There should be plenty of dancing to be done during the new Tenderfoot Boogie, ultramarathon and trail race between 麻豆社国产and Whistler set for Saturday, May 15.
The new Tenderfoot Boogie takes its name from the fish hatchery and natural features along the route, plus organizer Gottfried Grosser's frequent saying that "trail running is like dancing in the woods." The event will offer races of 50 miles, 50 kilometres and 28 kilometres, and a 50-mile three-person relay.
"It's an awesome course, it's beautiful," Grosser said.
The event is expected to take the full-distance runners from Squamish's Adventure Centre to the ultimate conclusion at Whistler's Meadow Park Sports Centre. Along the way, the racers are scheduled to speed through an incredible variety of terrain, ranging from simple dyke running to technical climbs and descents such as the trails around Brohm Lake and the Tenderfoot Hatchery.
They'll also be able to sample the Sea to Sky Trail and beautiful, technical Whistler trails such as Trash and A River Runs Through It, and they'll absorb the jaw-dropping Sea to Sky views such as the sights in the Cheakamus Canyon.
"It's breathtaking in there, and a lot of people don't know it," Grosser said.
Inspired by the growing success of the Frosty Mountain Ultra Trail Race he started two years ago, in Manning Provincial Park, Grosser said he started to consider creating another race. The Frosty Mountain race attracted 68 people in its first year and 140 in its second incarnation, Grosser said.
With the necessary distance and a strong selection of trails that would appeal to runners, "麻豆社国产to Whistler sounded pretty good to me," said Grosser, a North Vancouver resident.
"The terrain is great for it - it's a mixture of all kinds of terrain. It's not easy, it's not too difficult, [and] there's nothing too technical in there."
Comparing the Tenderfoot Boogie to the Knee Knackering North Shore Trail Run, the popular 30-mile ultramarathon that turns 22 this year, Grosser figures the Sea to Sky trail race will be "a little easier," with slightly less technical terrain and more of a mixture of offerings. Still, when runners finish the race, they'll certainly know they've accomplished something.
"It's not a wussy race. It's a tough race. The 50-mile is definitely a tough race," Grosser said, adding that the 28-km leg should be achievable for most serious trail runners. "It won't be too easy, and that's what we aim."
Age category champs will earn bottles of wine - Grosser said he is a former winemaker who had a vineyard in Abbotsford - to celebrate their success, and Grosser also plans to anoint a Middle of the Pack award winner.
As a frequent middle-of-the-pack finisher himself, Grosser joked that people cheer the winners and the runners who battle hard to cross the line last, but those in the middle "never get any recognition." So he'll take the best and worst times and pick out the middle point to celebrate that pivotal person.
So far, runners from Squamish, Vernon and North and West Vancouver have signed on for the challenge, Grosser said, and he hopes more Whistler and Pemberton athletes will get interested as word spreads.
Monday (May 10) marks the deadline to register at the regular fees of $60 for the 28-km event, $75 for the 50-km race, $85 for the 50-mile and $140 for the relay. Registration will be available on race day for solo runners, but not teams.
Have a look online at www.trailwhisperer.ca and follow the links to check the course description and register, or sign up as a volunteers - volunteers will be thanked with their own bottles of wine, Grosser said.
