Vedder Mountain Challenge

Saturday, May 24th
Running Races, choose from 15km or 35km distances
Sunday, May 25th
Multisport races, choose from solo or relay teams of 3 (one person per discipline)
SUP-Ride-Run
Image
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

Overview

Saturday
8:00am: 35km run
9:00am: 15km run
Sunday
8:00am: multi-sport both races, solo and relay

Cultus Lake and Vedder Mountain offer unparalleled 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.

  • Courses are entirely flagged, no navigation needed, no maps or compasses provided. Follow the flagging, start to finish.
  • SUP only for Sunday’s water portion.
  • Mountain bikes are allowed, but gravel and cyclocross bikes are more efficient for the experienced rider over these courses. The course is steep at the beginning and end, while fast and flat’ish in the middle. An inexperienced rider may prefer a mountain bike, which has a friendlier gearing ratio for the steep climbs, and a less aggressive seating position for the downhills as well, especially if there’s a dropper post. Using a mountain bike will place most experienced riders at a time 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 IS faster, but some people may be more comfortable on a mountain bike. Any non-motorized off-road pedal bike is allowed.
  • Winning times for Sunday’s multisport day are around 3h45m for the solo race and 3h25m for the relay race.
Image
We acknowledge that we are gathering on the ancestral and unceded lands of the Pilalt and Ts'elxwéyeqw Tribes of the Stó:lō Coast Salish Peoples.

Course

15km Run

15km trail run, start and finish at Smith Falls Campground.
Ascent: 650m / 2130ft
Descent: 650m / 2130ft

A fantastic figure eight style run, beginning and ending on the Cultus lakefront at the Smith Falls campground.
With a burly elevation profile you’ll get a full taste of Vedder Mountain’s famous trail network. Thankfully,
you tackle all the climbing on the front half of your run, and then it’s all downhill to the finish on the back
half… hey, that’s a first for us. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Maybe we’ll have to find one more hill for you to
climb before the finish line though? 🙂 Enjoy a dip in the lake post-race as the pre-summer sun shines bright
and warm (at least 50% of the time 😊) in late May in Chilliwack.

Download the 15km run GPX file here.

click the map to open a larger file in a new tab, or download onto your mobile device.

35km Run

35km trail run, start and finish at Smith Falls Campground.
Ascent: 1550m / 5085ft
Descent: 1550m / 5085ft

Tough, steep, gnarly and scenic. Need we say more? 😊 Starting at Cultus Lake in the private group campground at
Smith Falls, runners will make their way up and over the very tippy top of Vedder Mountain at 924 m (3,031 ft),
and there’s even a few hand-rope assisted areas to get you safely over the steepest rock faces. Of course we’ll
throw in a few more ups and downs along the way, just to test your mettle out there on the singletrack. You’ll
cuss us, but you’ll also thank us… eventually… we hope.

Download the 35km run GPX file here.

click the map to open a larger file in a new tab, or download onto your mobile device.

Schedule

Date:

Saturday, May 24th
Running Races, choose from 15km or 35km distances
Sunday, May 25th
Multisport races, choose from solo or relay teams of 3 (one person per discipline)
SUP-Ride-Run

Distances:

Saturday
Run: 15km
Run: 35km
Sunday
Solo multi-sport (SUP / Off-road Biking / Trail Running): 48km total
Multi-sport relay (Teams of 3)
SUP: 6km / Off-road Biking: 32km / Trail Running: 15km

Location:

Smith Falls (Westside) Campground, Cultus Lake, BC

Start Times:

Saturday

8:00am: 35km run

9:00am: 15km run

Sunday

8:00am: multi-sport both races, solo and relay

Pre-Race Briefing:

Mandatory each day: 15 minutes before start
Disciplines:

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

  • SUP only on Sunday’s multisport day. No kayaks, canoes, surf-skis allowed or other watercraft allowed.
  • Mountain bikes are allowed, but gravel bikes are more efficient for the experienced rider over these courses. The course is steep at the beginning and end, while fast and flat’ish in the middle. An inexperienced rider may prefer a mountain bike, which has a friendlier gearing ratio for the steep climbs, and a less aggressive seating position for the downhills as well, especially if there’s a dropper post. Using a mountain bike will place most experienced riders at a time 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 IS faster, but some people may be more comfortable on a mountain bike. Any non-motorized off-road pedal bike is allowed.
Cutoffs:

15km Run: 5 hours
35km Run: 8 hours
Solo Multi-sport: 7.5 hours
Relay Multi-sport: 7.5 hours

Package Pickup:

Friday: 4:00pm – 7:00pm (run only) location TBD
Saturday: 6:45am – 8:45am (run only) at race start at Smith Falls Campground
Saturday: 3:00pm – 6:00pm (multi-sport only) at race start at Smith Falls Campground
Sunday: 6:00am – 7:00am (multi-sport only) at race start at Smith Falls Campground

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

Rules and Gear

You must provide all your own gear for each stage of the multi-sport races. We do not provide paddleboards or bikes. There will be a water station set up at each discipline transition area.

