With all the attention on the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Multisport World Championship Festival, it can be easy to over look .

The triathlon is still taking place, a month earlier with nearly 500 taking on the Challenge July 23.

乌鸦传媒淚 think athletes are excited that we乌鸦传媒檙e doing it. I think a lot of people expected us fully to not do the event this year,乌鸦传媒� said race director Michael Brown. 乌鸦传媒淚 felt it important to not only the community, and obviously for the economy, that we乌鸦传媒檙e still bringing close to 500 athletes to town.乌鸦传媒�

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Included in that total are about 10 professionals. This year乌鸦传媒檚 event features the standard distance of a 1.5 kilometre swim, 45-km bike and 10.5-km run, the half distance of 1.9-km/90-km/21.1-km, the half relay of the same distance as the half and the aqua bike, a 1.9-km swim and 90-km bike.

The pro乌鸦传媒檚 will have a CDN $15,000 prize purse to chase. Among the pros are Mackenzie Madison and Nathan Killam.

乌鸦传媒淭he event is going to be as fierce and as competitive as it always is,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e excited to have a pro race. We feel it乌鸦传媒檚 important to offer pro prize money. These pro athletes don乌鸦传媒檛 always have an opportunity to make money. We乌鸦传媒檙e happy to give them that opportunity.乌鸦传媒�

Brown said there is a really good vibe about the event this year.

乌鸦传媒淲e have a ton of athletes that are coming to train during that week,乌鸦传媒� said Brown, adding that many entered the Peach Classic Triathlon on Sunday, then stay this week to train.

Challenge has really good local age-group athletes, some on the verge of becoming pros, or were, he added.

Brown said Challenge Penticton is a complement to the ITU. It乌鸦传媒檚 their intention to make sure the event was used as a test event. They will use many of the same volunteers, and captains. He said it乌鸦传媒檚 not very the chance arises to run an event on the same race course they will use six weeks later for the world championship. They will use the same bike course as ITU with the exception of the Summerland loop.

乌鸦传媒淚t gives a lot of people that are racing in August a chance to go out and race the course and have a better feel for the course come August.乌鸦传媒�

Brown wants to see the community support the event and celebrate the athletes, and emphasized the need for for both events.

乌鸦传媒淕et out and get involved and we love the community engagement in Penticton,乌鸦传媒� he said.