HUNTSVILLE - Then there were three.
Huntsville has been chosen as one of three finalists to host the 2013 Ironman Canada event.
The town is competing for the right to host the event against two British Columbia communities, Kelowna and Whistler.
The World Triathlon Corporation, owners of the Iroman race series, made the announcement regarding the three finalists on Sept. 28. Seven communities in total submitted bids to the organization in hopes of winning the right to host the race.
The city of Penticton, British Columbia, has hosted the race for the past 30 years, but city officials decided to go with a different race provider for the coming years.
The race started from modest roots in 1983 with a field of 23 competitors and grew exponentially to the estimated 3,000 athletes that took part in recent years.
The corporation announced that as part of the selection process, Ironman staff will conduct in-depth visits to each finalist community. The corporation said it expects to announce the host for the 2013 Ironman Canada, as well as additional event-related details, by mid-October.