Standup Paddleboarding:

  • Standup Paddleboards only for Sunday’s multi-sport races! No kayaks, no surf-skis, no swimming, no prone paddleboarding.
  • Only single blade SUP paddles allowed. No kayak paddles or double-bladed paddles allowed.
  • Coast Guard OR Transport Canada Approved PFD or life jacket (type III or better) OR self-inflating belt style life preserver. These must be worn at all times while on the water. You are not allowed to simply attach your life jacket or self-inflating belt to your board while paddling, it must be worn upon your body at all times while on the water.
  • Whistle. Must be attached to you and within easy reach.
  • Leash. You must be leashed to your SUP at all times while on the water.
  • No kites or board alterations of any type allowed. It’s your arms, your lungs, your SUP, and your single blade paddle; anything else will get you disqualified.
  • You are allowed to use a sit down back support for your SUP board if you like, but you are still only allowed a single blade paddle.
  • Once off the water, you must transport your SUP gear to the approved holding area, as directed by our course marshals. Any boards strewn about and not following the course marshals’ directions shall see the person and/or team disqualified.

Off-Road Biking:

  • Gravel bike, cyclocross bike, or mountain bike, in good working order.
  • NO e-bikes allowed. No motors or assistance of any type allowed. It’s your legs and the pedals; anything more will get you disqualified.
  • Bike helmet (certified CSA or equivalent).
  • Solo racers must transport their running shoes throughout the course. The run stage is in the middle of the bike stage. We recommend a backpack or attaching the shoes to your handlebars with ski straps. Practice before race weekend.
  • Solo racers can leave all bike supplies with their bike while out on the run stage. Once you depart the bike stage for the finish line, you must carry everything back. Leaving gear out on course will result in a disqualification.

Trail Run:

  • No course cutting, no switchback cutting. Follow the flagging exactly as it is laid out. Course cutting and/or switchback cutting will get you, you guessed it, disqualified!
  • Multi-sport solo competitors can leave all their bike supplies with their bikes while they are out on the trail running stage.
Image

Details

Start/Finish:

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

  • SUPs and bikes have to be dropped off either the night prior (Sat, security provided) or by 6:45am (hard cut) on race morning, Sunday.
  • 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:
    Saturday 3:00pm – 6:00pm (multi-sport competitor gear drop off)
    Sunday 6:00am – 6:45am (multi-sport competitors)
    Sunday 3:00pm – 6:00pm (multi-sport competitors gear pick-up)
Accommodations:

Find hotels, cabins and camping options near Cultus Lake.

Watercraft Rentals:

Find rental options for paddle boards all across the lower mainland.

Buses & Parking Fees:

Cultus Lake pay parking Lot D (behind the Cultus Lake Waterpark) at a rate of $24 for the full day. No parking is available at the start/finish. Free parking at Cultus Lake in the spring – summer is unfortunately unavailable.
Shuttle services will be provided at no cost between the parking area and the start/finish on the following schedule each day:

  • SAT 6:35am departing from Lot D every 20 mins (10 min trip to the start/finish).
  • SAT after the races have begun, shuttles will be provided on request to transport people in and out of the start – finish location
  • SAT final shuttle from start – finish to lot D is 4:30pm
  • SUN for multi-sport *no gear on buses, all gear must be dropped off the night prior or super early on race day* 
  • SUN FIRST BUS 6:15am, then rotating every 20 mins thereafter. 
  • SUN after the races have begun, shuttles will be provided on request to transport people in and out of the start – finish location
  • SUN 5:00pm last departure from the finish.

Water / Aid Stations:

For the Saturday running races, full aid stations are set up as per the race maps.

For Sunday multi-sport relay racers, there will be a water station set up at each discipline transition area. 

For Sunday solo multi-sporters, one aid station will be provided on course, at the bike to run to bike transition area. 

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:

15km Run: 5 hours
35km Run: 8 hours
Solo Multi-sport: 7.5 hours
Relay Multi-sport: 7.5 hours

10 Essentials:

We encourage everyone to always carry the 10 Essentials for backcountry safety in your pack – whether you’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 about the 10 Essentials in this article by North Shore Rescue.

Image

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

Image

Results

Race results for all years are available below.
Race Results

Photos

Race day photos are available below:
2024 Solo Photos by Scott Robarts
2024 Relay Photos by Scott Robarts
2024 Solo Photos by Jelmer Snoeck
2024 Relay Photos by Jelmer Snoeck
Historic Photos

Register

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

Included with Registration:

  1. $5 donation per participant to local trails through the Vedder Mountain Trails Association and the Fraser Valley Mountain Bikers Association.
  2. 1 tree planted per participant (x3 for relay teams) in partnership with a Fraser Valley – Chilliwack Indigenous Lands reforestation program
  3. VMC branded beer glass (x3 for relay teams)
  4. CMTR branded tote bag (x3 for relay teams)
  5. Finish Line BBQ and social area
  6. *multi-sport racers only* VMC branded finisher medal (x3 for relay teams)
Discipline Entry (CDN$) Cap
Solo category $195 50
Relay (Teams of 3) $375 50
15K Trail Run $75 150
35K Trail Run $95 200