Latest news with #Ironman
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Former rugby player to take on world-record swim with Scottish Canals
FORMER flanker for Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby Iain Sinclair has allied with Scottish Canals in hopes of becoming the first person to swim the full length of the Caledonian Canal. The 48-year-old aims to tackle and overcome the full 60 miles of the Canal, including 29 locks, starting on September 15 and completing the challenge within 10 days. He is raising awareness for three charities that hold a personal significance to him: Crohn's & Colitis UK, British Heart Foundation, and mental health charity Mikeysline. Sinclair said: 'After some research, I discovered no-one had ever swum the full length of the Caledonian Canal, from sea to sea across the Highlands of Scotland. 'It's long, cold water, and logistically quite tricky. 'Swimming was always the hardest part of the triathlon for me, heavy rugby player legs and the nickname 'Sinky' says it all, so anything that involved swimming would by default, be a challenge. 'I thought it might be fun to build a small team and create our own wee bit of history, perhaps inspire others and raise money for great causes close to us in the process.' He has faced significant health challenges. Diagnosed with indeterminate colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease, he underwent major life-changing surgery in 2013 to remove his colon and another operation to reverse the stoma and form an internal pouch using his remaining small intestine. Two years later, determined not to be defined by illness, he completed an Ironman triathlon alongside his friend Colin Maguire, raising funds for Crohn's & Colitis UK in the process. In 2024, Maguire died of a sudden heart attack – and Sinclair also lost Jenny Hastings, the wife of his friend and former Watsonians and Edinburgh Rugby teammate Scott Hastings. He is raising money for the British Heart Foundation and Mikeysline in their memory. Claire Maguire, wife to Colin, in support of Sinclair, said: 'It means the world to me and my boys that Iain is taking on this open water challenge in memory of Colin and other special friends. 'Iain's challenge will raise vital funds for the British Heart Foundation, a cause very close to my heart.' Also backing Sinclair is former teammate Scott Hastings, who said: 'It's with huge admiration that Iain is embarking on this amazing challenge in memory of my wife Jenny. 'I am delighted that Iain has chosen the mental health charity, Mikeysline, one of the three benefitting charities of this groundbreaking challenge. 'I look forward to being part of Iain's support team as he takes on this amazing feat.' Sinclair went on: 'I'm genuinely humbled to have the support and input of a hugely experienced and capable core group of people, along with the amazing support from our partners at Scottish Canals. 'From fitness and safety experts to friends, mentors, and family, it's been a shared effort from the start. 'I'm especially grateful for the support of my wife and our three children, the ones I hope to make proud above all. 'We're going to give this everything we've got.'
CTV News
4 hours ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Here's what you need to know about the Ironman Canada-Ottawa event on Sunday
Over 3,000 athletes will swim, cycle and run across Ottawa and Gatineau on Sunday in the 2025 Ironman Canada-Ottawa event. This is the first ever Ironman triathlon to be held in Canada's capital. The event will result in road closures across Ottawa and Gatineau beginning at 3 a.m. on Sunday. looks at what you need to know about the Ironman Canada-Ottawa race on Sunday. What is it? The Ironman Canada is a long-distance triathlon series, featuring a 3.8-kilometre swim, followed by a 180-kilometre bike ride and a 42.2-kilometre run. The Ironman Canada-Ottawa triathlon is part of the VinFast Ironman North America Series and will offer qualifying slots to the 2026 VinFast Ironman World Championship. The Ironman Canada-Ottawa race begins Sunday at 6 a.m. at Britannia Beach. An athlete must cross the finish line by 12 a.m. Course The 2025 Ironman Canada-Ottawa triathlon will begin with a 3.8 kilometre two-loop swim in the Ottawa River at Britannia Park. The first transition is located at Britannia Beach, where athletes will begin the bicycle portion of the Ironman. 2025 Ironman Canada event in Ottawa This is the swim course for participants in the 2025 Ironman Canada event in Ottawa. ( The bicycle course is a 2.75 loop covering 180 kilometres along the parkways between Britannia and Blackburn Hamlet, on Colonel By Drive to Mooney's Bay and move across the Ottawa River to Gatineau. 