Mountain bikers and runners unite!
The SORCA Tour de Squamish is back this weekend and is bringing bike lovers and trail runners together for their annual relay event.
The format for the Sept. 14 event will be a three-person relay, this year including a trail run, down-country XC and two-stage enduro legs.
“Trail runners use the trails just as mountain bikers do and they contribute to the trails so we kind of have gone outside of our typical just mountain biking platform,” SORCA executive director Ian Lowe said.
“The run is a net gain so it’s like a climb, and then the cross country bike leg is a net descent,” he said.
According to Lowe, each section of the relay will roughly take an hour with around 10 minutes of timed sections in the enduro leg.
While SORCA members are encouraged to team up in groups of three, Lowe said individuals or duos are welcome to take part in the event.
“As much as we are encouraging people to get together as a team, they can enter as an individual and do the whole thing, or they can even enter as an individual and do one of the three legs,” he said.
“They will still get a time at the end, although there won't be a category for individuals, they can still participate in the event and then come to the after party.”
There will be prizes for the top teams in each category as well as for teams that best embrace the Tour de Squamish vibe.
The name Tour de Squamish commemorates SORCA’s long-time trail director Chris McCrum, who passed away in 2019.
McCrum was also responsible for a difficult group ride, which was originally named the Tour de Squamish, but was shortened and reborn as Beyond the Valleycliffe of the Dolls.
In previous years, participants have been known to dress up in costumes, which Lowe endorses, but with caution.
“The first year we did [the event], we didn't explicitly say that you should dress up in costume, but a lot of teams went full on with the costumes,” he said.
“Just a word of warning is that we love costumes. However, they should still be safe to bike in.
“You have to remember that there is still an element of risk when you're biking and if you have a three-foot tail coming off of your behind, it's maybe not the safest thing.”
Registration for the event closes at midnight on Sept. 12 and costs $60 per team ($20 per person). The fee includes race entry, dinner, draw prizing and one drink ticket per person at the after party hosted by Free Bird Table and Bar and Red Truck Beer Company.
To register or for more information on the Tour de Squamish, visit the SORCA website.
