons at a point in time where we feel confident that the event will be to proceed as planned. 

Gravenhurst and Wasaga Beach 

The tentative date for Wasaga Beach is the weekend of Aug 28th & Aug 29th and Gravenhurst is also tentatively scheduled for the weekend of Sept 11th & Sept 12th.  If gathering limits rise sufficiently by the late-summer to host a larger number of participants each day, these two events could be run in a modified format.  We will open registration for both events only when gathering limits rise sufficiently. 

Deferral Update 

If you deferred your 2020 entry, you will have the option to register for both our Virtual Triathlons, as well as our in-person triathlons, BEFORE they are opened-up to the general public. 

To redeem the credit from your 2020 entry, you will be given a registration code that you can use in several ways.  You can use it yourself, or you can transfer it to another person, but please note that this credit MUST be used in the 2021 season. 

In the coming weeks, all the details on how to use your credit will be sent to those that deferred. 

Final Thoughts 

We will be launching our Virtual Triathlons in the next 2–3 weeks, so stay tuned.  Sign-up and set an early–season training goal to work towards this spring. 

We will launch registration for our in-person triathlons at a point in time where we feel confident that the event will proceed as planned.  This will depend on several external factors, many of which are beyond our control.  Know that we will continue to do EVERYTHING we can to bring-back in-person racing in 2021 that is Safe, Fun, and Fair.