Montreal triathlon, Mont-Tremblant Ironman cancelled due to wildfire smoke

Two triathlon events in and around Montreal were cancelled Sunday due to poor air quality.

Smog warnings were in effect for many parts of Quebec as heavy smoke from wildfires blanketed parts of the province.

The Ironman 70.3 race in Mont-Tremblant and Groupe Copley World Triathlon in Montreal were cancelled due to safety concerns.

Ironman organizers say the decision was made “due to the ash alert and high concentrations of fine particles causing poor air quality index (AQI)” in the Tremblant area.

Around 3,500 triathletes were expected to participate in Mont Tremblant’s half-Ironman.

“Ironman has strict safety benchmarks in place for air quality, which have not been met and the forecast does not suggest the AQI will improve throughout the day. It is always our priority to ensure the safety of our participants, spectators, volunteers, staff, and all others that are involved in the event.”

Organizers of the Groupe Copley World Triathlon said they made the decision to cancel “to ensure the safety of athletes, spectators, volunteers, staff and everyone involved in the event.”