S3E5 -- Ultra 520K Preview

The 515 Ultra Podcast  is on the road in Penticton for the two weekends of Aloha, Ohana and Kokua that are UMC and Ultra520K Canada.  In this episode, I speak with the winners of UMC 2022 – Amy Robitaille (24:47:16) and Christian Isaakson (25:49:51) at the finish line.

Also, Steve King and I discuss the resumes of the sixteen athletes who will take on the final Ultra 520K Canada race this coming weekend hosted by Steve Brown and his team.

It is Ohanafest in Penticton.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Ultraman Canada
• Ultraman Florida
• Ultraman World Championships
• Muskoka  70.3
• Ultra 355 Canada
• Ultra 520K Canada 
• Okanagan Granfondo
• Piccolo Fondo
• Peach Classic Triathlon
• IM Canada 
• Elephant Rock Century
• Ironman Cozumel
• Skaha Lake Ultra Swim
• IM Nice
• IM Lanzarote
• Challenge Roth
• IM Lake Placid
• Vancouver Marathon
• IM Coeur D’Alene
• IM Texas
• Canadian Death Race
• SwissMan Extreme
• AlaskaMan Extreme
• IM Mt.Tremblant
• Discomfort Zone Coaching  (accepting athletes with 515 goals)
• IM France
• Israel 355
• 355 Cozumel
• UMUK
• UltraMX515
• UltraMX515 Non stop
• UltraTX515
• Team Atomica  
• IM Florida

Shout outs and mentions in this episode:

• Christian Isakson
• Amy Robitaille
• Leanda Cave (S1E8)
• Ted Whiteman
• Michael Owen
• Becky Owen
• Rhonda Isakson
• Ian Asaksion
• Mike Coughlin (S2E7)
• Nicole Meier
• Michael W. Mahoney
• Laura Mahoney
• Pat Robitaille
• Amy’s Mom 
• Van Sanchez (S1E6)
• Tony Horton 
• Nick Mallet (S2E12)
• Corey Chris
• Martin Caron
• Chad Bentley (S1E1)
• Rebecca Ball
• Mary Carey
• Lorraine Natho
• Calvin Zaryski
• Leo Lopez
• Retha Rousseau
• Paula Rochman
• Susan Evans
• Jonathan Caron
• Kevin Cutjar
• Tracey McQuair
• Jenny Ayers
• Stephen Sanderson
• Jeremy Hopwood
• Justin Williams
• Morgan Boyle
• Nicholas Dean
• Jordan Bryden
• Tara Norton
• Tracy Preston
• Fred Lambright
• Mark Woodhouse
• Simon Voz
• Anne Voz
• Alexandre Voz
• Emeline Voz
• Lisa Voz
• Michael RIchardson
• Christie Richardson
• Steve Brown (S2E13)
• Craig Stocks
• Anna Stocks
• Rick Kent 
• Brian Eastcott
• Kate Bevilaqua
• Amy Van Tassel

Show Contributors:
Host : Larry Ryan
Contributing Raconteur : Steve King
Announcer : Mary Jo Dionne
Production : 5Five Enterprises
Music  :  Run by 331

For show notes and past guests, please visit the Podcast Website: https://515theultrapodcast.buzzsprout.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/515TheUltraPodcast
Insta : 515theultrapodcast

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes or where you get your pods.   

I would like to hear from you and who you think should be interviewed.
Email : 515Ultraman@gmail.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:02

What's my run? It's an hour and twenty almost an hour and a half longer than my last run here. That's how tough I was. I had diarrhea the whole day. I was pooping every probably every 20 minutes. I just couldn't quit pooping. It was horrible. That's okay. I'll save it for your show. Oh, you can't. I don't think it's a good idea.

Episode Introduction

Larry 0:58

I've taken the podcast on a few weeks with my Ultra Friends. Today I speak with the winners of Ultra Man Canada, and Steve King joins me to give you the details on the 15 people who will be participating in the final 520K Canada race this weekend. I am dropping this episode a few days early so that you will have the time to familiarize yourself with the 520 Canada athletes prior to the race. I've been in Pentakin for the past week, meeting up with the Ohana, and my girlfriend Ashley and I have been doing our best to support Japanese athlete Mokoto Hoshino on its Ultraman journey. Mokoto was on my second episode, and I knew he was someone I wanted to get to know better. Regular listeners know that we wanted to be on the course with Mokoto, but that was taken out of our hands. Lucy was able to pull together a great crew last minute for him by recruiting Ariane Allen, who she raced with at Steve Brown's Ultraman in 2013, and Ariane's friend Jimmy Higgins. Spoiler alert, Mokato is an Ultraman, and we are all very proud of him. Along with his good friend Eiko Haibino, who had Ultraman alum Will Rogers and Jeremy Coate on her crew. The race conditions this year were not too bad by Pentacles standards. The heat remained reasonable, and the headwinds weren't as strong as some news. And there are currently no wildfires creating smoke. There were 15 finishers in the field of 22 at Ultimate End. And in a sport where women are greatly outnumbered by the men, four of the top five spots were taken by amazing female athletes. Congratulations to Amy Robotai, Leander Cave, Marla Zupp, and AA Girard. Both AA and Amy had their coach present. Ultraman Canada alum and 2011 world champion Mike Cogley. I spoke to the winners near the finish line, so you may hear Steve King in the background as we are talking.

UMC Men’s Champion – Christian Isakson

Larry 3:16

Okay, 5-1-5 podcast fans. I'm here with Christian Isaacson. Christian was the leader of the Ultraman Canada after day one and day two. He is the top male at the race this year, but he finished third overall with two women coming in before him. He was second out of the swim. He was a 9.14 on his run today, and an overall time of 2549.51. Now, Christian, this is not your first time here doing this course. So tell us a little bit about how this race may be compared to your last timeout.

