Multisports Canada has opened registration for its inaugural Jasper Gran Fondo and Jasper Triathlon.
The events are scheduled for June 13 and 14, respectively, and have been tailored to attract athletes of all skill levels.
A Gran Fondo is a long-distance road cycling event in which amateur cyclists are individually timed as they race a marked route.
The Jasper event will include three distances—the full Gran Fondo, which comes in at 180 kilometres, the Medio Fondo at 100 kilometres and the Piccolo Fondo at 65 kilometres.
The triathlon, which has a capacity of 200 participants, also has multiple options: the Sprint, Tri It and Kids of Steel.
The sprint is comprised of 30 lengths of the pool, 26 kilometres on the bike and a five kilometre run, while the Tri It includes 12 lengths, a 13 kilometre bike ride and a 2.5 kilometre run.
According to the founder of Multisports Canada, Trevor Soll, the reason for hosting both events in one weekend is to maximize the opportunities for families.
“I thought let’s do a Gran Fondo on the Saturday, that way if Dad’s coming in to do the ride on Saturday or Mom’s coming in to do the ride, let’s let the kids and the other parents participate on the other day.
“It’s perfect for the entire family.”
It’s taken Soll nearly a year to organize the event and he said he’s excited to see it finally coming to fruition.
The Gran Fondo has a cap of 400 cyclists—which, when compared to similar events in other locations, is quite low, but Soll said that could become the event’s allure.
“Some of the Gran Fondo events in Banff and Whistler will sell out with 1,500 to 5,000 people—we wouldn’t necessarily want that many at a first year event in Jasper, but ideally over the years we can grow and it will become a prestige event that, even if the numbers stay small, will be a sort of exclusive location and exclusive venue that is sought after.”
As well as having potential for growth in the future, Soll said he believes the Gran Fondo could act as a precursor to the Tour of Alberta—which will come through Jasper in early September—because it will give amateur athletes an opportunity to ride routes that are similar to those of the professionals, and spectators a taste of what a long distance bike race will look like in the park.
In a press release, Yellowhead MP Jim Eglinski welcomed the event, saying “These special events support the local tourism economy while providing participants and spectators the opportunity to connect with the incredible nature of Jasper and forge lasting memories of these special places.”
Anyone interested in learning more about the events is encouraged to visit www.granfondo-jasper.ca.
