The Peach Classic Triathlon had its biggest year yet last weekend, just days before the Ironman triathlon announced 2024 would be its last in Penticton.
The July 7 competition saw 158 participants entered into the Sprint distance, 257 into the standard Olympic distance and 29 in the new Try a Tri category for this year.
Kelowna's Cory Krist took first place with a time of 2:04:21, as he returned for the third straight year since the event ended its COVID-19 hiatus in 2022.
Krist took first place in 2022 as well, and made second place in 2023 against Penticton's Jeff Symonds, who did not run in 2024.
North Vancouver’s Andrea Damiani took first in the women's division with a time of 2:26:16.
The 2024 event was the largest in more than a decade of competition, dating back to when a combined 344 competitors participated in 2015.
The 444 athletes registered to run in the most recent race dwarfed that number, and is a clear sign that popularity of Penticton as a triathlon host is growing.
The Peach Classic shares its roots with the Ironman competition, having transitioned to the Ironman brand three years after it was first held in 1983.
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 sportstats.com.