New this year: MEC is teaming up with the Snow Pentathlon that will be held in Quebec City from February 22 to March 9. Very popular after 10 years of existence, the event began as a retirement project of Jean-Charles Ouellet, a big fan of cycling and adventure races, among other sports, and is now the race director of the Snow Pentathlon.
“I was passionate about multi-sport activities. I had participated in a summer pentathlon that was held in Victoriaville and the idea came to me to create something similar in winter, that is to say, a popular multi-sport event that will attract athletes to the region.”
He then grouped five disciplines together – cycling, running, skiing, skating, and snowshoeing – in setting up the first winter pentathlon. “We established the distances in each discipline ourselves, since nothing similar existed. We tried to determine an equivalency for each discipline in collaboration with Triathlon Québec, both for the short and long distances” he says. The first edition was held in Lake Beauport.
But victim of its own success, the event became a little cramped over the years. The celebrations surrounding Quebec City’s 400th anniversary in 2008 were a catalyst to bring the event to another level. “I suggested to Francis Calletta that we form a partnership in order to present a project for the 400th. Our project was selected and we moved the whole thing to the Plains of Abraham. It was really the perfect place: all the tracks were already there and the only thing left to do was make the skating oval.” Fans turned out in great numbers, the event was an incredible success, and the city encouraged the organizers to continue. “The beginning of what I call ‘our Modern Pentathlon’” Mr. Ouellet said laughing.
François Calletta, Pentathlon CEO, in action last year.
This year, the International Triathlon Union (ITU) joins the Pentathlon. It will now have an elite component, which is more competitive and will require participants to complete the course in an hour and a half or less, as well as the age-group component, which is open to all and has no time limits.
“We are moving the Triathlon towards being more of an entertainment-oriented event,” says François Calletta, Pentathlon CEO. ”Moreover, we are working to train athletes specialised for this new sport we are developing.”
The organizers are thinking big. “The Pentathlon is immensely popular but the Triathlon is destined for the international level,” says Ouellet. Moreover, the ITU is taking the steps necessary to bring the winter triathlon to the Olympics in the same format that it will be presented this winter in Quebec City.
Nevertheless, the event remains true to its origins and to its first priority of attracting athletes of all levels. ”The Snow Pentathlon was built around one main theme: accessibility,” says Calletta. ”We then set ourselves a goal to become the largest outdoor winter event in Canada with regards to participation.” Six years later, it must be said that the goal was achieved brilliantly. “Today, we are considered the largest multi-sport winter event in the world, he states. And this year, we would like to surpass the 5000 participant level.”
The impact this event has had on the region is quite noticeable. ”We see more and more people who bike during the winter and snowshoeing is growing,” says Ouellet. “And the icing on the cake is that we now have an artificial rink that allows us to hold the event even in early March, regardless of the weather. A win-win situation for us! ”
“I’m really glad to see where the event is at this point. But what I find really interesting is to have had a hunch or vision about an event, to launch it and to see that the hunch or vision is shared by many “concludes the proud founder.
So, why don’t you also join the movement and take on the challenge of the Snow Pentathlon?
For more details and to register: www.pentathlondesneiges.com