SPEAKER_03 3:52

Uh it was much difficult. It was way more difficult for sure. Last time I was here was eight years ago. Um and my times were quicker basically all three days. Uh I think that the heat and the wind on days one and two on the bike really showed up in my body today on the run for sure. But it was it it was like Kona windy yesterday. I mean, it was really, really, really a difficult bike, and I knew at the end of the day that I had lit a couple of matches. Uh, and I felt them definitely today on the run for sure.

Larry 4:20

Now, out there on the run today, it it was a little bit hot, it stayed overcast. It's probably not the hottest run that we've had here, but uh it's still a very tough run given the elevations and the changes and things. So, how how was it?

SPEAKER_03 4:33

Yeah, I think it's the tough. I think uh this is the ultra the the toughest run course of any Ultraman I've ever raced. I've been to Kona twice, I've done Florida twice, I've done this twice. Um it is so it's so tough. I was laughing at myself at the very tail end because I wanted to come in today and knock maybe 10 or 15 minutes off my my the last time I raced here. I raced a 750, which still isn't like lightning fast. But I figured if I could if I could rip off a 735, which I think I'm pretty capable of doing on the right day. Um, but when I'm up there, I'm like, what was I thinking, man? Like it is such a it just peels away the layers. So um, but it was tough, a tough three days all all around. The um the swim was was good. The the first day on the bike coming in first was cool, it was really neat. That's a new experience for me. Uh leading after day two, coming into day three with a 25-minute lead. It was it was definitely a nice surprise for me.

Larry 5:30

And and what about your competitors out there? Uh tell me a little bit about when you're out there and you're seeing seeing these ladies working so hard and uh coming up and taking over on you. Like, what what what are you feeling when you see these great competitors out there?

SPEAKER_03 5:44

Amy, the one that when when Amy we Amy and I rode yesterday together for from like mile 30 to probably mile 130, she just looked solid, and I'm like, ah, I'm gonna let her go ahead of me. I followed her for a little bit. She just looked too good. I was trying to stay within my race. And um, Leanne, Leander, I wasn't 100% sure what her motivation for being here was because I know she wants to check the box to get to Hawaii. She wants to do that.

Larry 6:07

Obviously, nobody does this without their crew. Tell me who you had on your crew.

SPEAKER_03 6:11

Uh Ted, who is one of my closest friends. Uh, I was a firefighter uh with him for uh 15, 16 years, and then I spent a lot of he moved to Kenya. I spent a lot of time with him over Kenya. He afforded me the ability to go to Kenya, run with Kenyans, which has been pretty cool. Um my my wife, uh, and then Michael Owen and Becky, who live here. Uh Michael is an amazing runner in his own right, he's a phenomenal athlete. And then my son surprised me last night driving, driving up, uh, walked into the hotel room at like 11 o'clock. And I was like, what the heck, dude? So he wanted to be here for for today, which is pretty darn cool.

Larry 6:45

Yeah, that's awesome. Because it's it's really important when you come across that finish line to have that crew and that family to support you.

SPEAKER_03 6:51

Abs absolutely. It is. It's um, yeah, it's because if you didn't have them, you wouldn't be here. I think I think it's amazing to me. And you know, I was thinking about on the run today. I think that's the big thinking about I think that's the big difference between Iron Man and Ultraman, with my own personal experience, is it definitely feels like to me there's a more organic vibe at Ultraman, and I think collectively as a whole, that's the general feel. Not saying that Iron Man is a little bit plastic, but it is. Um you know, I've I've I've spent years racing Iron Man, and uh and I would give it all away for one day here with these Ultraman athletes in a in a heartbeat.

Larry 7:25

A lot of fantastic people that come to these races and come back year after year. Yeah. And uh what was the one stat that stuck in your ear when you heard Steve King uh call some of your uh race this weekend? Because I know he always has something that maybe you've even forgotten.

SPEAKER_03 7:40

I think when you said men's champion, it's kind of weird. But you know what I mean? And I love Steve. Steve King was there when I was almost killed in Kona in 2015. Um and I've been waiting for the opportunity. I I raced in Florida in 2019, did really well. It was my first Ultraman back after my accident. Um I third place there, which is cool. Um but but having him here is one of the motivating factors for me to reflect my best effort because he does what he does to the best of his ability. So I think we need to bring all our crap to the table too.

Larry 8:11

Well, thank you very much, men's champion Christian. Awesome job. Thank you so

UMC 2022 Champion – Amy Robitaille

Larry 8:16

much. Now I'm joined with Amy Robotai, the Ultraman Canada 2022 champion and women's champion, but the champion of this race. How does it feel to be crowned champion of an Ultraman?

SPEAKER_01 8:30

Uh pretty unreal, actually. Um not what I was expecting. Um, especially to be overall champion is something that um yeah, I just didn't expect that to happen at all. Um but here we are. Magic.

Larry 8:49

Magic. And so what got Ultraman in your head or who? It's usually a who.

SPEAKER_01 8:54

Yeah, who was Mike Coughlin.

Larry 8:56

Um former Ultraman Mike Coghlin.

