INUVIK - Eager athletes and sport junkies gathered on Canada Day for the annual triathlon hosted by the Town of Inuvik recreation department.

Recreation programmer Josh McDonald said the first challenge was to swim 10 laps at the pool, meaning 20 lengths.

Participants line up for the start of the annual triathlon hosted by the Town of Inuvik. The race started at the pool and ended with a 2.5 kilometre run through town. - Dez Loreen/NNSL photo

"We have spotters there at the pool to keep times," said McDonald.

"We broke up the competitors into heats of eight."

Family Centre supervisor Rob Smith was on hand at the venue to watch over the event and to help.

Smith said the crowd of swimmers seemed eager to get into the water and do their best.

Smith also said once the swimmers were out of the water they were to proceed to the next station, where town officials were waiting with the bicycles.

"Some of the athletes are competing by themselves, which can be difficult," said Smith.

Sal Hayward from Kelowna was one of the solo athletes.

She said she had never competed in a triathlon before, only a duathlon.

Though she didn't do too much out of the ordinary to train, she said she was looking forward to the challenge.

"I think the swimming will be the hardest part, then the running in the end," she said.

McDonald said the cyclists had to take the long road, a 22.5 kilometre ride that stretched all the way to the hospital and back.

"We had someone watching their bikes, just to make sure nobody would take them," he said.

He added that water stations were set up all over town, with the route marked with signs.

McDonald said the race would be wrapped up with a 2.5 kilometre run.

"The running component is inside town and marked with signs," he said.

McDonald said the team started taking registrations after the parade finished at noon.

He added the weather was kind to the organizers this year.

"In past years, we've had to deal with rain, but not today, it looks great and there isn't a cloud in the sky," said McDonald.