Coun. Scott Mckeen hopes to bring more 1,000 thousand runners, cyclists and swimmers back to Edmonton for another year of the ITU World Triathlon.
On Monday, he asked council to approve $1.2 million for the event in an already tight budget.
“It was just such a successful event this year that I think we’re actually morally obliged,” he said.
McKeen said he was blown away by the flattering international television coverage the event received, as well as the positive feedback given by organizers.
He said hosting the races again makes sense, given that council approved $1.45 million to design a velodrome in Coronation Park last week.
“We could become the centre of triathlon in Canada, which could be a really neat feather in our cap,” he said.
”I think it would hurt our chances at the Commonwealth Games if we held one ITU event and then bailed.”
Even with only about a quarter as many athletes competing compared to the 2014 Final, Mayor Don Iveson said hosting the 2015 race would still draw lots of attention to the city.
“These things continue to establish our reputation as a host of choice for international sporting events,” Iveson said.
Council will vote on the proposal later this week as part of ongoing budget deliberations.
