Thousands bike, swim and run through Ottawa for Ironman triathlon
Gatineau's Aliisa Heiskanen fastest woman as race makes its Ottawa debut
Thousands of triathletes ran, cycled and swam across Ottawa Sunday as the city played host to the Ironman Canada-Ottawa competition for the first time.
Toronto's Luke Evans was the first to cross the finish line, completing his triathlon in eight hours, 40 minutes and 22 seconds.
"Honestly, it's a dream come true," Evans said afterward.
"I knew I was going to be in the running for this — maybe top 15, top 20 — but to finish first? It's just surreal. I just never believed this was going to happen. It's incredible."
Aliisa Heiskanen of Gatineau, Que., was the fastest woman, finishing the course with a final time of 9:32:46.
About 3,000 athletes registered for the race, which began with a 3.8-kilometre swim in the Ottawa River near Britannia Beach, followed by a 180-kilometre bike ride along the city's parkways and a 42.2-kilometre run through the downtown core.
Athletes had to battle not just the race course and their own bodies but also the conditions, as Ottawa was under an air quality advisory due to widespread smoke from wildfires.
The event is set to be back in Ottawa again in 2026.
With files from Radio-Canada