The First Blaze Trail Race

The date has been set for July 6th, 2024!

A TRAIL RACE & AN ADVENTURE

We are very excited to be offering a unique new trail race that is unlike any of our other events. Here are a few of the features that makes this race extra cool:

- The 50km event (actually about 51.8km) is a point-to-point race. We will bus participants from the finish line parking lot all the way to the start and then the runners will run the entirety of the Toronto Bruce Trail section. The 50km course will have a 10 hour cut-off. PLEASE NOTE: We consider this an intermediate level course. It is tough but beautiful. Although there aren't any specific qualifications, this is not recommended for runners who have not completed a 50km already (try the 27.5km event - you'll love it!). Trail shoes are mandatory.

-The 25km event (actually about 27.5km) is also a point-to-point race that, although shorter, offers an incredible experience along some of the most incredible sections of the Toronto Bruce Trail. The 25km course will have an 8.5 hour cutoff. This is also a difficult course but, due to the 8.5 hour cutoff, it is manageable for runners with some trail running experience. Plan on being out at least 1 hour longer than your typical 25k race.

- In addition to a sweet finisher's medal, runners who complete the 50km event will also earn a Toronto Bruce Trail Club End-to-End patch.

- The entire course is run on the permanently marked Bruce Trail (all of it is on the white blazed main trail). Although we will have some great aid stations along the way, we will NOT be adding additional flagging to this course. Let us repeat that so that you know what you are signing up for- WE WILL NOT BE FLAGGING ANY OF THIS RACE COURSE AT ALL! You are going to get a true Bruce Trail adventure! You simply have to follow the white blazes the entire way. The blue blazes on the Bruce Trail indicate a side trail, which we WILL NOT be using for this event. The Bruce Trail is well marked and easy to follow. The Toronto Section of the Bruce Trail is very well maintained, heavily travelled, and very clearly marked.

-This is going to be a SMALL, grassroots, community event. We will have an absolute maximum of 150 participants total. Once the event is full, we will not be managing a waitlist.

Here is an image that helps to explain how to follow blazes:

Amongst other interesting features, this course will feature the following beautiful sites:

1) Cheltenham Badlands: These unique formations are actually just outside of the Toronto Section but this is where the race will start. These were formed at the base of an ancient sea over 450 million years ago.

2) Terra Cotta Conservation Area: In addition to some awesome trails, this conservation area boasts ponds, streams, and an important wetlands area. You will quickly find yourself in a trail runner's paradise and, since you will still be fresh, you will adore this part of the course.

3) Silver Creek Conservation Area: With over 1000 acres, this area has lush forests, great trails, and plenty of interesting rock formations. There are some tough trails in this section with lots of rocks, roots, and punchy climbs and descents. There is so much beauty surrounding you that you may be tempted to look around but keep those eyes on your feet - there are plenty of rocks and roots to trip you in this section.

4) Scotsdale Heritage Farm: Scotsdale Farm on the Niagara Escarpment is a 531 acre heritage farm bequeathed to Ontario Heritage Trust in 1982. The area includes heritage buildings and barns, rolling hay fields, ecologically sensitive forests, unique wetlands, and evidence of Indigenous settlements.

(The sections above will only be completed by the 50km participants. The sections below will be experienced by all!)

5) Limehouse Conservation Area: The Limehouse Conservation Area includes dense, pristine forest and plays host to some of the area’s cultural heritage. Featuring twisting creeks and a small part of the famous Bruce Trail, the park preserves one of Ontario’s last old-growth forests. You can still find some remnants of the mill and old lime kilns, initially constructed in the 1840s. Perhaps the most unique section of this race course is found within the Limehouse Conservation Area where participants will find themselves WALKING through the "Hole in the Wall" and then climbing out on a wooden ladder. NO RUNNING THROUGH THIS SECTION (it is very short so take your time, look around, and take in the unique scenery around you).

6) Speyside Resource Management Area: Speyside's terrain is more rugged and seasonal weather regularly impacts large parts of this trail. During Spring, mud season can make some parts of the trail impassable however improvements have recently been made. The mature forest canopy provides a habitat for countless bird and animal species. Speyside is also known for its beautiful sprawls of wildflowers.

7) Dufferin Quarry Bridge: This bridge, which was completed in 1981 spans a large gap in the escarpment and can be seen from the highway over 3km away. This is a high bridge so if you are afraid of heights (like the Race Director is), don't look down!

8) Bruce Trail's First Blaze: participants will pass the location of the first blaze that was painted on the Bruce Trail in July of 1962 . Keep an eye out for the plaque!

As lifelong users of the Bruce Trail, we are please to help support them and we will be donating $20 from each registration directly to the Toronto Bruce Trail Club. As many of you know, the various clubs rely on these donations to help with their trail maintenance and improvements, which include building and repairing bridges, stairs, boardwalks, and stiles. The club also maintains the trail, removes fallen trees, and ensures that the trail is in excellent condition.

What does the race fee include:

-All participants will get race swag including a soft-spun t-shirt (and more!)

-Finishers will earn a BIG finisher's medal.

