IRONMAN Canada 2024 results: Lionel Sanders destroys rivals in final edition of ICONIC race

Home favourite Lionel Sanders made it three wins out of four this season as he powered to an all-the-way victory at IRONMAN Canada in the final edition of the race in Penticton before it moves to Ottawa in 2025.

It was a fitting end for the area where the first North American IRONMAN triathlon was born as Canada’s highest-profile triathlete produced a dominant display.

His cause, or more likely his margin of victory, was probably helped by the swim being cancelled – more details here – but the rankings suggested he was a class apart and so it proved as he locked in an early slot for the 2025 IRONMAN World Championship in Nice.

In the women’s race Sarah True (USA) was the only top 100-ranked athlete and she too underlined her credentials with a clear-cut victory.

Read on to find out more…

Pro Men

Dipping temperatures – just 13 degrees Celsius in the water – put paid to the swim and meant it was a time trial start on the bike, with athletes setting off 30 seconds apart.

The blind draw saw American Simon Shi set off first, with Sanders, in bib number one, in 14th but it didn’t take long for the order to be established.

‘No Limits’ had carved out 43 seconds on the field by the first checkpoint after 24km, that was up to 2:16 by the next at 65km and it just kept going out and out.

By T2 – or more accurately T1 – he had over 10 minutes in hand on Aussie Sam Appleton in second.

So barring some massive mishap on the marathon it was game over and though the gap came down slightly it was still around eight minutes heading into the last 10k.

It barely changed after that as Sanders continued his superb 2024. That’s now three wins out of four after victories at IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside and IRONMAN 70.3 Mont Tremblant, followed by third place last time at IRONMAN Lake Placid.

lionel sanders wins oceanside 2024 [Photo credit: Donald Miralle / IRONMAN] — It’s now three wins this season for Lionel Sanders [Photo credit: Donald Miralle / IRONMAN]

Pro Women

The women’s race rapidly boiled down to a three-way battle on the bike.

A third of the way through it was Jodie Robertson (USA) who led the way and there was around a minute back to Deborah Eckhouse (CAN) and True.

At the 110km mark Robertson had almost doubled her advantage, with True at +1:51 and Eckhouse at +2:26.

Coming into transition things went out a little further – Robertson now 2:26 in front of True as Eckhouse dropped out of contention.

But everything changed dramatically on the run – and quickly.

That deficit has been turned into a +1:14 advantage to True after just 5km and that would all but settle the race.

There were almost three minutes between them after 15km and it ballooned from then on.

True crossed the line in 7:52:29 after a 2:50:34 marathon, never in danger.