Just a year after Ironman's last run in Penticton, the Peach Classic Triathlon continues to grow beyond the shadow of the other event.
The July 20 competition saw its highest number of entrants yet, with over 780 registered for race day across multiple different categories, including sprint distance, Olympic standard distance, Aqua Bike, relay and the returning Try-a-Tri division.
That is a promising sign for the event's longevity and the popularity of athletic competition in Penticton. The 780 registered athletes dwarfs the 444 signed up for the 2024 triathlon, which itself broke a record of 344 athletes in the 2015 event.
It was Vancouver's Max Elliott who took first place in this year's competition, ending the streak of Okanagan winners since the event's post-COVID return, as he crossed the line with a time of 02:06:43.
Summerland's Katie Mayer finished first in the women's Olympic standard distance with a time of 02:29:35
Kelowna's Cory Krist, who took first place in 2022 and 2024 with a second place finish against Penticton's Jeff Symonds in 2023, finished fourth this year with a time of 2:11:14.
The Try-a-Tri division was dominated by the women, as four 15-and-unders took the top spots, with Naramata's Yvonne Hayden crossing with a time of 00:35:30. Rowan Holyer, in the men's 30-35 category, finished fifth overall with a time of Rowan Holyer 00:45:00.
In the Sprint division, Austin Beese took first with a time of 01:07:51 for the men and Jordan Cultrera took first for the women with a time of 01:17:42.
Symonds, who didn't run in 2024, did not compete this year either, but instead joined local athletic legend Steve King at the announcers' table for the event.
Through their commentary, the popularity of the event was clear, as they gave shout-outs to many local competitors as well as competitors returning to the event from as far back as the first Peach Classic in 1983.
The event seemed to go smoothly, with a far different course than the Granfondo focused on the northern end of Penticton and no major issues, following an increase in safety measures to prevent further tragedy.
The worst that seemed to happen was a flat tire that forced one competitor to finish the cycling leg in a barefoot run.
In 2023, the Penticton Triathlon Club took over operation for the Peach Classic.
The full list of results from the Peach Classic are available at .
