An update on races affected by the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.
News for March 16, 2021
Ironman Texas postponed
We reported on this earlier today – you can read the update on Ironman Texas, Ironman 70.3 Texas and Ironman 70.3 Lubbock here. Thanks to a stay home order that affects the bike course, Ironman Texas can’t take place in The Woodlands in April – Ironman is hoping to announce a new October date soon. The 70.3 races in Texas are still scheduled for the same dates – April 11 for the Galveston race (Ironman 70.3 Texas) while Lubbock remains on the schedule for June 27.
Ironman also announced that there will be a new full-distance race in Texas at some point in 2021.
News for March 9, 2021
Ironman 70.3 Muskoka moved to August
Today we got news on the first Canadian Ironman event to be postponed. Here’s what Ironman posted on its update page:
Based on the recommendations from the local authorities and other key stakeholders in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, we regret to share that the Subaru Ironman 70.3 Muskoka triathlon cannot take place on July 11, 2021 and have determined it will be better positioned to return on August 29, 2021.
No news at this point about any other Canadian events – Ironman 70.3 Mont-Tremblant is scheduled to take place on June 27.
News for March 4, 2021
New date for Ironman New Zealand
After a lockdown forced organizers to call off this weekend’s race in New Zealand, they have announced that the new date for the race will be March 27, 2021.
Ironman France postponed to September
The rescheduling of regional elections in France to June 13 to 20 due to the COVID-19 pandemic has forced organizers to move the race in Nice to September. According to the Ironman updates page:
“Unfortunately, as a result of this change, we regret to inform you that the Ironman France Nice cannot take place on the original June date and has been rescheduled for September 12, 2021, coinciding with Ironman 70.3 Nice.”
News for March 1, 2021
Multisport Triathlon Series announces 2021 Series overview
Ontario-based Multisport Canada has outlined the plans for “both modified in-person triathlons, as well as virtual triathlons” in its latest newsletter. The Lakeside and K-Town events will be offered as virtual events with an entry fee of $25 and an option to purchase a race-specific medal and T-shirt. The in-person events will take place in Welland, Bracebridge and Toronto Island. Some of the modifications include:
- 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
More information is available through the series website.
News for February 27, 2021
Ironman New Zealand up in the air
With a week to go it looks like Ironman New Zealand will have to be postponed due to increased alert levels. We reported on the possible postponement here.
News for February 26, 2021
PTO supports Husky Triathlon Festival
Those looking for some live pro triathlon action to watch this weekend can tune into the YouTube and Facebook coverage of the Husky Triathlon Festival starting at 2 pm EST on Saturday. The Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) has added AUD$20,000 to the existing AUD$15,000 prize purse for the race.
The race is expected to feature a duel between Australia’s Ellie Salthouse and New Zealand’s Amelia Watkinson, while Craig Alexander will be part of the coverage team watching Bermuda’s Tyler Butterfield take on Tim Reed and Tim Van Berkel.
Europe Triathlon postpones a number of events
Europe Triathlon (what we used to know as the European Triathlon Union) has changed its race calendar because “the situation in Europe regarding the COVID-19 pandemic is not improving at the speed that had been expected,” according to endurancebiz.com.
That means that the Europe Triathlon Winter Championships in Romania, which were scheduled to take place in Romania in March have now been postponed – the hope is they can be staged before the end of the year.
Other events that are postponed include:
- 2021 Europe Triathlon Challenge Long Distance Championships Roth – postponed to Sept. 5, 2021
- 2021 Europe Triathlon Cup (and Junior Cup) Quarteira – postponed
News for February 23, 2021
Ironman Brazil postponed to Nov. 7, 2021
According to the Ironman updates page, “Based on the recommendations from the local health authorities and Mayor Gean Marques Loureiro in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, we regret to share that the IRONMAN Brazil triathlon cannot take place on May 30, 2021 and have determined it will be better positioned to return on November 7, 2021.”
