More than 100 elite athletes were in Barrie, Ont. on Saturday, June 15th, 2013 for the inaugural Endurance Games along the waterfront.
The eGames is meant to be a festival of sport with different events for everyone. It included a one mile race for young athletes, cycling and running events, and even an elite triathlon featuring some of Canada’s next best athletes.
It was almost enough for Olympic gold medallist and host Simon Whitfield to get back in the saddle.
“It’s an adjustment for sure. I raced against these guys as they were coming up and it was 18 years ago I was coming into the sport like they are now and part of me wants to mentor them, part of me wants to cheer them on and part of me wants to race and beat them. So it’s mixed emotions.” said Whitfield.
The eGames is the brainchild of Barrie native Graham Fraser, who wanted to bring a sporting event to his hometown and showcase the city’s waterfront and the historic downtown.
This year’s event is meant to be a showcase, a trial run for next year’s event which will run over three days and could see as many as 1000 competitors.
