Ogopogo Extreme Triathlon

Penticton (Skaha Lake), Canada · September · Independent

3.1

Good

overall, out of 5

Bottom 31%#83 of 119

Ahead of 30% of the 119 races.

2345

Each bar is a range of 0.25 points; green holds this race. The average race scores 3.4.

What does this score mean?

Based on 1 review. Treat this score as provisional. Why

Best for

Is it right for you?

First full: 1.1 Experts only
Course ease: 1.0 Extreme
PR potential: 1.0 Very slow
Wetsuit swim: 4.5 Almost always
Crowds: 1.2 Lonely

Swim in Skaha Lake, bike through wine country to Apex Mountain, trail run over two summits
Not yet held; course data is organiser-stated and distances differ slightly between sources

Race
2.1
Swim
3.9
Bike
3.4
Run
2.3
Conditions
3.5
Stay and travel
3.3

Every score is out of 5, and 5 is always the better end.

Pick up to 3 races to compare side by side

Why people love it

Swim in Skaha Lake, bike through wine country to Apex Mountain, trail run over two summits
Very hard: about 3,100 m (10,170 ft) bike gain, 1,600 m (5,250 ft) run gain, 19 hour limit

Watch out for

Not yet held; course data is organiser-stated and distances differ slightly between sources
Support vehicle required
Registration status unclear
Unverified whether it counts as a full-distance event; about 230 km (143 mi) in total

Race

2.1Below par

How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 27% of the overall score.

Racer satisfactionLiked3.3
A debut edition (5 Sep 2027) with no athlete feedback; the setting is a draw but unproven. · Low confidence
OrganizationAdequate2.8
No track record, a draft race manual and a mandatory personal support vehicle that pushes logistics onto athletes. · Low confidence
First timer friendlyExperts only1.1
About 230 km (143 mi) in total with 3,100 m (10,170 ft) of bike gain, a trail run and a self-supported format: experienced athletes only. · High confidence

Course traits, not part of the score

PR potentialVery slow1.0
3,100 m (10,170 ft) of bike gain, then a mountain trail run with a 19 hour limit; a PR is not the point. · High confidence
Course easeExtreme1.0
3,100 m (10,170 ft) of bike gain ending on Apex Mountain, 1,600 m (5,250 ft) of trail-run gain, a dark swim and 19 hour limit. · High confidence

Swim

3.9Very good

Wetsuit odds, water temperature, calm, and the experience of the start. Counts for 15% of the overall score.

Wetsuit legalAlmost always4.5
Skaha Lake in early September is typically about 20-22 °C (68-72 °F), so a wetsuit is almost certainly legal; unmeasured for this race. · Low confidence
Water temperatureComfortable4.4
Probably 20-22 °C (68-72 °F) in early September; the 5 am dark start will feel cooler. · Low confidence
Calm waterMostly calm4.2
A sheltered inland lake and a pre-dawn start favour calm water; no reports from this event. · Low confidence
Swim easeModerate3.3
3.8 km (2.4 mi) in the dark, so navigation and sighting are the main difficulty; no athlete reports. · Low confidence
Swim experienceFine3.3
A scenic lake, but the mass start at about 5 am is in darkness, so little of it is seen. · Low confidence

Bike

3.4Good

Road surface, closures, scenery and wind. Counts for 19% of the overall score.

Road surfaceGood3.5
Public paved roads plus a mountain road; no reports. · Low confidence
Road closuresMostly open1.8
Likely open public roads, hence the mandatory support vehicle; not confirmed. · Low confidence
Bike scenerySpectacular4.5
Orchards, wineries, lake views and a ski-mountain climb per the organiser and forums; untested in a race. · Medium confidence
WindMostly calm3.5
Valley and orchard roads are usually sheltered; no wind data. · Low confidence

Course traits, not part of the score

Bike speedVery slow1.3
182 km (113 mi) with 3,100 m (10,170 ft) of gain, finishing on a roughly 10 km (6.2 mi) climb averaging 8.5% with 12-15% pitches. · High confidence
Bike flatnessMountainous1.2
About 3,100 m (10,170 ft) of gain, well into mountainous territory. · High confidence
Bike simplicitySome technical parts2.5
Steep 12-15% mountain road and a long descent from Apex Mountain imply technical sections; unverified. · Low confidence

Run

2.3Below par

Crowds, aid stations, conditions underfoot and scenery. Counts for 13% of the overall score.

