Race Recap: The Grizzly Ultra 50K in Canmore

The Grizzly Ultra 50K has a way of making a big day feel a little smaller. Every leg brings you back to the same stadium, where the noise of the finish line is waiting even when you still have miles to go.

We ran from the Canmore Nordic Centre in the Canadian Rockies. Five legs, about 32 miles, and roughly 5,230 feet of climbing. I had plenty of time to get to know that stadium.

Banff Pride kindly covered my accommodations for race weekend. After a day on those hills, having a warm place to land meant a lot.

Five chances to start again

The first leg gives everyone room to spread out on wide double track. Then the Cougar leg brings the first proper climbs and views across the Bow Valley. The third leg is rated the toughest, and I understood why once I got there.

Coming back through the stadium between legs changed the feel of the race. You could hear the announcer, see other runners, and take a breath before heading out again. It made the whole 50K feel like five manageable conversations with the mountain instead of one endless sentence.

The Rockies have a say

Canmore sits at about 4,300 feet. That number might not sound intimidating, but the climbing adds up, especially as the legs go on.

October can bring sunshine or snow, sometimes with wind and rain in between. Check the forecast before you pack, and bring layers you can actually use at the start.

This is bear country too. Runners carry bear spray, and the race checks it before the start. If you are traveling in for the event, put it on your race-week list early.

My day on the course

The day opened with a costume parade and a national anthem before we set off through the meadow. It was a lively start to a hard race.

I tried to hold back on the first two legs, eat early at the aid stations, and leave something for that third leg. It is one thing to make a plan at the start line. It is another to follow it when the climbs keep coming.

The final leg is the easiest on paper. By mile thirty, paper doesn't mean much. I kept moving, ran what I could, and was glad to see the stadium one last time. Finishers get a medal and a cold Grizzly Paw soda. After five loops, that soda felt like a pretty good celebration.

A few things I would tell a friend

If you want to run it, keep an eye on registration. The race can sell out, and the following year's registration usually opens in November.

Parking at the Nordic Centre requires a Kananaskis Conservation Pass. Buy it before the weekend if you are driving, and carpool if you can.

Carry your trash out. The organizers ask everyone to do that, and it is a small way to take care of a place that gives us so much to run through.

Book a room early too. I was grateful to have a place to put my feet up after the race, thanks to Banff Pride. A warm room feels especially good when your legs have just climbed 5,230 feet.

The Grizzly gave me a tough course, a crowd to come back to, and five little fresh starts along the way. That is a race day worth remembering.