Participants in the 28k, 20k, 10k and 5k distances are invited to participate in the “Harricana All Summer Long” event   

After several weeks of reflection, and in light of the most recent developments regarding the COVID-19 situation in Quebec, the Ultra-Trail Harricana ™ of Canada team announces that the long-distance races (65 km, 80 km and 125 km) are set to take place on September 11-12th, 2020.*

With social-distancing and sanitary rules being more difficult to enforce on the shorter distances within the time frame currently allotted to us, participants registered in the 28 km, 20 km, 10 km, and 5 km are invited to participate in the “Harricana All Summer Long” event.

*The team underscores that the hosting of the long-distance events is contingent on official Public Health authorizations, which, to date, have not yet been confirmed.

A thoughtful and responsible decision

The Ultra-Trail Harricana™ of Canada team is confident that they can host an event that complies with the sanitary rules, which will likely still be enforced in September. The number of athletes in each distance has already been limited compared to previous editions and many protocols will be implemented to respect social distancing and limit interactions between runners, volunteers and team members. Requirements will also be imposed in an effort to curb any potential spread of the virus in the Charlevoix region.

“We are taking the situation very seriously and everyone’s health is our priority,” said Marline Côté, general manager of the Ultra-Trail Harricana™ of Canada. “We have a well-rounded and professional team and we are confident that we can carry out this event in an ethical and responsible manner.”

Health measures to be announced July 20th

Several technical and logistical solutions have been considered within the teams, as well in collaboration with other road race and trail running organizations. “The solutions exist and we are considering various strategies.  Over the next few weeks, we will have many decisions to make in consultation with the various teams, which will be subsequently communicated to the runners by July 20th,” explains Marline Côté.

Participants must obviously expect something very different from what they may have already experienced in the past. Priority will be given to security, logistics and timing. “We know that the runners registered as of now want above all to have an opportunity to run and challenge themselves in a safe and supervised environment. The atmosphere will be less festive than usual, but we still want to remain the heart-warming event that we have always been,” says the director.

The organization also calls upon the collaboration of participants and volunteers in order to be able to carry out the event accordingly. “It will be very important that everyone collaborates and takes the measures taken seriously. The last thing we want is for the event to become a source of spread of COVID-19. We must acknowledge that the virus is still very much part of our present reality, wreaking havoc here and elsewhere in the world,” insists Côté.

Many volunteers needed

An urgent appeal is currently being launched to quickly recruit the necessary amount of volunteers to ensure that the event unfolds in a safe and secure manner. “The recruitment of volunteers had been put on hold since last March and and we must now quickly find people who want to live this adventure with us,” continues the event director.

Those interested can register on the event website and the organization will contact them to assign a task that suits their schedule and interests. TO REGISTER AS A VOLUNTEER.

An original and groundbreaking alternative

Participants in the 28km, 20km, 10km, and 5km distances are not being left behind; quite the opposite, as they will be able to transfer their registration to become members of the “Harricana All Summer Long” program, which allows access to a multitude of activities being organized throughout the summer, while respecting the evolution of the pandemic and the authorized deconfinement.

Among these activities are guided trainings, friendly competitions, discovery days on certain parts of the 125 km, 80 km and on new, never-before-seen UTHC courses! A calendar of activities, promotions and benefits will be created over the summer for members of the “Harricana All Summer Long” program.

The “Harricana Lone Wolf” Challenge

One of the main activities proposed in this summer program will be to complete the brand new “Harricana Lone Wolf 28k and 10k” challenge. Runners can strive for their best possible time on the 28k and 10k courses, which will remain marked during the entire summer season.

Participants will be able to compete against other Ultra-Trail Harricana Athletes in small groups (while respecting the maximum authorized number of people, and in accordance with social-distancing measures), or solo, whenever they like throughout the summer.

Participants will be able to record their times using a GPS watch or an app such as Strava, and official rankings will be maintained throughout the summer. For the more motivated, classifications will be compiled for those who complete the loop more than once, for a total of 54km or 84km.

Find out more about the “Harricana Lone Wolf” challenge.

Find out more about the “Harricana All Summer Long” program.

Find out more about the choices offered to athletes registered in the 28k, 20k, 10k and 5k events.