Crowd supportLonely1.2
Remote mountain and ridge trails by design. · Medium confidence
Aid stationsThin2.0
A self-supported format with a required support vehicle; no aid details are published. · Low confidence
Run scenerySpectacular4.6
Two mountain summits, ridgelines and Nickel Plate Park, per the organiser and Visit Penticton. · Medium confidence
Run conditionsBrutal1.3
An alpine trail after 182 km (113 mi) of riding, with a big climb above 1,600 m (5,250 ft). · Medium confidence

Course traits, not part of the score

Run flatnessBig climbs1.3
About 1,600-1,675 m (5,250-5,495 ft) of gain over 42 km (26.1 mi), over two summits. · Medium confidence

Conditions

3.5Good

Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 15% of the overall score.

Air temperatureWarm or cool3.4
Early September brings about 8-10 °C (46-50 °F) at the 5 am start and mid-20s °C (mid-70s °F) by day, colder up the mountain. · Low confidence
Weather reliabilityVariable3.2
The Okanagan valley is typically dry in early September, but alpine weather can turn. · Low confidence
Venue beautyStunning4.5
Okanagan lake, vineyards and alpine ridges. · Medium confidence
Spectator friendlyHard to watch1.3
A remote course across mountains with a support vehicle per athlete. · Medium confidence

Course traits, not part of the score

Low altitudeElevated2.0
The start is at 340 m (1,115 ft), but the bike finish and trail run are at roughly 1,600-1,900 m (5,250-6,200 ft). · Medium confidence

Stay and travel

3.3Good

Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 11% of the overall score.

Hotel availabilityGood3.6
Penticton is a large tourist town with Ironman-era capacity, but Labour Day weekend is busy. · Low confidence
Hotel valueNormal3.0
No data; holiday-weekend pricing is likely. · Low confidence
WalkabilityWalkable3.5
Skaha Lake is at the south edge of Penticton; the start venue is not confirmed. · Low confidence
Travel easeOne connection3.0
Kelowna airport is about 60 km (37 mi) away and Penticton has a small airport; both unverified. · Low confidence
LogisticsFiddly1.8
A lake-to-mountain, point-to-point style course with a required support vehicle. · Low confidence
Town and foodGood4.2
Penticton has wineries, restaurants and a long triathlon heritage. · Low confidence

Key facts

Location: Penticton (Skaha Lake), British Columbia (Okanagan), Canada
Typical month: September
Latest or next date: 5 September 2027
Organiser: Independent
Distances: 3.8 km (2.4 mi) swim, 180 km (112 mi) bike, 42.2 km (26.2 mi) run
Cutoffs: Finish 19:00
Swim venue: Skaha Lake (lake)
Swim start: mass (pre-dawn, ~5am start, in the dark)
Bike climbing: 3,100 m (10,170 ft)
Key climbs: Apex Mountain Road (~10 km at ~8.5% avg, per forum)
Run climbing: 1,600 m (5,250 ft)
Altitude: 340 m (1,120 ft)
Nearest airport: Penticton (YYF), Kelowna (YLW) approx 60 km (unverified)
Where to stay: Penticton near Skaha Lake
Booking: Race is on Labour Day Sunday weekend.

Official race website (ogopogoextremetri.com)

What racers and reviewers say

Slowtwitch forum: Welcome to The Ogopogo Extreme Tri Pentictonforum · Positive
Pre-race discussion, not a race report. Posters quote the organizer's description (dark 3.8 km (2.4 mi) swim, 182 km (113 mi) bike with approx 3,100 m (10,170 ft) of climbing, 42 km (26.1 mi) mountain run, 19 h limit). One cyclist calls the Apex Mountain road a favourite ride and is considering entering; another dropped out because of the required support vehicle. The Apex climb is described as steep (12-15% sections).

Sources

Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.

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