The global pandemic has put the brakes on Orillia’s largest annual one-day sporting event.
OrilliaMatters has learned Trisport Events has cancelled the Northern Triathlon, the popular event that attracts several hundred athletes to the Sunshine City each summer.
“Like many other industries, event businesses such as ours have been impacted significantly by COVID-19,” Trisport’s Dave Mucyk told OrilliaMatters.
“With the ongoing uncertainty and government restrictions, it has led us to make some very difficult decisions,” said Mucyk. “Cancelling the Orillia Triathlon in 2020 was one of them, especially given its long-running existence in the community for over 30 years.”
Last year’s 33rd annual event attracted more than 600 athletes to Couchiching Beach Park. There have been years when upwards of 1,000 participants swam, cycled and ran in various age groups and divisions.
The popular Kids of Steel triathlon, traditionally held the day before the main event on Sunday, has also been cancelled.
Orillia’s Northern Triathlon is one of eight triathlons that make up the Subaru Triathlon Series.
So far, in addition to the Orillia event, a June series stop in Milton and the Guelph II event in September have also been nixed.
Mucyk said the hope is to still have a few events - including their most popular triathlon in Guelph.
“When trying to salvage what we can for a schedule, we decided to push our largest event in Guelph into August,” said Mucyk. “Unfortunately, the only place we could fit it into our schedule, while juggling our other races, was the typical Orillia weekend.”
A July 26 triathlon in Niagara and a September event in Owen Sound are still scheduled.
But Mucyk said it’s possible the whole season will be a wipeout.
“We really have no idea if we will be able to hold any of our events this year,” he conceded. “We are just pushing them as late as we can to give them the best chance at happening.”
He said company officials will have the health and safety of athletes in mind when making a decision on events.
“Any decision we make will, of course, have to have the approval from the government and local authorities as well,” he said.
While frustrated, Mucyk vows a strong return next summer.
“We have every intention of returning to Orillia in 2021, given that government officials allow events such as ours to take place by then, and we are back to a new ‘normal.’”