SPEAKER_01 9:00

So when he when I met him, he was training for Ultraman Um Hawaii 2015. So he was uh he was right in the thick of his training, it was about a year out from the actual race. Um, and uh he was coaching a friend of mine who her and I signed up for Muskoka 70.3 together as this is a really big thing. I was terrified of the whole race because it was big um and I wanted to do okay. Uh so I was like, I your coach sounds amazing, and I, you know, met with him and told him that I will bike, I will practice biking, but you can't let it affect my running that I like to do all the time, which was he was like, Yeah, okay. Um yeah, so I I mean he put me through some big workouts for someone that hadn't done a lot of uh uh bike workouts, um, but watching his process of training for the Ultraman, getting so invested in his actual race. I mean, we had a party at my house watching day three of Ultraman uh Hawaii. Um it was pretty special. Um, and I just kind of knew at that point that it would probably end up being in my future. And I mean that was 2015 um and it's 2022 at this point. Um, so it's always been sort of in the background there. And um, you know, through him coaching me all these years, my biking has gotten stronger and actually enjoyable, and I will give up runs to go and bike. Um yeah, so um yeah, here we are. I just I decided and I crewed uh uh and my husband crewed for a friend who did Ultraman Florida um in 2020, February 2020, right before there were no more races for a long time. And it was such an amazing experience because it's so it's about more than just the athlete, right? Like, you know, it's and I knew I'm just a sucker for that kind of thing. Um yeah, so I knew at that point, yeah, I'll probably end up. And I mean, this place is so amazing. I knew, and I had never been to BC, so I knew Ultraman Canada was what I and I signing up or applying to it was a big deal. Like, are they even gonna think I'm you know worthy enough to do this race? And yeah, there were a few drinks poured when uh they said yes.

Larry 11:20

That's great. And uh Mike did come along and uh he's here crewing because that's what the Ohana do. Um tell me, tell me what it was like for to have him here since he's been on this journey with you.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

Uh well, I mean, when I asked him if he could make it work um with the other my other amazing crew members, um, and he said, Yeah, I I can make it work. I want to be there. Um, I was thrilled and didn't really, I mean, he was like, So what will my role be? And I was like, I'm not good at assigning, designating, whatever, because I just felt like it would come together. Um, and it sure did. Um, you know, even from going through, you know, the course and things to expect on the course, and because I just arrived here on Tuesday, um, you know, his experience here, but also you know, knowing me for seven years as my coach certainly uh helped. And my husband has told me that in the van over the last you know three days, um, his you know, knowledge of okay, she's gonna be at this point at this time. His his crazy math calculations also have been handy, and just you know, being it knowing knowing what the athlete needs. I didn't know what I needed in some cases, and he was like, You should do, you know, at this point, you should really be focusing on nutrition, you know, that ride into Princeton, and I was like, Okay, I I need to do oh man, uh something to focus on other than the headwind and whatever. So um, and then of course, at the um turn in Princeton to go north, he ran beside me as I was biking and said, Okay, your uh garments are 658 right now. The women's record is 903. You have 30k out, 30k back, you do the math. And I was like, Oh no, oh no, this is a thing now. I can't, you know, like how amazing would it be to anyway? So, and it did work out, and there is magic involved in that. Um, but yeah, so to have him, I guess, geeking out on the stats really helped.

Larry 13:26

Yeah, and you did set the record with an 845-19 on that day two bike. So that's amazing. I know, yes, like you're saying, Mike knowing the course and knowing you is probably the best thing that could happen for an athlete because sometimes coaches will come but they don't know the course, or people that have accrued before know the course but they don't know the athlete. You had the both the best worlds, and that's probably one of those things that really helped get you to that finish line in first place.

SPEAKER_01 13:52

It did. And I think that the other um the third piece, I hate to piece, but the third piece of that um was that he knows the spirit of Ultraman as well, right? Like he knows how valuable the crew is, um, and how the crew working together is. I mean, uh my crew, I can't even describe how amazing every one of them were in this whole thing, and him having that experience and knowing um, you know, and it's about the other athletes too in their crews, him having that bringing that experience in, and my husband having crewed before as well. Um, that really, I mean, you can't you I you cannot, I could not have built a better better crew. Um, my friend Nicole was like, uh she was my nutrition, you know, clipboard checking off, you know, making sure and they were problem solving for me on day one I had stomach issues. And um my paddler, Mike Mahoney, was like, I think his is the absolute straightest line down that lake. Um kept me on course. And yeah, I'm just I have lucked out to have the support from the people that I love and care about and are rooting for me.

Larry 15:06

Yeah, that and that's what makes the the race so special is that that you have that instead of the Iron Man experience where they're somewhere on the sideline clapping.

SPEAKER_01 15:14

Right, yeah, uh for sure. Um and you know, I have my children at home and my mom has been watching them for you know the whole week and uh you know they've been shout out to mom then. Shout out to grandma, uh really um couldn't have done this without you. Um yeah, so knowing that uh and I mean all the the training for this, just knowing that I have people rooting for me is I mean it's very humbling and very um you know it it also keeps you engaged fully. Yeah.

Larry 15:44

Well you you had an amazing race. As I said, you were the overall winner of Ultraman Canada 2022 with a time of 244716. Congratulations, Amy.

SPEAKER_01 15:55

Thank you very much. Thank you.

Larry 15:58

It is interesting but not surprising that both of those athletes felt the need to mention how the spirit of Aloha, Kokua, and Ohana were such a big part of their experience.

2022 Ultra 520K Canada race preview

Larry 16:11

Today I was supposed to be joined by the two Steves who have been the backbone of triathlon and Penticton for decades. Unfortunately, Steve Brown has been having technical difficulties and is not able to join us. However, Steve King is here, and with Steve Brown's consent, we will just go ahead. Today we will be previewing the athletes that have the honor of being the final group of athletes for the 520K race, as Steve has decided to retire the 520 format in favor of the 355 format moving forward. Now that news was broken a few episodes ago here on the 515 podcast, but for listeners who may have missed that episode, uh perhaps Mr. King, you can uh give us a little bit of the Coles Notes version of what brought that forward uh with Steve Brown and his organization.

Steve King 17:07

Well, as you're very well aware, Larry, there are two events at the Ultraman Distance that are hosted here uh one week apart. And uh coming up uh uh this weekend, we have Ultraman Canada followed next weekend by the Ultra 520 Canada event. And um no one needs that sort of uh conflict in any way, shape, or form. And Steve, along with a few other people like Van Sanchez out of Mexico, Tony Horton out of Australia, I know Nick Malik was keen on putting one on in Thailand as well. Uh, these people are keen on putting on what is a three-day event, but non-assisted, in other words, no cruise. And the three-day event uh would consist of a 5k swim followed by a 100k on the bike, and day uh two would be 175k on the bike, and day three would be a 50k run. So that's what we can anticipate seeing next year, but Ultraman Canada will still be a go uh ongoingly.