Ditto for Ironman 70.3 Florianopolis and Punta del Este
The Florianopolis race has been postponed from April 25 to September 19, while the Punta del Este race moves from April 18 to November 14.
News for February 16, 2021
Ironman CEO posts update message
But many athletes critical of company based on refund and transfer policies.
Challenge Roth postponed to September
We reported on the new race date here.
Ironman events in Europe, Middle-East and Africa rescheduled
Here we go – the calendar is “a changin'” – updates from the Ironman update page
Ironman Lanzarote rescheduled from May to July 3, 2021
Ironman Mallorca “cannot take place” on May 15 – no new date as of yet
Ironman 70.3 Alcudia-Mallorca “cannot take place” on May 8 – no new date, either
Ironman 70.3 Aix-en-Provence rescheduled from May to Sept. 19, 2021
Ironman 70.3 Venice-Jesolo “cannot take place” in May – rescheduled to Sept. 26. 2021
Ironman 70.3 Marbella “cannot take place in April 2021 and has been rescheduled to Sept. 19, 2021
News for February 15, 2021
WTCS Abu Dhabi moves to November
Originally slated for March 1, the first World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS) of the year in Abu Dhabi has been rescheduled to November 5-6, 2021.
“The decision, backed unanimously by the World Triathlon Executive Board, will not only allow more time for the current worldwide travel restrictions to ease, but will be able to serve as a test event for the 2022 Abu Dhabi World Triathlon Championship Finals, also taking place at the end of the season,” according to a release from World Triathlon.
World Triathlon Cup Miyazaki cancelled
The announcement also included a cancellation notice for and early season world cup event in Japan that was supposed to take place on March 20.
“World Triathlon Cup Miyazaki, due to take place on 20 March, unfortunately had to be canceled by the Japanese Triathlon Union and the local organizing committee, due to the current travel restrictions in the region,” World Triathlon reports.
News for February 12, 2021
Ironman 70.3 Geelong rescheduled
With just over a week to go, the first Ironman pro race of the year has been postponed to March due to a state-wide five-day lockdown in Victoria. Here’s the news from the Ironman update page:
Following the announcement from the Victorian Government today (12 February 2021) that Victoria will commence a state-wide lockdown for five days starting at midnight tonight, we are unfortunately advising that Ironman 70.3 Geelong 2021 will not be taking place as planned on 21 February 2021.
However, thanks to the support of our stakeholders, we can advise that Ironman 70.3 Geelong will be postponed to Sunday 28 March 2021. Please note this date is subject to final written approvals from key stakeholders that we expect to receive within the week.
Ironman Taiwan postponed
“In light of the continued guidelines and precautions as mandated by the Penghu County Government in relation to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we regret to inform that the 2021 Ironman Taiwan triathlon cannot take place as originally scheduled for March 21, 2021,” according to the Ironman update page.
News for February 4, 2021
Ironman 70.3 Oceanside moved to October
We reported on this announcement last night – the classic Ironman U.S. opener won’t happen in March this year.
Ironman 70.3 Puerto Rico … cannot take place in 2021
Still not using that cancelled word. According to the Ironman.com/update page: “In light of the guidelines and restrictions as part of the updated executive order from the Governor of Puerto Rico, and in alignment with local officials, we regret to inform that 2021 IRONMAN 70.3 Puerto Rico triathlon cannot take place and will now return on March 20, 2022.”
News for February 3, 2021
Collins Cup rescheduled to August 28
The inaugural Collins Cup event has been delayed yet again – the new date for the race is August 28. It is still scheduled to take place at the x-bionicsphere in Samorin, Slovakia.
Here’s a press release about the new date.
Here’s more information about how the event works.
Super League Triathlon announces two more Arena Games events
After a successful indoor debut in Rotterdam last year, Super League Triathlon is bringing the event back on Apr. 18, along with another event in London, England on Mar. 27. The races will consist of three legs including a 200 m swim, a 4 km bike on the Zwift platform followed by a 1 km treadmill run. The order of the events will be shuffled for each leg.
