When Ultraman competitor Kevin Willis of Ottawa crossed the finish line after the gruelling three-day triathlon on Monday afternoon, he had a record-breaking result.
His time of 23:32:07 was significantly faster than the previous Ultraman Canada record and 10 minutes faster than the world record in the men’s 50 to 59 age category, set in Hawaii last year.
The course covered 515 kilometres over three days , beginning at Okanagan Falls and ending in Memorial Park in Summerland.
It included a 10-kilometre swim and a 144.8-kilometre cycling component on the first day, 274.2 kilometres of cycling on the second day and a run of 84.3 kilometres from Princeton to Summerland on the third day.
A total of 29 competitors from six countries, all of them previous Ironman finishers, competed.
Willis, 54, said the cycling component on Saturday was difficult because of the heat and the headwinds, which slowed his speed even on the downhill segments.
“The last bit of the run was also difficult,” he said.
He thanked the members of his crew for their support during the competition.
Amy Van Tassel of Oregon was the first woman to complete this year’s Ultraman and the third finisher overall.
Her time over the three days was 25:32:29.
Since its inception in 1993, the Ultraman Canada triathlon has been held 14 years and has attracted endurance athletes from around the world.