Larry 18:04

Right. And um Penticton has been getting fully back into its sporting uh events in the past few weeks, and you've been a very busy man working at these things. Can you tell us a little bit about what's been going on in Pentikton for the last few weeks?

Steve King 18:20

You bet. Um, we've had uh a grand fondo here, which is four different distances. We've had that for uh a number of years, and this year was the 10th edition, so we were delighted to have it back since uh well the last time was in 2019, and we were thrilled to see we had 3,000 riders taking part in that. Thank goodness the weather changed. It was a beautiful day for the event, very successful. And in fact, the day beforehand, we have uh the Piccolo Fondo, which is five different distances for very young kids. And it was wonderful to see them uh to get things in motion. And then last weekend, the Sunday just gone, uh Steve Brown and his team, we put on the uh Peach Classic triathlon, which is a spring and Olympic or standard distance event. And it was the very first triathlon ever hosted in the Okanagan Valley from 1983 onwards. So it was our 40th year. So we were absolutely thrilled. That was very successful. Uh, it was a BC Championships and also a qualifier for the world championships in 2023.

Larry 19:21

Oh, excellent. And and did any of the locals come out uh at the top of the podium in any of those groups?

Steve King 19:27

Indeed. In the sprint, it was uh a local physician in the women's division who won the sprint in the Olympic or standard distance. It was a gentleman Corrie Christ from uh Kelowna, followed by uh uh Martin uh Caron of Pentictum 1N2. So we were thrilled to see those uh locals doing so well.

Larry 19:46

Oh, excellent. Now, you and Steve Brown have been, as I said at the beginning, kind of the backbone of the triathlon community here for a number of decades. Uh, I'm wondering, can you tell our listeners how exactly did you two first meet? It must have been at an event.

Steve King 20:03

It would have been an event. Um I I I would say probably in the 80s because we were both doing uh I man races in the 80s, and um Steve was hosting events as well. We had the interior road races that we were putting on. I've been involved in uh the I-Man Distance race since '83, the Peach Classic since '83. Steve has been a race director of both of those events, and it was just natural when he put the first Ultraman race on in 1993 that I would be involved in that as well. And then I was lucky enough uh uh to do the event myself in 1994.

Larry 20:40

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Now um I know with COVID and travel restrictions that um that's kind of reduced the number of athletes attending both of the races coming up in the next couple of weeks here for for the 515 distances. Um and in addition, there's also been a few late drops like there are at any of these races, including the athlete that Chad Bentley and I were going to be crewing for. Um so that said, um, let's let's get into introducing the remaining 16 athletes that are going to be attending this 520K.

Steve King 21:16

Absolutely. As you're well aware, uh there are 11 men, there are five women. I think we've got five countries represented: uh the US, uh, Australia, France, and Canada, and South Africa. And uh what's interesting is when you look at the age categories as well, it's quite remarkable. We have absolutely no one in the 20 to 29 category. We have two men and no women in the 30 to 39. We only have one man and one woman in the 40 to 49. We've got eight men and two women in the 50 to 59. And in all the years we've had this event, we've never had a woman in the 60 plus category. But this year we have two women in that category. So quite remarkable. And we're hoping obviously both. Of them can finish and therefore set a benchmark for women in the 60 to 69 division. And it's going to be interesting because obviously you hope there's battles going on. But uh I think the one person in the 40 to 49 division, both male and female, are going to be stunned to find that there's no competition in the category. But it's not necessarily about the competition, but it is about getting there. And, you know, that brings us to the first racer, Rebecca Ball. And she's out of uh Colorado, and she's been with us before and a phenomenal swimmer. Like she did a three-hour and a few seconds swim the last time she was here, uh, but unfortunately wasn't able to finish uh the bike on day number two. However, I know she's been putting quite a bit of work for that as well uh to make sure she finishes. And she did have the guts, though, to go out onto the run and did something like 11 hours, 49 minutes on the run. Uh so we certainly are pleased to see her back. She's got four MM behind her now, and I think uh half a dozen 70.3s. So she's put the work in. She's got a great coach in Mary Carrie, and uh, we're looking forward to seeing her back here.

Larry 23:04

Mm-hmm. And she's also done something called the Elephant Rock Century. Um do you know about that, yes?

Steve King 23:12

Well, I think she's done that like four times, uh maybe three times, 2019 onwards, um, with the exception of 2020, like most people as well. So, yeah, so she's put in the cycling miles to make sure that uh she hopefully can get through that tough second day. It is a toughie, the course is far from easy. So uh we look forward to seeing her here with us.

Larry 23:34

Now, looking into the the next category for the women, there are two women in the 50 to 59 category.

Steve King 23:42

I think Lorraine Natho is one of those. She's out of uh Calgary, she's a doctor there, races with critical speed. So coached by multi-time, a world exterior champion, uh Calvin Zariski. And she actually has crewed with us before. She crewed for a Spaniard, Leo Lopez. That was uh in 2019, and that set her up for her plans to take on this challenge. And she's raced in the heat, including in places like Cosumel. So we certainly wish her well. And she's got a PR, I think, around 1117. Uh, so she's part of a Guinness record team as well that uh uh ran together during a marathon in 2017. So I I I also know she's a very good swimmer in terms of uh we know she'll get through the distance because she's done our scar like ultra swim before. And that, as you know, is 11.8 kilometers.

Larry 24:33

Yep, and it and it's the same lake. So she knows she knows the water.

