Skip to content

Bryden wins Ultra520K triathlon

Three-day endurance event concluded Monday in Summerland
8014287_web1_170810-SUM-story-Ultraman_1
JOHN ARENDT FASTEST RUNNER Japanese athlete Konoka Azumi, 28, completed the 84.4-kilometre run in 6:59:33. She is the second woman in the Ultraman triathlon’s history to finish in under seven hours.

It was a gruelling three-day achievement as 14 elite athletes competed in the Ultraman 520K triathlon on the weekend.

The triathlon, which concluded in Summerland on Monday, included a 10-kilometre swim followed by a 144.8-kilometre cycle component on the first day.

On the second day, participants cycled 273.5 kilometres and on the third day, they ran 84.4 kilometres from Princeton to Summerland.

Canadian athlete Jordan Bryden, 31, was the overall winner with a three-day time of 24:12:36.

“It’s been a little bit of a long three days,” he said as he recovered in Memorial Park on Monday afternoon.

Bryden set a new record in the swim portion, with a time of 2:23:59.

He said the first day of the triathlon was his best day, since he is a swimmer by nature.

The run on Monday was the most demanding, since the distance is considerably farther than what he has run in previous years.

“I have never run anything close to this far,” he said.

Bryden is also on the Canadian team for the Long Course in the upcoming ITU event, which will be held in Penticton later this month.

While he had the fastest overall time, he was not the first to cross the finish line on Monday.

Japanese athlete Konoka Azumi, 28, completed the run in 6:59:33.

She is only the second woman in the history of Ultraman triathlons to complete the run in under seven hours.

Azumi’s total time over the three days was 35:52:22.

She said the swim on Saturday was the hardest part of the triathlon, but on Monday she enjoyed the run component.

The top overall female athlete was Amy Van Tassel, 41, of the United States, finishing with an overall time of 26:16:56.

8014287_web1_170810-SUM-story-Ultraman_3
JOHN ARENDT OVERALL WINNER Jordan Bryden, 31, was the overall winner in the Ultra520K triathlon on the weekend.
8014287_web1_170810-SUM-story-Ultraman_4
JOHN ARENDT FEMALE WINNER Amy Van Tassel, 41, of the United States was the top female finisher in the Ultra520K triathlon.


John Arendt

About the Author: John Arendt

John Arendt has worked as a journalist for more than 30 years. He has a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Journalism degree from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute.
Read more