Amphibious Challenge

Race Course and Markings:
The race course will be marked in 4 ways. There will be directional wooden arrows, or arrows on coloured laminated paper used to mark turns. There will be orange pin flags which will mark turns, or act to ‘close off’ side trails. There will also be orange flagging tape on the course – primarily on the trail sections and on all the islands. Maps will be available at registration. The most important thing to remember is that the turns will be extremely well marked and obvious. On straight aways, or obvious trails you should see a flag every 100 – 200 m.

The initial run will be led by an ATV along a sandy beach and is ~2.2 km long, following the Ottawa River. Athletes will then be directed into the water. Athletes will then swim to a series of islands (4) before returning to the mainland (1.6 km running, 2650 m swimming). They will find a well-stocked aid station, bathroom, and roaring fire on shore before completing a short 1.3 km run to Meehan Bay, which they will cross in a 500 m swim.

The long course athletes will diverge from the short course athletes and head to the “mountain” for a long run with interspersed swims and mixed trail. The long course racers will cover approximately 39.7 km, with approximately 4.5 km of swimming and 35.2 km of running. The running in this race will include pavement, gravel, forest track, 4×4 trail, single track, flagged off-trail, exposed granitic bedrock, beach sand and lose rock and boulders. 

Aid Stations and Volunteer Checkpoints: There will be a number of volunteer checkpoints and aid stations on course to monitor your progress and provide support.

The long course will have 2 additional aid stations. The aid stations will serve water, electrolyte, soda, and a mixture of fruits, bars, chips, and candy.

Trail conditions: Expect the trails to be in a variety of levels of dryness – from slick and muddy to dry and tacky. Choose your footwear appropriately. Trail shoes that drain quickly and have a good grip on rock are strongly recommended.You will run everything from asphalt to bare, granitic shield rock which can be slick when wet. 

Safety Flotation: Our first goal is to run a very safe event. You will be swimming in a river that will also have recreational boaters. We will have safety boats on the water for your protection and assistance, and river is much quieter at this time of year, however, if you wish to use a safety float while you are swimming, you will not have to carry it through the entire racecourse. You will need to carry it from the start through the swims, but then may drop it off at your swim exit and collect it after the race. This will save you having to run with it your final 7.8 km.

Race Etiquette: You will be travelling over private land for much of this race and must take care not to damage any property that you encounter, especially on the islands. There is no testing of this race course on private property and racers must follow the flagged route at all times or face disqualification. Littering will not be tolerated on course. Please remember that the landowners have graciously allowed us to use their property and we should repay their goodwill with the utmost courtesy and care. Finally, it is imperative that athletes stay on the marked trail, or follow the flagging when there is no trail.