Steve King 24:38

She knows the water and got a great team. Uh I think her sister's part of the team as well. So that's all always very exciting to see. We've got a South African in the field as well, uh, Retha Rousseau. You uh you asked about, you know, other women that are in the 50s. Um, and she's a lawyer. She's raced with us before at IMN Canada. Um, I think she was just over 16 hours in that one, but she's got 45 marathons to her credit. She's done uh uh stage races like 250k in the Kalahari Desert and 38 Ultras. So she'll be looking to make sure she gets to that third and final day. And uh uh that's going to be uh a tough one, uh, you know, for her, of course, uh as it is for a lot of people, is is get through those two tough days because when you've done a 10K swim, some people spend anything. We've had a couple of people who are like a minute 30 in transition, other people who can be up to 30 minutes and in transition. So you hope that she's able to come through and do really well.

Larry 25:38

Yeah. And then in that 60 to 69 category, the uh she said there are two women there and and one another another lawyer.

Steve King 25:45

Uh yes, Paula Roshman, I think you're referring to there out of Toronto. Would that be the lady you're referring to? Yeah.

Larry 25:52

Exactly.

Steve King 25:53

Yeah, well, she she's uh done Iron Man here as well. She's raced in Nice, um, Montreum Blanc, Wisconsin, Muskoka, and she's raced in Lanzarote. And of course, Lanzarote, known as one of the toughest of the Iron Man races around. She's got 31 marathons to her credit, I think like a dozen times at the Boston Marathon as well. So again, one of those people you you just hope can get to that third and final day because we'd love to see a battle in that uh women's 60 plus division. And then the other woman in that division is uh uh Susan Evans. And uh Susan is a phenomenal athlete, and uh we're just thrilled she's taking this on. She's coached by Jonathan Caron or Johnny O, as he's known here, of course. She's been putting in a lot of work. She only came really, she retired, I think, in seven years ago and came into the sport in 2017, started doing in indoor cycling classes, and and now has uh done all sorts of things, including challenge Roth. Uh I man Lake Placid. She's one of Age Division uh spots to the World Championships, uh, been to Kona. So uh we are looking forward to big things from her. I mean, she has a PB of around 1215, I think it is, has uh done like a five and a half hour uh 70.3 as well. So uh I think we're in for something very special from her.

Larry 27:15

Yeah, and she has she has a connection to a couple of the other local uh Ultraman athletes as well with uh Kevin Kutchar and Tracy McQuare.

Steve King 27:25

Yeah, and Kevin, as you know, has won the uh Ultraman World Championship as well as Ultraman Canada, and Tracy McQuare has won Ultraman UK as well as Ultraman Canada. So we got a lot of uh good people on board locally as well. They're they're there as crew, as supporters, etc. So we're just thrilled.

Larry 27:45

Speaking of Tracy, I did have a conversation with her this weekend to inquire about her good friend Jenny Ayers. Those listening may know her from crewing at Ultra Races or from her own athletic accomplishments. If you do know her, you may have also heard that she had a mountain biking accident. She is in hospital in Vancouver, and Tracy says that her prognosis is very good for a full recovery. We wish you all the best for a speedy recovery, Jenny. Well, switching over to the men's field, there are eleven in total there. So let's start off with the youngest athlete in the field, a 35-year-old from here in British Columbia. Um, can you please tell us a little bit about Steven Sanderson?

Steve King 28:33

Yeah, Steve is out of uh Chilliwack, I believe. He's a firefighter there. And uh, I know he's done a couple of I-Men where he was in full gear. And uh that's a lot of poundage uh to be carrying with you. And I think that was uh obviously not through through the swim or the bike, but on the run course. And the extra weight is something like 50 pounds. So you know, if you were a say 150 pounder and you're you're suddenly weighing 200 pounds, that's a heck of a workout. I've seen him actually do that. As you know, I I am the race announcer for the um Vancouver Marathon, and I think it was seven years ago, he ran that in full gear as well.

Larry 29:14

Yeah, and he does that for a cause as well, does he not?

Steve King 29:17

He does, yeah. Uh for muscular dystrophy, I believe. He's been the firefighter of the year. He's won the award for that. Also a very good light heavyweight boxer who's won uh silver and bronze gloves before. And he he I think he made something like $50,000 for the cause, and he's doing this one, I believe, in in support of uh Crohn's and Colitis Canada, because uh unfortunately his sister Jen and other family members um friends have been impacted by the disease.

Larry 29:45

And is he intending to run the full double marathon in his gear this year?

Steve King 29:49

You know, uh I personally I hope not. I say that with nothing but the most uh admiration and respect. But you know as well as I do how tough that course is, and uh you've still only got 12 hours, and I say that again very respectfully. He's a very tough guy, obviously. Um, but I'd hate for someone not to arrive at the finish line because the extra heat that that gear, let alone the weight, and there's some serious, serious climbs on that, as well as descents, and you can imagine that gas tank banging into the back of you. So I wouldn't like anyone to try that on this course.

Larry 30:24

Now, Steve, there are two men in the 40 to 49 age group. The first is a 42-year-old from Richmond, British Columbia, Jeremy Hopwood. Uh he's originally from Australia, but he's going to be racing under the maple leaf for the race. Um, do you know about his previous experience in Penticton?

Steve King 30:44

Oh, yeah, he's been here quite often. In fact, um he was here with us um uh for the ITU uh long course in 2017. He's uh he was actually a Juoan world champion at one point in the men's 35 to 39 division. Uh we've seen him here at Challenge Penticton as well. He's a sub-945 performer at I Man. He's done Iron Man Court Lane, and then he was around nine and a half hours when he did that event as well. So he would be someone I would expect to be uh near the front of the field.

Larry 31:19

Excellent. And then we have a second athlete in the 40 to 49 division with Justin Williams. What do we know about him, Steve?