2025 Ironman Canada event in Ottawa This is the bike course for participants in the 2025 Ironman Canada event in Ottawa. ( The second transition is in Major's Hill Park in downtown Ottawa, where athletes will transition from the bicycle to the running course. The 42.2 km course will see runners compete in two loops of the course that includes running along Queen Elizbeth Driveway, through the Central Experimental Farm and around Parliament Hill. The finish line is located on Murray Street next to the National Gallery of Canada and Major's Hill Park. 2025 Ironman Canada event in Ottawa This is the marathon course for participants in the 2025 Ironman Canada event in Ottawa. ( Race schedule for Sunday 4 a.m. – Transition area opens 6 a.m. – Start of the Ironman Canada-Ottawa at Britannia 6 p.m. – Mandatory bike and gear checkout 10 p.m. to 12 a.m. – Magic Hour – Finish Line Celebration There will be a mandatory shuttle bus to the Britannia Beach swim start between 3:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. Race timing and cut-offs All athletes will have 17 hours to complete the entire course once they cross the swimming mat at the swim start. 'Anyone who does not complete the event in 17 hours will be designated as Did Not Finish in the official results,' according to Ironman. The swim course will close two hours and 20 minutes after the last athlete enters the water via the rolling start. Any athlete that does not complete the 3.8 km swim in two hours and 20 minutes will receive a DNF. The bicycle course will close 10 hours and 30 minutes after the last athlete enters the water. Each athlete will have 10 hours and 30 minutes to complete the swim, transition one and the bike course regardless of when they start the swim. The intermediate cut-off on the bike course is 120.5 km at 2:55 p.m., while the intermediate cut-off on the run course is 20.9 km at 9 p.m. Confederation Park The Ironman Canada-Ottawa athlete check-in begins at 1 p.m. on Thursday. Confederation Park in downtown Ottawa is home to: Ironman Village Athlete Check-In and Timing Chip Pick-Up Official Ironman Store Athlete Briefings The IronKids Fun Run will be held on Friday at 2 p.m. at Confederation Park. The welcome ceremony will be held on Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Confederation Park. On Sunday, the Celebration Day Breakfast (8:30 a.m.) and the Ironman-Canada-Ottawa Awards Ceremony and roll down ceremony will be held in Confederation Park (9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.) Road closures The City of Ottawa says several roads and bridges will be closed starting at 3 a.m. Sunday, with many roads remaining closed until 1 a.m. Monday. The Alexandra Bridge will be closed from 9:30 a.m. on Friday, until noon on Monday, Sussex Drive will be closed between Murray Street and St. Patrick Street from 5 a.m. on Sunday until 6 p.m. on Monday, and Mackenzie Avenue will be closed from 6 a.m. on Sunday until 7 a.m. on Monday. Ironman A map of road closures for Ironman Ottawa. (City of Ottawa) Major roads impacted by the event include: Kichi Zībī Mīkan Island Park Drive Carling Avenue Wellington Street Colonel By Drive Mackenzie Avenue Sussex Drive Rockcliffe Driveway Queen Elizabeth Driveway Prince of Wales Drive National Capital Commission Scenic Driveway Arboretum Roadway Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway Bridges impacted by the event include: Alexandra Bridge Champlain Bridge Chaudière Bridge Portage Bridge Pretoria Bridge OC Transpo routes that use these roads will be detoured during the event. With files from CTV News Ottawa's Ted Raymond
The National
6 hours ago
- Health
- The National
Former rugby player to take on world-record swim with Scottish Canals
The 48-year-old aims to tackle and overcome the full 60 miles of the Canal, including 29 locks, starting on September 15 and completing the challenge within 10 days. He is raising awareness for three charities that hold a personal significance to him: Crohn's & Colitis UK, British Heart Foundation, and mental health charity Mikeysline. Sinclair said: 'After some research, I discovered no-one had ever swum the full length of the Caledonian Canal, from sea to sea across the Highlands of Scotland. 'It's long, cold water, and logistically quite tricky. 'Swimming was always the hardest part of the triathlon for me, heavy rugby player legs and the nickname 'Sinky' says it all, so anything that involved swimming would by default, be a challenge. 