DARK 50

Imagine you are in the woods, all by yourself. Imagine you have never been here before. Imagine it is dark. Imagine you are wearing your trail running shoes.

THIS IS THE DARK 50!

Dutch Viking Events presents the DARK 50; a 50-ish km race in the dark on the mountain bike trails of Minto on June 1-2, 2024.

This is the first event of its kind in the province and we are proud to host it for the second year in a row in conjunction with Tiny Trails campground.

THE RACE

The event has only one distance: 50-ish kilometers. The race will start at 10pm at the end of the New England Road in Minto, there where the mountain bike trails begin. A 5+ km loop will be set up (which you will have to do 10 times) and every loop finishes and starts at this point; you can leave your packs, containers, bags etc. with food and drink here, because we will have at least one person here to make sure everyone is being accounted for. To make sure that you come at the right date: the race starts on Saturday evening!

This is the course.

The winners will obviously be the ones to finish the 10 loops first.

THE RACE - Relay of 2

It is also possible to sign up for a 2-person relay for the DARK 50. This is a great way to do the DARK 50 if the 50K is a bit too much for you. Everything remains the same: swag, breakfast, food and water; you just run half the distance.

How does it work? Easy, when the 'gun' goes off runner #1 runs the first lap and after the first lap hands over the bib to runner #2 and so forth till the 10th lap is done! Bib does not have to be pinned, but has to be carried by the current runner.

Make sure you have a buddy before signing up; I won't be providing you with one.

To be clear, BOTH runners need to sign up!

Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) Index

The DARK 50 is the second race in New Brunswick that is a UTMB Index race. If you are intending to do one of the UTMB races for which you have to enter a lottery (OCC, CCC, UTMB), you need to have a valid UTMB Index as well as a so-called Running Stone. There are only 40 races in the world where you can get a Running Stone; these races are UTMB World Series.

If you would like to know if you already have a valid UTMB index, check here.

RACE KIT PICK UP

The race kit pick up will be at the Tiny Trails campground at the beginning of the New England Road, a kilometer back from the start and will open on Saturday June 1 at 8pm. There you will receive your bib and swag. You then have plenty of time to get to the start line, either by walking or carpooling (parking space at the end of the road is limited).

ACCOMMODATION

You may be interested in camping the night of and/or before the race. Below you will find the info from Tiny Trails:

Tiny Trails is a boutique campground and taproom located 1km from the Minto trailhead. They have 10 campsites in a wooded area which are reserved for this event.

• Sites will be shared to accommodate more participants - two tents per site.
• The cost is $25 per person.
• Check-in Saturday at noon with late check-out Sunday at 3pm.
• Sites are unserviced. Access to washrooms and outdoor showers.
• Payment must be made in advance directly to Tiny Trails by e-transfer to reserve your spot.
• Please contact info@tinytrails.co to book.

BREAKFAST

Once you are done you go back to the Tiny Trails campground and relax/have a nap till breakfast will be served, which is included in your registration fee. Breakfast will be prepared by a chef and will be served really early till the awards ceremony.

MINTO MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAIL SYSTEM

The trails of Minto are a mountain bike Mecca, so you might want to bring your bike if you have one and come a day early or stay a bit longer on Sunday.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• This is a cup-less event, so make sure you have your own cup with you.
• We have water and some snacks available at start/finish, but you best bring your own race nutrition with you.
• There are washrooms at the campground and a porta-potty at start/finish.
• We will have to get back to you on First Aid at a later stage.
• There will be 75 spots available.
• There will be no refunds or deferrals. A short transfer period will open as soon as the race is sold out. If it sells out, that is.
• There is no waiting list once sold out.
• There will be no race day registrations; all registrations will have to be done on-line through Race Roster. On-line registration closes May 31 at 2pm.
• By registering you automatically sign a waiver basically saying you know the risks of the event and are responsible for your own health and decisions.
• Although we absolutely love your pooches and we are certain they are well-mannered, dogs are not allowed to participate.
• After you are done with your race (and before as well) you can hang out around the campfire and relax and have a beer or so. Preferably not before the run, but that’s up to you.
• If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please get in touch through email to joszti@hotmail.com.

HOW TO GET TO THE RACE

Coming from Fredericton take Highway 10 to Minto and at the first intersection (where Tim Hortons is on the right) go left onto Main Street.

Just keep on following it while it changes names to Centennial Drive and New England Road.

Tiny Trails is at number 164 on the right hand side.

The actual race will take place at the end of the New England Road, about 2 kilometers away.

TRANSFER OPTION

You can transfer your bib to anyone - $2.50 Race Roster fee (To be paid by the new participant)

1. Find a willing participant and get their email address

2. Click 'Transfer' (on left or right side of the page)

3. Add the new participant's email address

4. Once the transfer is initiated, the new participant will receive an email with a link to complete the transfer.

The original participant is refunded their registration, and the new participant purchases the bib (plus the $2.50 Race Roster transfer fee).

NOTE: The new participant must transfer into the same distance category as the original participant. Once the transfer is complete and the new participant would like to change distance, please send a pm to Dutch Viking Events on Facebook or send an email to joszti@hotmail.com and it will be changed for you.