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Penticton city council to hear report on hosting Ironman triathlon

City staff seek input on two recommendations on five-year agreement to host Ironman Canada
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City council to hear report on strategy to host world-class triathlon events on Monday. (Western News file photo)

A strategy aimed at continuing the city’s long tradition of hosting world-class triathlons will be presented to Penticton city council on Tuesday.

City staff will be seeking direction from council on two recommendations to negotiate a five-year agreement to host Ironman Canada from 2020 through to 2024, and to pursue opportunities for hosting a future multi-sport event.

The strategy is based on work by city staff, as well as discussions with past event organizers, proposals from a publicly tendered expression of interest and the findings of a community survey, reads a City of Penticton press release.

READ MORE: City of Penticton seeks organizer to lead signature triathlon event

“The recommendations and supporting information that staff will present to council on May 7 represents several months of due diligence. With the current five-year triathlon agreement set to expire in 2019, staff took steps earlier this year to begin the process of finding a successor event beginning in 2020,” said Bregje Kozak, director of Recreation and Facilities with the City of Penticton in the release.

“From the start, staff wanted to ensure that any recommendations provided to council were thoroughly considered, based on a review of several possible options and aligned on matters pertaining to budget, sponsorship and community support. The recommended triathlon strategy that staff have prepared for council, which includes the opportunity for Penticton to resume its historic role as a full distance Ironman host city, achieves Penticton’s goal of continuing its tradition of holding successful, cost-effective and pride generating world class triathlon events.”

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The original estimate to host Ironman was $663,000, reads the release. But with confirmed sponsorship contributions of over $200,000 and $53,000 in cost-saving opportunities, the resulting net city costs are valued at $410,000. This includes cash contributions of approximately $299,000 and value-in-kind services of about $111,000.

Currently, the city has $110,000 annually allocated in the 2019 to 2023 financial plan toward a triathlon event.

The net budget increase required to host Ironman will be $300,000. This additional budget increase will be incorporated into the 2020 to 2024 financial plan, should council support this event, reads the release.

For more information on the strategy, read the report.

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.
Robin Grand
Reporter, Penticton Western News
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