-We will also have race photography on course.

-Race fee includes parking at Kelso Conservation Area

-Shuttle bus from Kelso Conservation Area (finish line) to the start line of the race.

- An unforgettable adventure!

50km Race Course:

The 50km race course is actually more like 51.8km. Participants will run the entirety of the Toronto Bruce Trail Club (50km) plus a little over a kilometre at the beginning and the end.

Part of what makes this course so incredible is the wide variety of terrain types on the course. Participants will experience lots of groomed trails where you can experience some magical running flow, challenging technical trails, rocks, roots, short sections of road, and plenty of short but punchy hills to climb and descend. There will be bridges, countless boardwalks, and stiles (small ladders to get over fences). The scenery will be beautiful and the course will be memorable. Did we mention rocks?

In our opinion, what makes this course challenging is not the elevation gain (about 800m for the 50km event) but rather the technical sections of the course, which will have even the most experienced trail runners walking through the most rocky sections.

Please keep in mind that participants will follow the permanently marked white blazes, which will be painted primarily on trees but also on rocks, and posts. The course is marked in a way that when you pass a blaze, you can usually see the next blaze. If you miss a blaze or can't see any blazes, don't travel more than 100m before backtracking. Please keep in mind that thousands of people follow these blazes successfully every year. It is unlikely that you will go off course but if you do, it is usually because you are distracted or fatigued. A good rule of thumb is that the Bruce Trail marks where you SHOULD go and not where you SHOULDN'T go. By this we mean that unless you are clearly directed to turn, just stay on the trail that you are on and follow the white blazes. For the majority of the course, participants will find that there is only 1 trail to follow anyways.

We do recommend buying and downloading the Bruce Trail app and/or downloading the following GPX file to your watch, if your watch has that capability. Here is a the data from the run that we did while mapping out the course:

FIRST BLAZE TRAIL RACE STRAVA DATA

25km Race Course:

The 25km race will actually be more like 27.5km and will start on Sixth Line between Silver Creek Conservation Area and Limehouse Conservation Area. Participants will get to experience one of the most unique trail running experiences in Ontario as they pass through the magnificent "Hole in the Wall", which will have runners travelling through a cave and then up a ladder. This section has the potential to get a little congested so please be patient and enjoy the unbelievable scenery that surrounds you.

Runners will have the opportunity to run through the Speyside section, which is beautiful but has some very rocky and rooty sections. Those of you that are trying to run fast will likely not enjoy the rocky section very much and will be cursing the Happy Trails Team, but those of you who are there to enjoy the experience and take in the scenery with some really cool people and don't mind slowing down through this part will love Speyside!

Participants will get to enjoy a wide variety of terrain types including beautiful flowing single track, countless bridges and boardwalks over and around streams and creeks, very challenging technical rocky sections, and a long stretch along the edge of the Niagara escarpments from which participants will be able to see Toronto on a clear day.

Runners will also get to run across the very high quarry bridge and will pass the site of the first blaze that was painted on the Bruce Trail.

This really is a stunning course but is also quite challenging. It will likely take longer than you expect but we are pretty sure that you are going to love this adventure!

There will be 3 aid stations along the way.

Aid Stations: There will be aid stations approximately 8-12km apart. The aid stations will be stocked with your typical trail race food (pickles, pb and j, chips, cookies, and other sweet and salty snacks), water, pop, and an electrolyte drink. Please keep in mind that this event, like all Happy Trails Racing events, is a cup-less event so you will need to have a collapsible cup or bottles to fill at the aid stations.

We recommend carrying at least 1L of fluids for this race.

SCHEDULE:

8:00am- The 50km race bus will depart Kelso Conservation Area. Don't miss it! The bus ride will be great; you will get to hear the RD ramble on during the pre-race briefing, you will get to hang out with other trail runners while they still smell good and, if time permits, perhaps we will even sing some camp songs!

9:00am- The 50km race will start from the Cheltenham Badlands. Let's gooooo!!!!

9:45am- The 25km race bus will depart Kelso Conservation Area. Similar to the 50km bus ride, the pre-race briefing will take place on the bus. The bus ride will be a little shorter but there may still be time for some camp songs. We'll see.

10:30am- The 25km race will start from Sixth Line between Silver Creek and the Limehouse Conservation Areas. Runners will cross the stile and be off on their merry way!

12:20pm- Potentially first finisher of the 25km event (estimation only).

1:40pm- Potentially first finisher of the 50km race (based on the FKT of 4:37 for the Toronto Section of the Bruce Trail- this race is 2km longer than that).

7:00pm- Race Cut-off

Refund Policy:

Happy Trails Racing has a policy regarding race refunds/transfers: register with confidence knowing that you can take advantage of our early bird pricing and, if you need to back out, you can do so up to 30 days before the race with a 100% race credit that can go towards any future Happy Trails event. It doesn't expire. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate cancellations within 30 days of the race. However, participants are welcome to transfer their bib to someone else without any penalty up to 5 days before the race. Please keep in mind that everything we need to order to have you at our race is done so at least 30 days out.