Conquer the Vedder

Saturday, May 27th - solo racers only
Sunday, May 28th - relay teams of 3, one person per discipline
Solo or Relay - SUP, Bike, Run
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Presented By:

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Registration is now open

Overview

Date: Saturday, May 27th - solo racers only
Sunday, May 28th - relay teams of 3, one person per discipline

Distances: Solo Saturday or Relay Sunday (Teams of 3) - Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) / Gravel Biking / Trail Running

  • Courses are entirely flagged, no navigation needed, no maps or compasses provided. Follow the flagging, start to finish.
  • SUP only; no kayaks, canoes or surf-skis allowed
  • Mountain bikes are allowed, but gravel and cyclocross bikes are much more efficient for these courses. Using a mountain bike will place most people at a disadvantage, however, the bike course has a few steep uphill sections off the start (you can expect a few short hike-a-bikes if you’re not super experienced), and a few steep downhill sections into the finish (nothing crazy, we promise). A gravel bike will be faster, but some people may be more comfortable on a mountain bike.
  • Winning times are expected to be in the 4 hour range (+/- 30 mins)

Conquer the Vedder is a new multisport race with a twist, in its second year in 2023. We only allow standup paddleboards and the course favours gravel bikes. Courses are entirely flagged with zero navigation undertaken by participants.

Both of us – Gary Robbins and Geoff Langford (the RD’s behind CMTR) – got our starts in the adventure racing / multisport world, so it gives us great pleasure to finally be presenting a genuinely unique multisport racing concept that weโ€™ve been working on for a few years now.

Cultus Lake and Vedder Mountain offer unparalleledย trail and water access. There are hundreds of kilometers of singletrack trails all over Vedder Mountain, and Cultus Lake is a favourite summer destination for watersport lovers.

Many in the trail running world have dipped their toes in the SUP and Gravel Biking scene over the last few years, and we look forward to presenting you with a great option to either put all your new sports gear to the test, or to link up with a few friends from different sports scenes to have a blast as a relay team!

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We acknowledge that we are gathering on the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of the Pilalt and Ts'elxwรฉyeqw Tribes of the Stรณ:lล Coast Salish Peoples.

Course

SUP โ€“ Ride โ€“ Run โ€“ Ride (48 kms total)

Stage 1: 6km SUP on Cultus Lake, start and finish at Smith Falls Campground.

Stage 2: 15km Gravel bike from Smith Falls up Vedder Mountain via a mix of gravel bike rideable singletrack and the Vedder Mountain Service Road.
Ascent: 580m / 1900ft
Descent: 157m / 515ft

Stage 3: 12km Trail run, up and over Vedder Mountain.
Ascent: 535m / 1755ft
Descent: 535m / 1755ft

Stage 4: 15km Gravel bike back down Vedder Mountain to the finish line at Smith Falls Campground. โ€‹
Ascent: 157m / 515ft
Descent: 580m / 1900ft

Course Maps

View an image of the solo course map below. You can click the image to open a larger file in a new tab, or download onto your mobile device.

Schedule

Date:

Saturday, May 27th - solo racers only
Sunday, May 28th - relay teams of 3, one person per discipline

Distances:

Solo Saturday or Relay Sunday (Teams of 3) - Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) / Gravel Biking / Trail Running

Location:

Smith Falls Campground, Cultus Lake, BC

Start Times:

8:00am each day
Disciplines:

Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) / Gravel OR Mountain Bike / Trail Running

  • SUP only; no kayaks, canoes or surf-skis allowed.
  • Mountain bikes are allowed, but gravel and cyclocross bikes are much more efficient for these courses. Using a mountain bike will place most people at a disadvantage, however, the bike course has a few steep uphill sections off the start (you can expect a few short hike-a-bikes if you’re not super experienced), and a few steep downhill sections into the finish (nothing crazy, we promise). A gravel bike will be faster, but some people may be more comfortable on a mountain bike.
Cutoffs:

8.5 hours each day

Package Pickup:

Friday: 4:00pm โ€“ 7:30pm (solo only) at race start
Saturday: 5:00am โ€“ 7:00am (solo only) at race start
Saturday: 3:00pm โ€“ 7:30pm at race start
Sunday: 5:00am โ€“ 7:00am at race start

ID MUST BE SHOWNย TO PICKUP YOUR RACER PACKAGE.ย BIBS CANNOT BE PICKED UP BY ANYONE BUT THE REGISTERED RACER. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Details

Start/Finish:

Smith Falls (West Side) BC Parks group camp sites at the end of Parmenter Road.

  • SUPs and bikes have to be dropped off either the night prior (security provided) or by 6:45am (hard cut) on race morning.
  • Crew, family, or friends can walk to and from the start/finish, or use the regular shuttle service.
  • Road access to the start/finish will only be granted for these specific windows of time:
    Friday 4pm โ€“ 7:30pmย (solo competitors drop off)
    Saturday 5am โ€“ 6:45amย (solo competitors drop off)
    Saturday 3pm โ€“ 7:30pmย (solo pickup and relay drop off)
    Sunday 5am โ€“ 6:45amย (relay drop off)
    Sunday 3pm โ€“ 6pmย (relay pickup)
Accommodations:

Find hotels, cabins and camping options

Parking & Buses:

Cultus Lake pay parking Lot D (behind the waterpark). No parking is available at the start/finish. Shuttle services will be provided at no cost between the parking area and the start/finish on the following schedule each day:

  • 5:30amย departing from Lot D, and every 30 mins (10 min trip to the start/finish).
  • 8:30amย last drop off at Lot D.
  • 8:30am – 2:00pmย shuttles by request.
  • 2:00pmย departing from the start/finish, and every 30 mins (10 min trip to Lot D).
  • 5:00pmย last departure from the start/finish.
Water Stations:

There will be a water station set up at each discipline transition area. One water station will be provided on course for solos, at the bike to run to bike transition area. For the relay, there will be one water station on course, at the bike turnaround point.

Bag Check:

There will be a tent at the start/finish area to leave a bag, but it is not monitored so please label your bag and do not leave any valuables.

Cupless:

In our effort to reduce waste, all our races are cup-free, meaning you’ll need to pack along your own cup for water stations.

Poles:

Hiking / trekking / running poles are NOT ALLOWED in any disciplines.

Cutoffs:

8.5 hours, both days

10 Essentials:

We encourage everyone to always carry the 10 Essentials for backcountry safety in your pack – whether youโ€™re out training or adventuring on your own or with friends, or participating in one of our extensively marked races, you can never predict what might happen. Learn more aboutย the 10 Essentials in this articleย by North Shore Rescue.

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CMTR Events are Trail Sisters Approved. Read more about the approval standards by clicking here.

Results

Race results for all years are available below.
Race Results

Photos

Race day photos are available below:
Solo Photos by Ty Holtan
Relay Photos by Ty Holtan
Solo Photos by Scott Robarts
Relay Photos by Scott Robarts
Historic Photos

Register

Registration is now open

Included with Registration:

  1. $5 donation per participant to local trails through the Vedder Mountain Trails Association
  2. 2 trees planted per participant (x3 for relay teams) in partnership with a local Fraser Valley reforestation program
  3. CTV branded shirt, high quality cotton/poly blend (x3 for relay teams)
  4. CTV branded beer glass (x3 for relay teams)
  5. CTV branded shoe bag (x3 for relay teams)
  6. CTV branded sticker (x3 for relay teams)
  7. CTV branded finisher medal (x3 for relay teams)
  8. Finish Line BBQ and social area
Discipline Jan 24 April 1 Cap
Solo $195 $225 150
Relay (Teams of 3) $375 $400 100

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