The Lakeshore Women’s Triathlon is making Saugeen Shores its new home.
Race Director Sarah Foster says since 2001 the race, previously known as the Kincardine Women’s Triathlon, was held in the Municipality of Kincardine.
“This year in 2023, Kincardine wasn’t able to host us due to the construction on Queen Street and Saugeen Shores was kind enough to pick up the mantel this summer and host us up there. We had a great time, we had great feedback from our participants and our volunteers about the new location,” says Foster.
She says after conversations with the Town of Saugeen Shores, they made the decision to continue to hold the event in the municipality.
Foster says among the comments they received about the new location from the most recent event in August, they heard about how people liked the new route and how supportive the local community was.
“The route in Kincardine was also fabulous but in Saugeen Shores the beach is a little bit sandier and a bit bigger,” says Foster. “We had an amazing amount of support from both the Town of Saugeen Shores, the business community and citizens who supported our race, so we are excited to keep the race in Saugeen Shores.”
She adds the location of the swimming portion in Port Elgin was less rough compared to the waves at times in Kincardine, allowing a higher likelihood of a swim portion each year.
“We are grateful for the 20 years we were able to run our race in Kincardine,” says Foster. “The Kincardine community was very supportive to us over the years, and we hope our race participants and volunteers from the Kincardine community will continue to support us in Saugeen Shores.”
She says the event also operates as a sort of fundraiser, with the majority of funds collected being donated to various organizations.
From the most recent event, she says they donated $5,000 to the Women’s House Serving Bruce and Grey, $1,000 to Community Living Owen Sound and Area, $1,000 to Saugeen Shores Lifesaving Club and others.
Mayor Luke Charbonneau says, “the race enjoys widespread support from local athletes and residents, as well as our business community. As a regional recreational hub, Saugeen Shores is pleased to see sporting events like this choosing our community.”
For the upcoming event on July 20, 2024 at the Port Elgin Main Beach, they are looking for people to help plan the race. Those interested can email Foster at racedirector@lakeshoretri.com.
While they do not have an exact date for when registration for the 2024 race will be open, she encourages those who are interested in participating to keep an eye on their website here.