Come and join us at the Dundas Valley Conservation Area for Tally in the Valley, a race unlike any other in the area.
This race is in support of 'The Hospital for Sick Children' (SickKids). Do you want to race for free? Raise $150 or more for 'SickKids' and we will refund your entry fee for the 7k, 6hr, or 12hr events. Raise $250 or more and we will refund your entry fee into any event, including the 24hr and the Gong Show. The participant who raises the most money will also receive free entry into any Happy Trails Racing event.
Race Information:
Participants will run a 7km loop through the unique Carolinian forest in the Dundas Valley Conservation Area. The loop is primarily made up of groomed double track trails with rolling hills and approximately 130m of elevation gain per loop. Although there aren't any major climbs on this course, the constant rolling hills will wear you down in the later stages of the race.
Choose between running a single loop (7k) or for 6/12/24 hours and see how many loops you can complete in the time provided. Runners who complete 23 loops (100 miles/161km) will earn themselves a custom belt buckle while all other participants will also be recognized for their hard work with a custom finishers momento.
Looking for something a little different? Try "The Gong Show"! This is an elimination style event that we are super stoked about. Participants will be given 1 hr to complete the 7km loop. Runners who successfully complete the loop within 1 hr (which may seem easy at first but will eventually become very challenging), will wait at the start line until the gong is hit, marking the time cut-off for the loop AND the start of the next loop. Please note: regardless of how fast participants complete their loop, they can't start their next loop until the gong in struck, which will be every hour on the hour. Participants remain in the event until they can no longer finish a loop within 1 hour OR until the race reaches 24 hours. If there is more than 1 runner to start the final loop after 23 hours, the first runner to complete the final loop will be the winner. However, ALL runners that make it to the 23 hour mark will receive a custom belt buckle since they will have run 100 miles. This race is going to be awesome to watch as there is quite a bit of strategy involved. Ideally, runners will want to run a comfortable pace and conserve energy but will also want to leave themselves some time to fuel-up at the aid station and have a short break before heading out for another loop.
In the 6/12/24 hour races, as well as the "Gong Show" elimination event, there are no DNF's (Did Not Finish). Each runner that starts the race will be recognized for the distance that they complete, regardless of when they stop. In the last 30 minutes before the completion of each timed event, we will have race volunteers stationed at different points on the course to mark how many kms into the loop the participants are when the time is up.
Course Description:
To view a course map, click here, but I wouldn't trust the elevation gain listed. Our watches consistently show 130-140m of gain per loop, not 59m as indicated on the map. Either way, very runnable!
The first 2km are completely runnable and very scenic. This section has plenty of gentle rolling hills followed by a steeper climb at the 2km mark. The next 2km are basically flat (an ever so slight incline) and take place on an old railway line- don't worry, the tracks have all been removed and this is the easiest section of the course. Even though this section is technically the easiest, it is also the section that has the least amount of tree cover, which can be a factor on a hot July afternoon. This leads runners to the trail centre where they can fill up their bottles with cold water without even stepping off the course at the conveniently located "drinking water tap" around the 4km mark. The remainder of the course is considered the most challenging part of the loop as the final 3km are the hilliest section. Again, no major climbs, but for the remainder of the loop, runners will find themselves climbing or descending with hardly any flat sections at all.
Aid Stations:
There will be one aid station on the course, which will be located at the start/finish area. Stock up in between loops. There will be water, an electrolyte drink (to be announced), and all of your typical ultra running fare including sweet and salty snacks, pb and j sandwiches, potatoes, and chips. There will also be portable toilets located at the aid station.
We will be using our re-usable EcoCups at the Tally in the Valley. They can be washed, sterilized, and re-used over 100 times and then recycled. We are grateful to our sponsor, DKOS (www.DKOS.ca), for helping us make this green initiative possible. They are made of rigid plastic and you throw them in the receptacle after using them, just like you would with a disposable cup. We will collect them, wash and sterilize them, and re-use them at our next event.
At the 4km point of the course there is a "drinking water tap" where participants can get a cold drink of water or fill up their bottles. There is also a portable toilet at this point.
For those of you interested in running in the "Gong Show" elimination event, you can hang out at this aid station (start/finish area) after finishing the loop until the gong is hit, at which point you need to get moving if you want to make the next cut-off! The faster you finish your loop, the more time you have to rest and fuel-up.
Pacers:
Gong Show: No pacers in the Gong Show elimination event.
