Dave and Becky Bartis didn't finish the Ironman Canada in the times
they had hoped, but the Huntington Beach couple was happy just to
finish the race in Penticton, British Colombia.
Forest fires threatened nearby communities of Kelowna and Okanagan
Falls, which sit on opposite ends of Penticton, and smoky conditions
dominated race day as more than 1,950 athletes representing 40
countries competed in the popular triathlon.
It was the 21st run of the Ironman Canada, which adjusted to the
conditions and made last-minute course changes.
Dave Bartis completed the triathlon in 10-hours, 44-minutes -- "a
good hour longer than he had hoped," said his wife, Becky, who
finished in 11:58, "a good hour and 10 minutes off what I wanted to
finish in."
Canada's Lisa Bentley and South Africa's Raynard Tissink won the
women's and men's title, respectively.
"We did well despite the conditions and we had a lot of fun,"
Becky Bartis said. "We went through a lot of craziness with all that
smoke on race day, but it ended up being a great day."
The Ironman Canada was the ninth Ironman in which the Bartis' have
competed and it is the last, big Ironman of the season for the
couple.
