What to look for in 2022
Here is a quick update on the status of the Swim, Bike and Run courses in 2022.
Swim Course – Possible extended swim start times
The Swim Course is unchanged however, with the anticipated increase in the number of entries there may be more waves, which will impact start times. We will have a better idea of whether there will be more waves once we are into the summer months.
Bike Course – No change from 2019
The Bike Course will remain the same as in 2019. Prior to 2019 the bike course used the bridge on Forks Rd to go over the railway tracks in order to access Townline Tunnel Rd. That bridge will still be undergoing structural changes and it will be necessary to once again use the detour which diverts athletes along a section of the fitness path to Road #58. Once on Road #58 athletes continue on to Townline Tunnel Rd, where you ride under the waterway. The fitness path section comes at approximately 53km and is 75m long. As in 2019, it will be a NO PASSING zone. There are no new changes planned to the rest of the bike course. We are hopeful that construction will be completed in late 2022 and that the bike course will no longer require the fitness path detour.
Run Course – Changes at the request of the Niagara Parks Commission
As with all of our races it is important that we respect the wishes and needs of the community where we host a race. As many of you know the run course has gone past the Falls and, for many, was a section that they really enjoyed. This year the run course has been changed to accommodate the needs of the Niagara Parks Commission and two major construction projects along that part of the course.
While the run past the Falls was unique there were also some aspects that we felt could be improved. The first was the fact that athletes had to run two sets of 23 steps that took them from behind the casino to Murray Hill Dr. The other aspect that was not ideal was at the bottom of Murray Hill where there was a major intersection with a lot of vehicular traffic. The traffic along with a a great many pedestrians, who sometimes crossed the course, did not make for ideal conditions. Once athletes were on the Niagara Parkway they had their own running lane on the road however, they were more often than not running beside long lines of vehicles and the fumes.
We have worked within the parameters given us by the Niagara Parks Commission and feel the course overall will be a much better athlete experience.
We asked participants what they thought about the changes
“For 2022 the run course has changed. I have done Barrelman since 2017″ says William McArnirlin III.
“The course change eases 2 things. The first is traffic, by not running out behind the casino, down the hill and out the parkway to transition, traffic will be able to move much freer, reducing the disruption that we have. Also running down through Murray Hill takes a lot more manpower in terms of the police protection and traffic control, which is a substantial cost for the race.
Niagara Falls is a big tourist area, and we are not the only people that are there for ‘our’ weekend.
It also makes the race more accessible. I know that there are people that have asked about doing the race that were not able to because of the stupid stairs (go ahead and ask me how I feel about those stupid stairs….). But do not worry about if being too easy, the Burning Springs Hill is still there. It is great to have races in unique and awesome places. That is one of the reasons that I have kept coming back to Barrelman year after year. I always come out to the falls a couple of days before hand so I can sit and enjoy the falls.”
View the full course map section here
Parking Pass and TriOnt
All athletes must either be a member of Triathlon Ontario or purchase a one day membership. If you were unable to purchase either a One Day Triathlon Ontario membership and/or a race day parking pass for Upper Rapids Parking in Niagara Falls you can now do so. You can add either to your Barrelman to their existing registration:
- Log in and visit: https://raceroster.com/events/2022/47285/barrelman-niagara-falls
- Scroll to the right side of the menu features and select: ‘Store’
- Select: ‘View Details‘ the product you wish to add:
- $10 Triathlon Ontario 1 Day Pass
- $10 Parking Pass
- Have your confirmation number ready and select: ‘Confirm Registration’ and enter that number with your last name in the menu fields.
- If you are unable to find your confirmation number, email us at info@multisportcanada.com and we will re-send a copy of your receipt.
We know that many people receive too many emails as it is so we are going to keep the number of emails being sent to athletes to a minimum. We plan to only send email items that pertain to the race itself directly to registered athletes. Otherwise we will post general race information to this website and also link it to our social media platforms:
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