News for January 29, 2021
St. Anthony’s Triathlon postponed to “fourth quarter” of 2021
According to a Facebook post, the popular Olympic-distance race near Tampa, Florida won’t be taking place in April.
2021 World Triahtlon Cup Hautulco moved to June 12 to 13
Originally scheduled for April, “local authorities and the Mexican Federation have decided to postpone the event until June,” according to a release from World Triathlon.
LA Triathlon moves to Oct. 24
According to the event website, the event that had been scheduled for May will now be taking place later in the year, too.
Challenge Miami offers refund guarantee
After the successful event in Daytona, Challenge North America is gearing up for the inaugural Challenge Miami race from March 12 to 14. According to the event website, if they have to cancel the event, they will be refunding entries, less the administration fee:
Race Guarantee: if for any reason the 2021 Challenge Miami race is cancelled by Challenge North America, we’ll refund athletes the registration fee, minus a $39 administrative fee. This is only if the operations team has to cancel for any reason.
News for January 26, 2021
Canada Man/Woman still aiming for July 4
In an email blast sent out today, the Xtri event in Lac Megantic, Quebec, one of three events that Endurance Adventure has planned for 2021.
“We are working with local authorities to ensure these events can take place no matter the situation,” the company says. The race has added an additional 25 spots to the event for this year. You can register here. More information about the event can be found here. You can check out stories we’ve written about the Canada Man/Woman race here.
World Triathlon Montreal scheduled for June 23 to 27
Who knows where we’ll be at with regards to the pandemic in June, but registration is also open for the World Triathlon Montreal. According to the event website:
“The 2021 edition of the Groupe Copley World Triathlon is scheduled for its usual last weekend of June. The organizing team will take all the necessary measures to deliver a safe and sanitary event to you while respecting the measures in effect.”
UBC Tri Du cancelled for 2021
BC’s longest running triathlon, and usually the first outdoor race of the season in Canada, has been cancelled for this year. Here’s what organizers posted on the event website:
To our UBC Triathlon Community:
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, UBC Recreation has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 UBC Triathlon Duathlon event, originally scheduled for March 6. The safety of our staff and participants is, and has always been our utmost priority, and at this time hosting this event would compromise that integrity.
While we are disappointed that we are unable to provide the experience of the UBC Triathlon Duathlon this year, we recognize that continuing to host the event could contribute unnecessary risks to participants, staff, and the community. We appreciate your understanding and your continued perseverance to keep our community safe. We look forward to the time when we can once again bring this annual event to the community.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to ubc.triathlon@ubc.ca and we will be happy to respond at our earliest convenience!
Stay safe,
The UBC Triathlon Organizing Team
News for January 19, 2021
Ironman 70.3 Puerto Rico “cannot take place” in 2021
According to the Ironman updates page: “In light of the guidelines and restrictions as part of the updated executive order from the Governor of Puerto Rico, and in alignment with local officials, we regret to inform that 2021 IRONMAN 70.3 Puerto Rico triathlon cannot take place and will now return on March 20, 2022.”
Ironman 70.3 South Africa rescheduled to September, Ironman Africa reschedule to November
More from the Ironman updates page: “In response to the recent developments around the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, the South African Government has announced further limitations on indoor and outdoor gatherings which includes the closure of beaches around the country. In light of these new restrictions, and in alignment with the Buffalo City Municipality, we regret to inform you that the IRONMAN 70.3 South Africa cannot take place on January 24, 2021 and has been rescheduled for September 5, 2021.”
On a similar note, the “IRONMAN African Championship cannot take place on March 14, 2021 and has been rescheduled for November 21, 2021.”
Club La Santa postpones Volcano Triathlon
According to a release sent out this morning, “The Club La Santa Volcano Triathlon, originally planned for April, has also changed its date. The oldest running Triathlon in Spain, whose first addition was in 1984, we will now take place on the 6th November 2021.”
The post Live Update: 2021 Race cancellations and postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic appeared first on Triathlon Magazine Canada.