SwimRun set to take over Victoria

WATCH: A growing sport will make its debut on Vancouver Island in August when the inaugural Victoria SwimRun descends upon Thetis Lake. Tyler Bennett has the story.

The SwimRun is a growing sport in Europe, and this summer, Thetis Lake will host the first event of its kind on Vancouver Island. The SwimRun is no easy task; not only is the distance daunting, but you’re also getting in and out of the water multiple times. The big twist of the sport is an advantage, but also a disadvantage.

“One of the rules of SwimRun, is that you can take whatever you want on the swim, and you can take whatever you want on the run,” local triathlete John McManus says. “But whatever you start with you have to finish with, so all your swim gear you have to take on the run and all your running gear you have to take on the swim.”

Anticipation is already building for the event.

“I think that SwimRun is really going to take off here in Western Canada,” race director Rob Dibden says, “I think it’s the kind of event that’s going to appeal to the athletes that are here, I think that already, the momentum that’s being generated from this first race is really positive, and I think that once people see this race format here on Vancouver Island I think that it’s really going to take off.”

The Victoria SwimRun is set to take place at Thetis Lake on August 12th. For more information, visit www.swimrunvictoria.ca .

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