6 Hour: No pacers in the 6 hour.
12 Hour: Pacers are strongly discouraged in the 12 hour events, especially in the 12 hour day. Since the course is 7km, there will be a lot of participants out on the course. However, we don't ever want our participants to be in any danger so if you feel like you need one for safety reasons, by all means, go for it but only in the last 4 hours of your event. If you feel like you will need a pacer for safety reasons before this, please message the race director before registering. Participants over the age 65 are welcome to have a pacer at any time. Pacers must sign a waiver.
24 Hour: Pacers will be permitted, if necessary, at 9pm. Pacers must sign a waiver and can only join their runner at the start/finish area. Pacers cannot mule (carry anything for their runner).
Race Swag:
All participants will receive a really cool and buttery-soft t-shirt that you can wear around town to show everybody that you're a bad-ass. (Please note: t-shirt design is subject to change depending on supplier availability).
The race shirt cut-off date is July 2. If you register after July 2, you will receive a Hoo-rag but NOT a t-shirt.
Participants will also receive a custom "Happy Trails" Hoo-rag multi-purpose headwear (see image below)
If you run 100 miles, you will earn yourself a belt buckle!
Registration fees
Prices are inclusive of mandatory charges, items, and fees
Cool Beans 1km Run (FREE) Closed
1km fun run. Participants will receive a race bib and a finisher's treat. They will not receive a race kit or race swag and there are no awards for this event.
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FreeJan 12 - Jul 23
6hr Trail Race Closed
Online registration closed-
Run as many loops of the 7km course as you can in 6 hours.
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CA$65.00Jan 12 – Feb 28
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CA$70.00Mar 1 – May 31
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CA$75.00Jun 1 – Jul 22
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ClosedJul 23 – Jul 23
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12 Hour Trail Race- Day Time Closed
Online registration closed-
Run as many loops of the 7km course as you can in 12 hours starting at 9:00am.
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CA$80.00Jan 12 – Feb 28
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CA$85.00Mar 1 – May 31
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CA$90.00Jun 1 – Jul 22
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ClosedJul 23 – Jul 23
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12 Hour Trail Race- Night Time Closed
Online registration closed-
Run as many loops of the 7km course as you can in 12 hours starting at 9:00pm. You will be running in the dark, through the night.
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CA$80.00Jan 12 – Feb 28
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CA$85.00Mar 1 – May 31
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CA$90.00Jun 1 – Jul 22
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ClosedJul 23 – Jul 23
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24 Hour Trail Race Closed
Online registration closed-
Run as many loops of the 7km course as you can in 24 hours.
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CA$115.00Jan 12 – Feb 28
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CA$125.00Mar 1 – May 31
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CA$135.00Jun 1 – Jul 22
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ClosedJul 23 – Jul 23
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The Gong Show (elimination event) Closed
Online registration closed-
Complete the 7km loop within an hour to move on to the next round. You remain in until you can no longer complete the loop within an hour.
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CA$100.00Jan 12 – Mar 31
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CA$125.00Apr 1 – Jul 23
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7km (1 loop) Trail Race Closed
Online registration closed-
Run 1 loop of our 7km course.
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CA$45.00Jan 12 – Feb 28
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CA$50.00Mar 1 – May 31
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CA$55.00Jun 1 – Jul 23
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Top donors
| No. | Name | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heather Borsellino | CA$745.00 |
| 2 | Anonymous | CA$251.00 |
| 3 | Rebecca Kruisselbrink | CA$250.00 |
| 4 | Sarah Kondo | CA$250.00 |
| 5 | Monica Scholz | CA$250.00 |
Top fundraisers
| 1 |
View fundraiser page for Gideon
|
Gideon SteinbergCA$835.00 RaisedCA$700.00 Goal |
|
| 2 |
View fundraiser page for Arianna
|
Arianna VegterRaised: CA$595.00 |
|
| 3 |
View fundraiser page for Adam
|
Adam BlacklockCA$526.00 RaisedCA$500.00 Goal |
|
| 4 |
View fundraiser page for Zack
|
Zack ReimerCA$380.00 RaisedCA$500.00 Goal |
|
| 5 |
View fundraiser page for Jeff
|
Jeff ShieldsRaised: CA$275.00 |
Event schedule
- Sat, July 28, 2018 8:30 AM - Cool Beans 1km Run
- Sat, July 28, 2018 9:00 AM - 6 Hour Trail Race
- Sat, July 28, 2018 9:00 AM - 12 Hour Trail Race - Day Time
- Sat, July 28, 2018 9:00 AM - 24 Hour Trail Race
- Sat, July 28, 2018 9:00 AM - The Gong Show- Elimination Event
- Sat, July 28, 2018 9:00 PM - 12 Hour Trail Race- Night Time
Contact information
- Event contact
- Jeff Rowthorn, Race Director | Heather Borsellino, Race Coordinator