Steve King 31:28

Well, you may have heard me say earlier that there was just, I thought, one person in the 40 to 49. So thank you for correcting me on that. There are two men in that division and therefore seven in the 50 to 59 division. And Justin Williams is uh, I think originally out of Kansas City, Missouri. So we're delighted to have him with us. And uh uh he had spoken with Steve Brown, I think it was uh four years ago, decided he would take on this challenge. And he likes the heat as well. If you're going to do I-Man Texas, you've got to be okay with the heat. And he's done around 11 and a half hours there. He's also done I-Man Candace, so knows this area, and uh six times at the iron distance and lots of 70.3. So uh I'm not sure whether he'll be strong enough to um, as we say, take on Jeremy Hotwood, but we're looking at three days and anything can happen there, you know. And uh it's nice for Jeremy to have some age group competition. So we look forward to that.

Larry 32:23

Yeah, and I think I think you might have skipped over his his greatest accomplishment, Steve. Um, I understand that he also uh was consecutively second place in the potato sack race in both the third and fourth grade.

Steve King 32:38

I wasn't aware of that, but thank you for filling me in on that. I should certainly mention that during the course of the event. The things we do, egg and spoon races, I remember doing them at school as well. Yeah.

Larry 32:51

Well, the next category then um will definitely not be one by acclamation. It's our largest category with seven athletes, the 50 to 59 men. And first up in that category is 51-year-old Morgan Boyle, and he's coming from Sherwood Park, Alberta. Um and he likes to do his Ironmans, but he likes to do them in the extreme form. So, what what do we know about Morgan?

Steve King 33:18

Well, he knows BC. He was actually born in Vancouver. He's done uh the Canadian death race at 125k in Alberta, and uh that's a toughie. Uh that's a running race, of course, if someone can run the entire thing, and some do. Uh, this has been on his bucket list for a long time, and I I think the timing felt right to him, especially after having done uh I man, the Swiss Man Extreme, Alaska Man Extreme, and they're very tough. He's done five M men um so and quite a few 70.3s. I've been at a couple of those that he's done. And I think, you know, he's looking forward not only to becoming a first-time finisher, but actually the competition that's going to be there in that division.

Larry 34:00

Yeah, and and another 51-year-old athlete out of Ontario also has an ultra connection through his coach out of Discomfort Coaching. So I'm pretty sure you know who that is. Uh, can you tell us a little bit about Nicholas Dean?

Steve King 34:15

Uh we can indeed. Um this is a gentleman who's uh qualified by taking on IM Montre-Blanc, which is a phenomenal event. Uh, so many people love that event for many. It's been their number one event uh in the entire world, in fact. It's a gorgeous place to visit. He he's done around 1420 there. He's got five I men to his credit, and uh I think uh nearly 1070.3s. So obviously we look forward to uh to seeing him here with us. And uh I I think he would be happy to complete probably each three days, and uh each of the three days and get through it safely and enjoy it with the family who's going to be present. Some coaches come and join us, some stay at home, and obviously uh we hope that they can tune in to those different finish lines.

Larry 35:04

Yeah. Um, Steve, just one of the things that we missed hitting on was Mike Coughlin.

Steve King 35:10

Ah, Mike Coughlin, yes. Thank you for bringing that up. Because m Mike is actually going to be here for both uh both of these events, which is wonderful because he has an athlete as well that's going to be taking part in Ultraman Canada. And uh Mike, of course, has been top three at Ultraman Canada and uh had been to the Big Island before, but then in 2015, he won the World Iron Man, uh, sorry, World Ultraman title. And we were thrilled. Uh as a Canadian, it's nice for me to be there on the Big Island to uh welcome Canadians, uh Jordan Bryden, who's done likewise, uh Tara Norton, Tracy Preston. You know, it's been uh a thrill to see those guys at the top of their game.

Larry 35:53

Yeah, and and I did speak with Mike back in season two, uh episode seven, and uh that was a great interview if people want to go back and listen to that one. So I look forward to meeting up with him while I'm up here in Penticton as well.

Steve King 36:06

Me too, right? He's a really, really nice guy and uh absolutely brilliant uh triathlet, but his cycling is just superb. So uh he he's a great coach.

Larry 36:16

Yeah, and that's with discomfort coaching, right? Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Steve King 36:21

Uh I know Fred Lambright's come back. We've got it, it's nice to see a couple of people who come back because maybe they didn't weren't able to finish the first time, but Fred certainly was able to finish and has been with us uh a couple of times. And we've got uh he he had the great experience of enjoying 2018. I know his father is also a triathlete. He's done Iron Man Texas, he's done Iron Man Florida. He's usually in the 13-hour mark, he's done around 29 hours uh for the Ultra 520 before. So again, he'll be another person to watch for. And uh again, another person who will have his wife uh on the crew. Another person in that division is another Albertan and Edmontonian, Mark uh Woodhouse. I think he he's now 55. Actually, an Aussie by birth, but he is a Canadian citizen now. He's got 10 I-Man distance races to his credit, including the World Championships. Uh and I've seen him amongst the top five in his division a few times, different races. I think he's got a PR just uh uh around 10 and a half hours. Uh Whistler was uh one of his qualifying events as well. So he's been top five in his division, so we could expect uh big things from him because he does train all year round. He's also a very good cross-country skier. So that could pay off big time for him, obviously, uh in the double marathon on day three.

Larry 37:44

Yeah, so from time to time, uh even without COVID, uh, deferrals are sometimes granted for these races in some very special circumstances. And I know that Steve Brown did a deferral in the case of our next athlete. He is uh representing France at the race, and uh he's the only one coming from Europe this year. So um, can you tell us a little bit about Simon Voss?

