hope that helps!

Thanks!

However, I’ve been a member with Fitness World for years now. I could do without some of the neon flashing lights and annoying music, but I don’t think you can really beat them for cleanliness and updated, working equipment.

My two cents.

Sebastian

By IAN WALKER
A lot of things have changed since Penticton hosted the first Canadian International Ultra Triathlon on Saturday, Aug. 20, 1983.
Like the name, for starters.
The Subaru Ironman Canada celebrates its 25th anniversary next Saturday, with 2,650 athletes registered to compete in the 3.9-kilometre swim, 180-kilometre bike ride and 42.2-kilometre run.
No other race in triathlon’s history has garnered such popularity. And it’s a far cry from the 23 men and one woman who raced in the inaugural event a quarter-century ago.
“The biggest change I’ve seen is the conditioning of the athletes themselves,” says Brian Wyatt, a member of the Ironman Canada board of directors who has been involved with the race since Day 1. “It was a fringe sport back 25 years ago — there wasn’t all that many people doing it. That’s all changed.”
Outside the lines, the event has also evolved. Originally a one-day meet, the Ironman Canada has since grown into a week-long festival — thrusting the Okanagan city further into the international limelight and providing a massive boost to the local economy at the tail end of the tourism season.
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If not for the man with the iron will, the Ironman Canada may have never came to be.
“I am the visionary, founder, architect and sponsor of the Ironman Canada,” says Ron Zalko, proudly. “I had a bright and clear vision that kept me going. Even back then, I knew it would be a great success.”
The local fitness guru is in his office at Ron Zalko Sports Club in trendy Kitsilano and he’s pointing to a wall. There, among the countless pictures of famous clients, hangs a large medallion acknowledging his role in the birth of the Ironman Canada.
A competitor in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii in 1981 and ’82, the transplanted Israeli felt compelled to bring a similar event to his new homeland.
“I wanted to do it for Canada, for triathletes and for love of sport,” says Zalko, who was the race director for the inaugural Ironman Canada.
“It was a very expensive proposition back them to fly yourself, your bike and the rest of your gear to Hawaii. So when I returned from my second trip I just decided we needed one in Canada.”
It didn’t take long to figure Penticton was the perfect location, what with its scenic beauty and down-home charm.
“The city said if I put up the money, they’d help with the logistics and getting volunteers,” he recalls of his initial meeting with the city’s mayor and other dignitaries. “It cost about $100,000, a lot of money at the time, but I always knew it would be worth it.
“A lot of people thought I was crazy, but I wasn’t going to be deterred. It wasn’t about the money.”
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For many years the Subaru Ironman Canada was the only Ironman triathlon in continental North America.
So now with seven other Ironman races on the North American schedule, how then does it remain one of the most popular races in the world?
Is it the setting, the beautiful Okanagan Valley with clean, clear lakes and verdant wineries throughout the area? Is it the bike course that takes the athletes from striking, and challenging, mountain climbs such as the famous Richter’s Pass to desert-like conditions?
It’s both. And more.
One of the elements that makes pro and age-group athletes return to the event year after year is what’s fondly referred to as the “Iron Army.” Some 4,500 strong, this group of volunteers is made up of friends or family members of participants, former participants, but mostly the volunteers are members of the community who come out to make the event a success.
“Subaru Ironman Canada is one of the athletes’ favourite races because of the bonding between the community and athletes. It is a 25-year bond, which continues to grow,” said Graham Fraser, Ironman North America president.
“Subaru Ironman Canada offers one of the world’s most beautiful courses with a great variety of terrain. It really is a special week for everyone involved.”
DID YOU KNOW?

- The first Ironman Canada winners were Mike Wagstaff, in 10:41:51, and Dyane Lynch, the lone woman in the field, in 15:36:47. The original course was a straight out-and-back swim, a bike ride that circled Skaha Lake twice and continued down to Osoyoos, and returned to Penticton.

- First in the hearts of the Penticton community among the winners is five-time Subaru Ironman Canada Champion Lori Bowden. A two-time World Ironman Champion, the Victoria native has posted more victories at the event than any other elite athlete. On the men’s side, Ray Browning of Denver, Col., dominated the race in the early years with wins in 1988, 1989 and 1990.

- A number of special celebrations are planned for the 25th Subaru Ironman Canada Race Week in Penticton. A long list of former champions will be returning to participate in the festivities that will feature a gift to the community of Penticton, a retrospective evening of music, video and remembrance and a charity hockey game featuring an ‘Ironman All-Star’ team against some former NHL legends. The city has become involved with the local museum hosting an Ironman Canada exhibit and an Ironman Canada Art Contest.

- Ironman Canada has brought a big production to Penticton in many ways, not the least of which is an economic impact of roughly $15 million a year.

- For many years Subaru Ironman Canada was the only Ironman triathlon in continental North America.