North Vancouver's Jackson Saunders becomes youngest finisher of gruelling 515-km Ultraman Canada race

Jackson Saunders of North Vancouver has become the youngest person ever to finish Ultraman Canada, a gruelling 515-kilometre endurance race held in Penticton. The Lynn Valley athlete, just 20 years old, broke the previous record set by Genzo Eto, who completed the race at age 21 in 2017.

Over three days in scorching July heat, Saunders swam 10 kilometres across Okanagan Lake, biked 421 kilometres and ran a double marathon of 84 kilometres. Each day of racing came with a 12-hour maximum time limit to finish. "I didn't really go into this sport to be the youngest ever at anything," Saunders said. "It was surreal to me, I couldn't believe it."

The race tested both his physical and mental limits. There were moments Saunders thought he wouldn't cross the finish line, but what pushed him through was remembering his late grandmother. "She lived an amazing life and was honestly such an inspiration for me," Saunders said. "When you do suffer a loss or something that you can't control, it makes you work harder to make them proud and just do it for the people who can't cause they're not with us anymore."

Family support proved crucial. His father paddled in a kayak during the swim portion, while his mother and sister drove to Penticton to watch him sprint to the finish line. "It was a really hard race," Saunders said. "Just knowing I have people I can rely on for that, I'm really grateful."

Saunders was one of eight people to compete in this year's Ultraman Canada. To participate, athletes must have completed a full-distance Ironman—a 226-kilometre race involving a 3.8-kilometre swim, 180-kilometre bike ride and 42-kilometre run. Saunders completed the last Ironman held in Penticton in 2024 before the event relocated to Ottawa.

He received his Ultraman Canada invitation in December and had mixed feelings. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I took it," Saunders said. "I was kind of stoked and nervous at the same time because it's a crazy distance."

Training was intense. Beyond his Ironman experience, Saunders completed the North Shore's triple crown—climbing and descending Grouse, Seymour and Cypress mountains on a bike in a single day. On weekends he would bike up to Whistler and back. "It's been a solo mission, this triathlete quest of mine," Saunders said. "It's nerve wracking, but I also find peace pushing my body to its limits."

The day after finishing, his body was sore but resilient. "I could walk, I was fine. I could go for a run if I wanted to, it was crazy," he said. Now Saunders is exploring whether his achievement can be recognized by Guinness World Records and is considering competing in the Ultraman World Championships in Hawaii next year. "Even if I don't, I still know that I'm the youngest finisher of this race, and that's still cool in itself," he said.