Steve King 38:11

I I can. Uh, this was very sad. Uh he was born in Belgium, by the way, but he he's done um uh half a dozen shorter distance ones. A lot of 70.3 is nine I men, including Challenge Roth, uh Elba Man. Uh he's raised in Mexico, Austria, uh, three times the I-Man in France and the Big Island. But uh he was supposed to be in this event in 2019, actually on his 50th birthday. But unfortunately, his wife Anne uh got sick. And so um Steve agreed to postpone uh his entry and move it over. But sadly, his wife uh was deceased and she uh she fought bravely for three years, but the the disease was stronger. And so he's gonna be here and um he's bringing some family with him. I believe his son, uh Alexander, is going to be here with us, and uh daughter Emmeline. So we're just pleased they're gonna be here. I think Lisa is other daughter is also gonna be here, so that's a tough one, but uh we're really pleased that uh Simon is eventually going to be at the start line.

Larry 39:16

Yeah, yeah, that's a that's a special one to to watch out for, and I'm sure his finish line dedication will will be there for his wife. Um, you know, it it says a lot about the the quality of the race that Steve Brown puts on, that so many of these people come back to the race again and again. And this next athlete is another one of those who is returning. Um, so next up we have uh Michael Richardson from California. He's 55 years old. He did the race previously in 2018. Do you remember his uh performance there, Steve?

Steve King 39:52

Uh I I do. I was pleased to see him back as well because he was originally out of San Juan Capistrano, I think is where he lives. So, you know, to come with family and say, you know, I like this event and uh uh I I really enjoyed the people and I want to come back. Uh uh, we're thrilled because we we know the effort it takes. We know that it it means you've got to really work hard. He was our 26th finisher that year. So one of the good things uh for him is that he would like to beat his time. But I think it's also important for us to mention there's major changes in the course. Uh, it's no longer the usual course that we've had for quite a few years.

SPEAKER_05 40:30

That's right.

Steve King 40:31

Uh, because of what happened in Princeton with the flooding. Now, Ultraman Canada is going to go ahead with the similar course that they've had for the last few years. Um, because remember, for that race they had six people uh last year uh when we were able to put that on. But for this race, uh, Steve has designed a course that basically is all around Okanagan Falls. So it's multiple loops, uh uh um two loops for the swim uh out of OK Falls and finishing there, and then the bike will finish there, et cetera, et cetera, and the run. So it's going to be different for him. But the great thing is, uh he and his wife Christy will be celebrating their 25th anniversary. Uh, I think they did that last month. So it's a great way for them to get together and come here and hopefully enjoy it. Uh his daughter is also going to be with us. So we're we're just pleased that he's coming back. And hopefully he can uh improve on his time and his position because uh he was 26 last time. There's 16 athletes. Who knows how many are going to be official finishers, but I certainly hope Michael is one of them.

Larry 41:33

Mm-hmm. Yeah. And and when you're talking about that uh course change, Steve was on a a couple episodes ago, and when he introduced the the idea of the 355, he was explaining that this route is basically going to be the 355 route. And so it's it's just mostly a couple extra laps of that. So it's a good preview for people that might want to come back and do that 355 as well.

Steve King 41:57

Absolutely. Uh I look forward to it. I mean, it's going to be fascinating to see how it unfolds. It certainly has gone down well in Australia and in Mexico. And in fact, Israel has a 355 as well. And I know India's uh getting one going. So it's like, yeah, it could be something very big eventually. You know, those people who want to go long, want to go over three days and be self-contained throughout, uh, we'll see how things unfold.

Larry 42:24

And and I think it's probably uh a lot more economical for the athlete to be able to do that as well and not have to support the crew uh for those three, well, more than three days, probably more like six days when you tack on the beginning and the end.

Steve King 42:40

It's a lot of cost. And as you know, when you're doing an ultraman distance event, um you need that crew. Even if you don't think you do beforehand, you certainly appreciate it by the end of that because of the effort it takes and the nutritional needs, uh having someone to pace you or be it be along with you or on the run, especially, and just to keep you motivated and to keep you on course. So be interesting to see what the athletes say after this event uh around about the course, even though it will be less in terms of distance.

Larry 43:10

Right. Well, next up is another uh athlete who was sold by Mr. Brown himself when he was down in Australia for one of the races, and that is Craig Stokes. Can you tell me about Craig Stalks out of Australia?

Steve King 43:26

Yeah, he was originally born in South Africa, I believe, but uh I I've met him a couple of times. Great guy. I really enjoy him. Uh he did 2021, uh sorry, 2022 in Australia, because 21 they didn't host. We had uh uh I was there in 2019 and 2018, so I've seen him a couple of times do them. He's uh really good. I I really enjoy uh the guy. He's I I think a real big talent, and I certainly hope that he's able to come and enjoy this one. He he um is looking, remember. I mentioned this uh Ultra uh 355 in Mexico. It's uh eight weeks after this event. He's actually going to go to that as well. He loves to do the ultras, and uh his wife Anna is gonna hopefully be here with him. I think he could be someone who could uh potentially take his category based on the fact that he's got the level of experience that he has.

Larry 44:23

Yeah, and speaking of the 355 in Mexico, uh Van Sanchez is also in Penticton right now. He's he's up here to support an athlete uh from Mexico for the Ultraman Canada race.

Steve King 44:35

Uh yes, and Van in uh 2014, I think it was, he became uh the youngest athlete ever to complete uh this uh distance at the Ultraman. He did that at Ultraman UK. Certainly a very, very difficult event to be um taking on. And uh he is the host now in Mexico, at the one in Mexico. So uh here he is. He puts on not only an Ultraman distance event broken up in three days, but he's put a non-stop Ultraman on as well. And uh he's up here with us because he's got a couple of athletes that are going to be taking part uh this weekend in Ultraman Canada. And again, I'm sure he will be talking to Steve about the 355 and maybe working together on uh getting a successful one going here.

Larry 45:28

And and I also saw uh he did uh an announcement that he wants to do another 515 race uh up in Texas.

