Conquer the Vedder 2023

Location:	Chilliwack, British Columbia , Canada
Series:	Conquer the Vedder
Type:	SUP Race
Tagged:	Blackfish Paddles, British Columbia, Canada, Chilliwack
Date:	27 - 28 May 2023
Organiser:	Coast Mountain Trail Running
Website:	https://trailrunning.ca/race/conquer-the-vedder/
Social Media:
Hashtags:	#conquerthevedder

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

Blackfish Paddles is the official partner of the event

Photo by Scott Robarts

Event Overview:

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.

Gary Robbins and Geoff Langford (the RD’s behind CMTR) – got their starts in the adventure racing / multisport world and are stoked to be presenting a genuinely unique multisport racing concept that they’ve been working on for a few years now.

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.

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!

SOLO

SUP – RIDE – RUN – 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.
Ascent: 157m / 515ft
Descent: 580m / 1900ft

COURSE MAPS
View an image of the solo course map below

RELAY

SUP – RIDE – RUN (53 KMS TOTAL)

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

Stage 2: 32km Gravel Ride, up and down Vedder Mountain, start and finish at Smith Falls Campground. Stage 2 map.
Ascent: 750m / 2460ft
Descent: 750m / 2460ft

Stage 3: 15km Trail run, start and finish at Smith Falls Campground. Stage 3 map.
Ascent: 650m / 2130ft
Descent: 650m / 2130ft

COURSE MAPS
View an image of the course map below

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 – 7:30pm (solo only) at race start
Saturday: 5:00am – 7:00am (solo only) at race start
Saturday: 3:00pm – 7:30pm at race start
Sunday: 5:00am – 7:00am at race start

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:

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

REGISTER FOR THE EVENT HERE

Included with Registration:

$5 donation per participant to local trails through the Vedder Mountain Trails Association
2 trees planted per participant (x3 for relay teams) in partnership with a local Fraser Valley reforestation program
CTV branded shirt, high quality cotton/poly blend (x3 for relay teams)
CTV branded beer glass (x3 for relay teams)
CTV branded shoe bag (x3 for relay teams)
CTV branded sticker (x3 for relay teams)
CTV branded finisher medal (x3 for relay teams)
Finish Line BBQ and social area

To find out more, visit Conquer the Vedder

Booking.com