Running News Daily

Sinister 7 Ultra is coming up and this ultramarathon continues to test runners strength, endurance, and willpower to keep running when everything in them wants to stop

The sold-out ultra consists of seven legs that wind around the Crowsnest Pass. The course covers 161 km with an elevation gain of 6321 metres.

Each leg features a unique part of Crowsnest Pass. Leg 1 runs through the Frank Slide, and then Leg 2 runs along Hastings Ridge and below Turtle Mountain back to Blairmore. Leg 3 runs around Pass Powderkeg, the local ski hill. Leg 4 summits Saddle Mountain before heading straight to the Visitor Information Centre. Leg 5 runs through the Chinook/Allison area below Mount Tecumseh ending at the McGillivray staging area. Leg 6 is perhaps the most scenic, though it is often run in the dark. This leg is a tour around the iconic Crowsnest Mountain and the Seven Sisters. The course ends with Leg 7, around Wedge Mountain, crossing Nez Pierce Creek and ending at the Coleman Sports Complex. 

The race attracts 1,600 registrants each year, including a few hundred soloists who run the full distance on their own. We have welcomed runners from across Canada, the USA, Europe, and as far away as Australia and Japan.

Many are drawn by the reputation of the race but most simply come for the unique challenge and the stunning scenery around Crowsnest Pass. 

A special thank you goes out to all the volunteers for Sinister 7. This event would not be possible if it wasn’t for the many dedicated volunteers who come out to support the runners. 

(06/28/2019) Views: 1,899 ⚡AMP

Brian McArthur says managing the pain levels at the Sinister 7 ultra helped him place ninth

Brian McArthur (Right), 46, finished ninth overall and second among racers in the Masters Category with a time of 22 hours, 21 minutes and 32 seconds. He said his goal was to finish the race in under 24 hours and added he was happy with his time as well as the top 10 finish. Of the 286 runners registered, only 86 managed to finish. Last fall, McArthur raced in the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB), a 171km trek through France, Italy and Switzerland. That race brought him through elevations of more than 2,500m and McArthur said the experience helped prepare him for the Sinister 7. “This race, I needed to take it easy and not run too hard,” he said. “It’s a long day and you need to save yourself because there’s lots of time to run hard at the end. I laid back and took the first three stints fairly easy in the first 80km. Then started to feel recovered, then the last half I ran fairly hard and the last 40km I felt great and I ran about 20 people down.” The Sinister 7 race traveled through 6,400m of elevation and was a grueling endeavour, but McArthur said his biggest challenge was overcoming the mental fatigue. “Managing the pain levels and realizing that it will go away. That it’s just temporary. Think about other things, like the beautiful environment you’re running through,” he said. “Enjoying the moment and the other runners that you come across. Just enjoying the experience and being able to appreciate the moment.” McArthur added that he was motivated to start ultramarathons after joining a running club in Red Deer and participating in a marathon. It was through the club that he heard about longer races. Originally, he thought the idea was crazy. “Six years later, that’s what I’m doing. It kind of creeps up on you,” he said. (07/11/2018) Views: 1,486 ⚡AMP