The Iroquoia Trail Test was a race I’ve heard about for some while, but never run. It’s famed technical trails of rocks and roots intimidated and yet appealed to me, a relatively new trail runner who has come to love the challenges of a difficult trail run. So, I was excited to try this most technical of the Ontario Ultra Series trail races, and looked forward to the tests that the Niagara Escarpment and Bruce Trail would bring.
Map of the race routes for the day
After training on the gnarly trails of Canadian Shield at Grundy Lake Provincial Park this summer and achieving a level of fitness I felt good about, I figured I’d be able to handle the Test and perhaps even finish in the upper 1/4 of the field. However, a week before the race, on my last long trail training run on the Oak Ridges Trail, I tripped over a root (that I saw!) and badly jammed my big toe knuckle. Not even sure if it was sprained or even possibly broken, I didn’t run all week in a forced, radical ‘taper’. However, as my toe slowly and steadily improved, I was able to arrive on race day feeling like I ~might~ just be able to run this Test. But I knew that I wouldn’t be able to run as confidently over the rocks and roots as I might have without the injury.
Scoping out the early kms of the course pre-race
Overall the race (held at the gorgeously hilly and scenic Crawford Lake Conservation Area) is a beautiful, challenging course, with technical portions of trail just as advertised. I ran the 18km distance, and I was quite surprised at the long stretches of relatively flat, non-technical trail that runners could really open up on. In between these flat sections (including the opening kilometer or so, foreboding in that you just knew the easy running terrain would end sooner or later), there were stretches of the technical, hilly trails that the race is (in)famous for. However, far from being a suffer-fest (and indeed, there is a certain satisfaction that comes from meeting the challenge of the technical sections, so I can’t say that I was suffering at all!), the technical parts of the course proved to be the most beautiful. Of particular note was the most difficult section: a few kms along the top of the Escarpment on the Bruce Trail where runners could look out over the absolutely gorgeous Nassagaweya Canyon. In fact, I had to stop for a second or two to enjoy the view! Moments like these helped to take my mind off of how conservatively and gingerly I was babying my foot, leading me to run quite slowly through the rocks jutting up from the trail. As the race went on I reminded myself of the joy of running, and of how important it is to run carefully when not 100%, so that I can run again another day. In the end I was able to drop my usual competitive drive, and, though running about as fast as I could, was able to enjoy the scenery and effort (as well as the very friendly community of trail runners and volunteers I encountered along the route!).
Finish line
In fact, that friendliness was one of the endearing things about a race that, at its heart, had a bare-bones, old-school feel to it. Throughout the race the 18km runners shared the course with the 34km and 7km runners, and everyone was very polite, friendly, and encouraging. There seemed to be no ego on the course, even as the 34km race leaders politely and swiftly bounded past me. I witnessed two runners tripping and falling on the course, and immediately other runners paused to help them to their feet and ensure they were okay. After the race, runners I remember seeing on the course (and others I didn’t remember) made a point of congratulating me for a good run, making me (a midpacker today at 42cd out of 121 finishers), feel even more encouraged about my conservative but wise effort. Even though the race was full of extremely talented runners (including at least one finisher of the Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc, and Simon and Turbo from the hit endurance sports show ‘Boundless‘), everyone was supportive of each other and extremely polite on the sections of the course we shared. This friendliness certainly made for an enjoyable experience, and is a testament to the great reputation trail runners have for their hospitality.
Simon (shirtless) and Turbo (red shirt) from hit TV Show Boundless. Simon, who came 2cd in the 34km race, was perhaps the most polite person that I met on the course. I briefly met Turbo (who finished 6th in the 34km test) at this year’s Snowshoe Raid, too. Apparently this race was the first trail race they competed in years ago…what an introduction to trail running!
Like I mentioned, the organization of the race had an old-school, no-frills feel, but it was certainly efficient and more than adequate. Aid stations were sprinkled throughout the course offering water and sports drink, the race was chip-timed and offered splits at two different points on the course, and runners received not only a finisher’s medal, but a sharp-looking technical tshirt too. The start, with the race directly simply saying ‘Go’ to launch the runners onto the course, was appreciated by anyone who had a dry sense of humour :). The free peameal bacon sandwich after the race was a unique touch, too.
Post race selfie with medal!
Overall, I had a wonderful experience at a well-organized, challenging and beautiful race. I am no longer intimidated by this now classic Ontario trail race, and in fact my fond memories of the 2014 edition (injury and all) leaves me wanting more! Maybe next year I’ll come back without an injury to take the Iroquoia Trail Test again.
Obligatory mud-caked shoes pic: the course actually had only one real spot with mud, and of course I ran right through it!
