For the first time ever, the Coast Mountain Trail Series (CMTS) is going up 鈥� way up.
The inaugural Sky Pilot trail race is set to debut on Sunday (Sept. 21) and occurs on brand new trails opened up by the Sea to Sky Gondola.
Racers can choose to run either 12.5 or 20 kilometres and it boasts a course with alpine vistas, deep forests, rocky perches and mountain streams.
According to race organizers, the 20 km course is extremely challenging and even provided potential participants a list of 10 questions that racers must answer yes to in order to register.
The 20 km race is described as a class 2.5 mountain terrain route and parts of the course have never been run before. There is also a metal rung ladder section to the race and a mandatory gear list for all runners. It鈥檚 recommended that all competitors have the ability to be completely self-sufficient for up to five hours.
鈥淭he proposed long course is, in every sense, a mountain run that includes steep climbs and descents, off-trail sections (on both rocky talus and alpine heather) and short vertical segments,鈥� stated race co-course designer and 麻豆社国产resident Eric Carter on the race鈥檚 website. 鈥淭he Via-Ferrata section is vertical rock that will be equipped with ladders. If you have ever climbed the via ferrata route that connects the first and second peaks of the Stawamus Chief, this is very similar.鈥�
Carter added that even elite athletes likely have to hike, not run, many sections of the route.
The 12.5 km race leads racers up Al鈥檚 Habrich Trail and onto the rock that presents the views above. Participants can run most of the route and organizers state it鈥檚 a good introductory trail race.
Sky Pilot is the fifth of seven races in the CMTS. Previous CMTS races in 麻豆社国产included the Survival of the Fittest in May and the 麻豆社国产23 km race in August.
It all goes down on Sunday starting off at 10 a.m. For more details on the race, visit www.coastmountaintrailseries.com/sky-pilot.html.
