Now that the triathlon has come and gone, the legacy that remains is the volunteers who helped make it happen.
Whether it was the addition of television coverage this year, aggressive advertising or media hype, a record number of people signed up to do everything from hand out water to passing runners to making sure road closures were enforced.
“(It was) unbelievable. We’ve never had such a turnout, now our job is to keep them coming back year after year,” said district representative Laura Byrne.
Nearly 300 volunteers, about 90 per cent from Sooke, came on board. Last year’s numbers were only a fraction of that, she said.
“That’s what we need to make these types of events happen—it’s really important to stress that, because we really appreciate them.”
Not only were locals getting in the spirit, but Byrne said some athletes from Vancouver brought their families with them to help out with the event.
Even Olympian Brent McMahon, who placed first overall in the Pro Chase event, had kind words for the volunteers saying it was great to have them and the district come out and show their support.
Shantel Cordeiro from LifeSport said the triathlon couldn’t have gone so smoothly without the extra assistance.
“The race is always really good, the community is so involved. This year I think the biggest success, in my opinion, is the volunteer turnout.”