'I thought it might be fun to build a small team and create our own wee bit of history, perhaps inspire others and raise money for great causes close to us in the process.' He has faced significant health challenges. Diagnosed with indeterminate colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease, he underwent major life-changing surgery in 2013 to remove his colon and another operation to reverse the stoma and form an internal pouch using his remaining small intestine. Two years later, determined not to be defined by illness, he completed an Ironman triathlon alongside his friend Colin Maguire, raising funds for Crohn's & Colitis UK in the process. In 2024, Maguire died of a sudden heart attack – and Sinclair also lost Jenny Hastings, the wife of his friend and former Watsonians and Edinburgh Rugby teammate Scott Hastings. He is raising money for the British Heart Foundation and Mikeysline in their memory. Claire Maguire, wife to Colin, in support of Sinclair, said: 'It means the world to me and my boys that Iain is taking on this open water challenge in memory of Colin and other special friends. 'Iain's challenge will raise vital funds for the British Heart Foundation, a cause very close to my heart.' Also backing Sinclair is former teammate Scott Hastings, who said: 'It's with huge admiration that Iain is embarking on this amazing challenge in memory of my wife Jenny. 'I am delighted that Iain has chosen the mental health charity, Mikeysline, one of the three benefitting charities of this groundbreaking challenge. 'I look forward to being part of Iain's support team as he takes on this amazing feat.' Sinclair went on: 'I'm genuinely humbled to have the support and input of a hugely experienced and capable core group of people, along with the amazing support from our partners at Scottish Canals. 'From fitness and safety experts to friends, mentors, and family, it's been a shared effort from the start. 'I'm especially grateful for the support of my wife and our three children, the ones I hope to make proud above all. 'We're going to give this everything we've got.'
Pink Villa
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Was Brad Pitt ‘Threatened' by Ex-Girlfriend Gwyneth Paltrow's Success? Here's What Reports Reveal
Gwyneth Paltrow has spilled the beans over her relationship with her former partner, Brad Pitt. The couple dated for nearly four years in the 90s and called it quits within a year of getting engaged. While putting out the actress' life stories in the new biography, the author, Amy Odell, took a dig at Pitt, claiming that he was 'threatened' by her success back in the day. After meeting on the sets of Se7en, the sparks immediately flew between Paltrow and the Fight Club star. After dating for a couple of years, the actor popped the big question to the Ironman star, to which the answer was yes. However, things did not work out between the two, and after the split, Pitt went on to marry Jennifer Aniston. Was Brad Pitt insecure of his then-girlfriend's power to grab attention? Odell, while spilling the details of Gwyneth Paltrow 's relationship with Brad Pitt, wrote that the actress 'cried about Pitt multiple times.' An anonymous source claimed that Pitt 'seemed to feel threatened by her success and all the attention she received.' '[Aucoin's] advice to Paltrow was frank: 'You really need to end this,'' revealed the author in the biography. When the duo began to date, Pitt had already made a name for himself in the industry by starring in movies like 12 Monkeys, Legends of the Fall, and Sleepers. On the other hand, fame struck Paltrow very quickly. She attracted success and attention, climbing up the steps of popularity rapidly. According to the previous media reports, despite Paltrow and Pitt ending their relationship in 1997, it was difficult for the actress to move on. When the F1 star went on to tie the knot with Aniston, the Marvel star was pretty bummed about it. She allegedly told her friend that the actor 'has terrible taste in women.' The Marty Supreme star also called her former partner 'dumber than a sack of s–t.' However, Pitt and Aniston filed for divorce within five years of marriage.
CBC
18 hours ago
- Sport
- CBC
Meet some local athletes competing in Ottawa's 1st Ironman
Ottawa's first-ever Ironman competition kicks off Sunday, and competitors are completing their final training. A grueling combination of swimming, a 180-kilometre bike ride, and a full marathon — some local athletes share just how hard they worked to get here.
