If this warming trend keeps up, the Prince George Iceman might be due for a name change.
The Slushy Slog might be more appropriate for the city's annual winter multisport endurance race, which on Sunday involved 568 competitors who braved unseasonably warm conditions which continued to play havoc on the race venues.
Steady rain and above-freezing temperatures overnight left the outdoor speed skating oval covered in water and race organizers had no choice but to cancel the five-kilometre skating segment.
That shortened the race and turned it into more of an all-out sprint for front-running soloists Cam McNamara and Shar Balogh, who captured the respective male and female Iceman crowns.
McNamara gave a fist-pump as he climbed out of the pool at the Aquatic Centre, then collapsed to his knees on the pool deck, his energy reserves drained after skiing eight-km, running 15km and swimming 800 metres in a winning time of one hour 39 minutes 59 seconds.
"I'm thrilled with it now that it's over," said the 32-year-old McNamara. "It wasn't that much fun a lot of the way through. I bumped into some people at the oval, I was pretty upset. I couldn't see where to go, I was so tired. It was a great race, all the volunteers do a great job."
Mike Buchanan was second in 1:40:32, while Rob Vogt placed third among solo men in 1:432:44.
This was McNamara's third attempt in the Iceman and his background as a strong runner helped take him to the top of the podium.
"Last year I was fifth but I was pretty far back in time," he said. " The first time (four years ago) was a learning experience.
"The snow was fast at Otway and a group of four or five of us stuck together all the way through, nobody really pushed it, it was just keep it under control. The fast snow kind of neutralized it for me because I'm not the best skier.
"Mike (Buchanan) and I were close all the way to the oval and I knew I had to get to the pool ahead of him because I knew he was a strong swimmer. Once I got to the pool (ahead of the pack) it was just everything I had left. It was a bit of panic setting in, I tried to look over to see where he was but I couldn't really tell."
Balogh celebrated her fourth Icewoman title in 1:45:28, the fourth-best overall individual time. The 15km run gave Balogh considerable pain in her legs but she didn't feel any muscle cramping in the pool, a common byproduct for most solo competitors in the grueling race.
"It's a tough event, it's always hard," said Balogh, 33, who won by seven minutes over second-place Carolyn Bax (1:52:24).
"Maybe I should have held back on the run because I suffered a lot the last couple K. It feels like the swim always does, which is hard but I've been fortunate enough to never have cramps on the swim. Swimming is my weakest event. The ski was rocket fast, the fastest for me in Iceman by at least a minute."
Balogh also won in 2009, 2011 and 2013.
"That's the first time I've got to start (running) with the guys so that was kind of fun," said Balogh.
Lindsay Van der Meer (1:54:27) was third in the women's race.
Buchanan, 50, duplicated his second-place solo finish from 2015. He was one second behind Balogh when he finished his ski in 23:27 but made a quicker transition into his running shoes and had a slight lead heading onto Otway Road.
"Cam is a strong runner and he passed me before the overpass to get onto Foothills and I kind of stayed with him through the last 5 K," said Buchanan. "The running was good, I was concerned it would be icy but it was fine. I cramped up in the swim. My calves were cramped up by the end of the run but it seemed to loosen up a bit after a few laps. The best part is getting out of that pool and finishing."
Bax, 46, now has four second-place finishes in the Iceman.
"I can't beat Shar," she said. "The conditions were good today. The ski was good, the road was clear, I just wish we had the skate."
This marked the second straight year the Iceman skating leg was canceled. In 2015, the skating oval was in better shape than it was Sunday but was deemed off-limits to the Iceman to preserve the ice for the Canada Winter Games. In 2014, the race was canceled due to cold weather.
Kathy Lewis, an eight-time Iceman women's solo champion and former chair of the race organizing committee, was also sad to see the skating event wiped out.
"I'm pretty sure we're getting colder weather in January and maybe it's a good idea (to have the race then)," said Lewis. "We moved it out of January because it was too cold but now maybe it's a good idea. We've had fantastic ice and so many people down there using it. It's a big disappointment we can't keep it going now."
The oval closure did not prevent Lewis from enjoying the race. In her 18th solo attempt, the 56-year-old won her masters category in 2:04:35.
"I don't keep up with training," said Lewis. "I run when I can and I swam for the first time in about four years on Friday. But I've been out skiing a fair bit on the doggie trails and that keeps your overall fitness.
"I cramped up in the pool but I had somebody to run with (Nathalie Vogt) and kept a good pace on the run. That helps a lot because it keeps your mind off the pain and the distance you have to go."
The open team event champions and their winning times were: Male – Eastern Invasion (Ben Pelto, Francois Dagenais Cote, 1:36:23); Female – CSFS Spirit (Amy Merritt, Sonya Rowland, Joanne Morgan, Kia Sleeman, 1:47:02); Mixed – Ice Cream (Hans Erasmus, Charlie Borek, Matthew Ebert, Sara McBride, Morgan Bennison, 1:39:45).
Incognito On Ice, which included Jordan Bax, Airah Truant, Robin Barwise, Sylvia Masich and Isabel Stratton, won the junior mixed team event in 1:22:31. The junior race is a four-km ski, three five-km runs and a 400m swim.
Other junior team event winners were: Boys – Tohu-Bohu's 2 (Liam Fortier, Euan Murray, Cam Moore, Brendan Greenfield, Perry Fortier, 1:37:39; Girls – Force of Fire (Kyla Vanworkhoven, Madisyn MacKinlay, Nicole McBride, Bridgit Borek, Alexis Seely, Alyssa Koenig).
Masters team winners were: Rhymes With Scary (Barry Nakahara, Kari Daly, 1:47:46); Grand masters men – Too Old To Know Better (Brian Martinson, Herb Sorer); Veteran men – Old But Young At Heart (Lauri Karjaluoto, Tim Rowe, Bill Warner, Ron Empey, 1:58:14).
