The Ark
285 Farrellton Rd.
Denholm, QC
Race Description
Mad Trapper Trail Racing Defined
For anyone new to trail racing you need to understand, that under "normal" conditions trail running is about twice as hard as road running.
Not only are there the hills to consider, but the trail is narrow and there are rocks and roots to contend with.
The trail is pretty much NEVER straight, so you're always turning left or right, going up or down.
And the trails at the Ark, are pretty much just that, but on steroids!
Also, because we have 3k, 5k and 10k events all happening here at the same time, runners need to pay attention and ensure they are staying on the right track, following the correct flag colour.
All this to stay.... if you are an inexperienced trail runner, I'd recommend you cut your trail race in half of your road race distance.
So if you're happy to run a 21k, marathon or sub 1-hour 10k, then you'll love running 10k here at the Ark.
But if you struggle with 10k on the road, then you may want to start out with a 5k here.
Similarly, if you find yourself walking a portion of your 5k road runs, you should probably start with the 3k option here.
Keep in mind though, that Mad Trapper events were created for fun and camaraderie. This is not a cut-throat, testosterone-driven, win-at-all-costs atmosphere.
So if you want to walk the uphills... and the downhills... and the flats.... that's completely up to you and the only words you here out there and afterward are words of encouragement.
The Mad Trapper Mica Run - 3k
10am Start
I have tried to make the Mica Run 3k as "Introductory to Trail Racing" as possible.
Approximately half of the loop is on wide, "double track" trail.
There are relatively few rocks or roots. It's fairly straight...
And by "Ark Standards" it's relatively flat! ("Flat" is an extremely relative word here at The Ark.)
The 3k event is the only event where hiking poles are permitted.
So, if you want to come out and simply hike the loop, that's 100% fine by me.
We just ask that the "pole hikers" start the race at the very back of the pack to ensure no runners get skewered!
You can see the race course profile by clicking on the Strava link at the bottom of this page
The Mad Trapper Mica Run - 5k
10am Start
This is the same 5k loop that I usually run when I head out my own (with the dogs of course).
This is a nicely flowing course with a fair bit of diversity to keep it interesting.
There is single track and double track.
There's a decent hill to start, some fun flowing stuff in the middle, and then.... well there's a hill or two.... You may curse me a bit. But trust me, when you are enjoying a post race brownie, you'll be glad you did it.
There are some technical sections and some easy flowing, "turn the brain off for a couple of seconds" sections.
I'm a 50 minute road 10k runner and if I'm cruising with a decent heart rate, not working working too too hard, but not "jogging" either, I'll finish this loop between 40 and 50 minutes.
This is just a really nice course to run. Don't worry about your time.
If you're a runner and you've run trails before, and you're trying to decide between the 3k and the 5k, I'd recommend this option.
Keep in mind, any time you get too tired, you can walk and smell the flowers for a few steps!
You can see the race course profile by clicking on the Strava link at the bottom of this page.
Mad Trapper Mica Run - 10k
10am Start
The 10k course is simple... it's 2 loops of the 5k!
This means the second time around you know exactly what to expect. When to push, when to ease off, when to strategize your next pass!
Since it is a double loop, if at the end of the 5k you realize that you've bitten off more than you can chew, it's not a problem, because you can simply call it a day and grab a burger and a beer!
You can see the race course profile by clicking on the Strava link at the bottom of this page.
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