DATE
JUNE 3
START
12:00PM
DISTANCE
53KM
AGE LIMIT
18 YEARS +
Please take the 7.5 hour time frame into consideration when entering the Ultra Marathon. Sag vehicles trail the marathoners and provide rides back to start/finish area for runners who cannot finish. This event, while self-supported, will have fuel stations at the start of each stage along the full relay race.
EVENT SUMMARY
Start your race at Buck Lake! We are excited to extend this new SOLO event as part of the Banff Jasper Relay festival.
Participants will be shuttled to the start area, and at 12:00pm the magical journey along the Icefields Parkway will begin.
START: Stage N13: Buck Lake to Mt. Kerkeslin – 14 km –Easier
Stage N14: Mt. Kerkeslin to Athabasca Raft Pullout – 19.1 km – Moderate
Stage N15: Athabasca Raft Pullout to the Jasper Finishline – 19.6 km – Hard!
ENTRY FEES
- Amazing race, scenery and experience!
- Awesome Finisher Medals
- Great event Tshirt and optional upgrades
- Chip Timing
- Post Race Party in Jasper!
Included with your registration
- Official T-shirt
- Participation medal to all finishers
- Post race BBQ and refreshment at the finish line (for all finishers)
- Awards to the top three men and women
- Awards to the first three men and women by age group:
18-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+
Refund
Your registration is non-refundable. The event is pleased to offer participants optional Refund registration service, which can be purchased for an additional fee upon registration.
Event Cancellation
In the event that the race should be cancelled or held in an adapted or alternative way, including a virtual race for reasons beyond the control of the organizing committee such as the weather or a pandemic situation including Covid-19 and / or any other case of force majeure, no refund will be possible.
EVENT DETAILS
Packet Pickup Hours:
Friday, June 2, 2023 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Saturday, June 3, 2023 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Pro Tip: Remember, picking up on race day is VERY STRESSFUL for athletes and our volunteer services! Make your life stress-free and pickup on Friday.
Packet Pickup Location:
The Pickup location will be in Jasper for the Ultra athletes.
Gear Bags
The event is not responsible for any lost items, so it is recommended to not put in loose valuable items such as car keys, phones, or wallets.
Pickup Location:
Jasper Activity Centre. 305 Bonhomme St.
RACE WEEKEND SCHEDULE
|
Friday |
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Packet Pickup |
|
Saturday |
10:30 AM | Runner gear bag check opens |
| 11:00 AM | Athlete shuttle | |
| 12:00 PM | Start of the 53k SOLO ULTRA | |
| 4:30 PM | First Finisher Expected | |
| 7:30 PM | Last Finisher/Finishline Closed | |
| 8:00 PM | BBQ & AWARDS PARTY STARTS! | |
RUN COURSE DETAILS
The First 14km. Buck Lake to Mt Kerkeslin
Starting at Stage N13 of the Banff jasper Relay, the run course declines 500 feet in the first 6 km followed by gentle to moderate undulations. There are splendid views of mountains Brussels, Fryatt, and Christie to the left and the Endless Chain Ridge on the right.
You start with a fairly flat 1.5 km cruise before the drop starts. There is a significant drop at the 3.8 km point with a short incline just after the Ranger Creek Campground.
At 4.4 km, you cruise by the Ranger Creek trailhead. There are gentle undulations along the Athabasca River valley floor for the next 9.5 km. You will pass the Athabasca River Viewpoint at 6.1 km and the Mt. Christie picnic site at 10.9 km.
19.1km : Mt. Kerkeslin to Athabasca River Raft Landing
From Stage N14, you climb 0.8 Km past the Mt Kerkeslin viewpoint and then drop for a kilometer. You ascend to the 2.3 km point and then drop steeply to the 3.2 km mark while passing the Kerkeslin campground The road flattens out while it passes the Warden Station at 5.7 km, the Athabasca Falls Youth Hostel at 6.1 km, and the Athabasca Falls picnic site (as well as the Highway 93A junction) at 6.9 km. The road now undulates until the Horseshoe Lake trail head at 10.2 km where there are a couple of inclines up to the Athabasca Pass Viewpoint at 12.3 km. The next 3 kilometers are gently rolling decline. The final 3.2 kilometers are along a curving road with mild undulations finishing off with a gentle drop to the stage exchange.
The Final 19.6km : Athabasca River Raft Landing
Starting from the Athabasca River raft landing you head around a sharp right turn. The road is long, open, and flat, with broad shoulders. The beginning of this stage is flat, following the Athabasca River valley and offering splendid views of the mountains: Edith Cavell, Hardisty, Kerkeslin, Fryatt, Brussels, and Christie. At the 2.7 km mark you start to climb for almost 1 km topping out at the Wabasso Lakes Trail head. You then you drop for much the same distance to the 4.3 km mark. At the 12.6 km point you will pass Becker’s Chalets and start a short climb and descent. The balance of this stage is considered flat. Other landmarks along the way are: Athabasca River bridge at 10.2 km (about I km past halfway); the junction with Highway 93A at 16.3 km; Jasper House at 15.0 km; and the Whistler Campground at 15.9 km. At 17.7 km, watch out for traffic at the intersection with Highway 16. Take a few extra seconds to be extra careful.
Volunteers and highway flaggers will be staffing this intersection to ensure your safe crossing. They will endeavor to make your crossing of this intersection a priority. If for any reason they must stop you, any hesitation to follow their instructions will disqualify your team. Here you are less than 2 kilometers from the finish. You are now entering the town of Jasper. You enter the town at the bottom of the map at right. You will leave Connaught Drive and run onto Pine Ave with 1 km to go. With just 0.5 km to go you will veer right as you cross the intersection onto Pyramid Lake Road. The finish line will be on the road to your right in front of the Jasper Activity Centre.
The evening’s festivities will be in the Activity Centre.