Steve King 45:36

He does. And you may remember the great photographer, cyclist, uh former record holder from the States who's done Ultraman Canada as well as Ultraman World Championships of Rick Kent. Uh Rick has hosted two Ultraman distance races in Texas. So I'm not sure if they've been talking to each other, or is this simply because uh, you know, Texas is a state above uh Mexico and uh a hot uh triathon-loving area.

Larry 46:07

Yeah. Uh yeah, Rick Kent uh used to take some great photos up here at Ultraman when he retired from his athletic career. And uh if you ever go back and look at some of the old photos of Ultraman Canada, those a lot of those are his, and those those were fantastic.

Steve King 46:23

You bet.

Larry 46:24

Uh so now we're down to our final competitor, and this is the oldest gentleman in the race. It's Brian Eastcott. He's racing out of Toronto, Ontario. Um, can you tell us a little bit more about um maybe why he signed up and uh what you know about his racing career?

Steve King 46:43

Well, I don't know much about Brian, to be honest with you, except the fact I I know he's part of uh Tara Norton's team Atomica. And Tara, of course, uh, who's been a multiple Ultraman champion on the Big Island and a phenomenal pro triathlete over the years. Uh uh, but I believe he chose this event because his friend Paula Rochman, who was spoken about, also signed up for it. And uh he qualified last year, he did I Man Florida in about just over 13 hours and I think 18 minutes. So again, I I would think that uh he's gonna be happy to be part of this. He is a marathoner, so uh he came to running, I think, when he was about 38 years of age, loves the environment and a passion for Mother Nature. So I think we're going to be uh embracing someone who is going to get be very happy to get to that run and uh get to that finish line. And certainly uh uh he knows how long we've been doing this event. And I think uh now's the time. You know, when you hit your 60s, you have to look at, okay, uh, what's on my bucket list. And I'm delighted that a friend of his suggested he do this one. And we look forward to seeing how he does out there. So good to see a gentleman in that 60 plus again. I believe I said at the beginning there was uh two women in the 60 plus, and I've forgotten that there was this one gentleman also in that category.

Larry 48:02

It's been great to to make sure that we can highlight each and every one of these competitors with there only being the small amount for the for the final race. And and being that we're coming to the final race of the of the 520. Maybe Steve, you can just take a few moments to reflect on some of your favorite memories from either the 520 or or the Ultraman Canada races that were done by Steve Brown back in the day. Because I know you've been along for the ride for a long time. When when Steve was on a few episodes ago, he gave he shared some of his favorite stories and some of the athletes that you know really made their mark and some of the inspiring stories that that came out of that. So I'm sure you must have a couple that you can reflect on for us and and give us the the background to some of this great history that's gone through Penticton with the the 520 and the and the Ultraman Canada with Steve Brown at the helm.

Steve King 48:57

Well, I think over the years we have to remember that um, you know, uh you look at some of the early years, and we we actually didn't host the event for like five or six years at one point because there just weren't enough people signing up, and then we decided let's just do it and see if we can get it back on the ground. And uh one year we just had five athletes do the event. We've had uh yeah, and I talked about Ultraman um uh previously when we had six men and one team last year. You know, so the idea is this is passionate people about the sport and Ultra uh putting these events on in the hope that uh more and more quality people in terms of uh their person, not necessarily their talent at the three disciplines, but we have had some major talents come on through. I mean, Kate Bevelacwa, the Australian, became uh uh one of the ladies who's won outright. You know, it's been fascinating. Amy Van Tassel has uh done likewise. So it's been interesting. She she did that in Israel, for instance, at the distance, but uh uh Kate did that here with us in uh 2015 and has won the world title as well. So uh you can see how neat it is to to see women getting out and and doing such amazing things. Uh and when it comes to a young man, like um, there's a young man I've seen coming up through the junior rankings as well. Uh and uh that was Jordan Bryden out of uh Alberta, who really is passionate about uh this sport, but he's a big guy, and a lot of people felt he couldn't hang in there, despite the fact he's done like an 818 for an I-Man distance, did that in Challenge Roth a few years back. Uh so he came here and I think it was 2017, surprised us in the terms of the dominance is his performance, then came back to Penn TikTokin again in 2019 and uh ended up winning that one, and then went to the World Championships and stunned the field there by becoming the Ultraman world champion. So it's been absolutely delightful to see uh Canadians doing very well. We have to remember there's uh sort of Aussie Canadian Nick Malle over the years. He's always been part of it, he's won the event a couple of times as well as having been second. Uh, he loves the sport, he's always reporting on it. I know he loves listening to your podcast, Larry, and uh I want to thank you for your interest in this event uh and the ultra-distance tricons, because just like ultra trail running, it's really blossoming. And we've got Leander Cave going to be racing this weekend. Leander Cave, who's won I-Man World Championship, I-Man 70.3, uh Long Course World Championship, uh, Olympic and Standard Distance World Championship. And here she is, she's coming through, and she could potentially be the overall champion.

Larry 51:51

So Yeah, I interviewed her for an athlete in profile as well for Ultraman Canada, and yeah, she's looking to get that fifth distance world championship. Well, Steve, um thank you for uh stepping up and taking on the role of both Stees today while Mr. Brown had his uh technical difficulties uh at the home studio. And uh I really appreciate you sharing all the information and the knowledge that you have because nobody knows these athletes better than you. And I look forward over the next two weekends to uh hearing you call these races and uh, you know, bringing these people the special attention that they deserve for taking on this challenge because so many of them are not here to race, they're just here to take on the challenge. And I know every one of them leaves feeling like a rock star once you've announced their name. So uh thank you once again for for giving your time to do these races in Pentikton. And uh we look forward to seeing how these two races uh end up over the next couple of weeks.

Steve King 52:58

Thanks very much, Larry. Always appreciate your attention to these events and to the athletes who undertake them.

Mary Jo 53:06

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