Canadian Death Race

Since the start of the millennium, racers have come to the Canadian Rockies to cheat Death in one of the world’s toughest ultramarathons. The 118km course begins and ends on a 4200-foot plateau, passes over three mountain summits, and not only includes 4543m (14,905 feet) of elevation change but a major river crossing at the spectacular Hell’s Gate canyon at the confluence of the Smoky and Sulphur Rivers. Each year, extreme athletes push themselves to the limits of their endurance against the breathtaking background of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Well-trained and totally committed, they battle heat, cold, altitude, and their own demons. Finishing is the prize and the bragging rights are priceless.

The Canadian Death Race (CDR) consists of two distances: the 118-km full course and the Near Death Marathon (NDM). The 118-km course has 5 legs and can be completed solo or on a relay team of 2 to 5 people. The NDM is legs 1 and 2 of the full course minus the Flood Summit Loop.

There is a Kids’ Race on the Sunday afternoon after the 118-km has finished. This race is ~6km in length and is a family favourite with 175 to 200 participants yearly. The kids get a huge group of people cheering them on at the Start/Finish and on the course. Grande Cache makes sure to make the kids the focus at this event.