Hotel Blog

Barrelman Triathlon Race 10th Anniversary

This September 14th, 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the Barrelman 70.3 triathlon race in Ontario.  This race was created by the team at Multi-Sport Canada who runs the shorter distance race in Welland in June every year. 

What does a 70.3 race distance mean?  It is sometimes referred to as a half iron (due to the famous association to the full ironman distance, however ironman is a trademark name, not a representation of the event distance.)  The participants will head out for the 2km swim in the Welland canal from the Welland International Flatwater Centre. Then they will transition to the bike, a 90km bike from the WIFC down through the tunnel on Townline Road onto the Niagara Parkway, where there will be 64km of a full closed bike course (new for 2025 and very uncommon in the race industry.  The roads usually stay open and there are officers that direct traffic.) After this terrific bike experience, the athletes will run for 21.1km, finishing at Kingsbridge park in Niagara Falls. A race not to be undertaking without some prior physical fitness and training. The professionals can take as few as 3.5 to 4 hours to complete and as long as 8 to 9hrs when the course closes at 530pm, with an 8am start. 

What’s new for 2025?  The additional of the Olympic Distance! If you feel you have accomplished the sprint distances, and not yet ready for the full Barrelman experience, sign up for the Olympic distance with a 1500m swim, 40km bike and 10km run. A course that is fully closed to vehicle traffic on the bike and with the wind in the right direction, will be a fast ride. 

The number of registration spots are very limited for the Olympic distance, so if you’re interested, don’t wait long to register. 

If you are traveling from afar, be sure to tell the reservation staff at the hotel that you are coming for this event, there is a special discounted room rate under Barrelman. 

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