Connecting the Great Trail in Northern Alberta

The 175-kilometre Athabasca Landing Trail is both historically important and the site of a new 100-mile ultramarathon

Endless rolling terrain, st unning scenery and intermittent attractions. The Athabasca Landing Trail has shaped up to be a trail runner’s dream. The windy and woodsy non-motorized recreational path stretches across 175 .63 kilometres of Albertan soil reconciling Fort Saskatchewan to Athabasca, and it carries much history.

The path was built in 1876 to connect the North Saskatchewan River and MacKenzie River systems for trade and transport and was dubbed “The 100 Mile Portage.” The route was crucial for the development of Northern Alberta and its business with the people of the Northern Territories, as it was travelled by 19th-century fur traders, gold prospectors and missionaries. Now, the trail will be busier than ever, thanks to a revamping from the Government of Canada making it accessible and connecting it to the Great Trail, formerly known as the Trans Canada Trail. Runners are taking to its virtues.

Running through Alberta cannot be done without visiting a few attractions along the way. The trail travels through multiple communities and landmarks, and is f lanked with attractions for all tastes. The Fort-Saskatchewan Museum, displaying a historic courthouse, church, house and school from the 19th century is located at the southernmost point of the trail. Farther north is Lilly Lake, a venue specializing in retreats offering fine dining, small cottages and a canoeing lake. Up the road, and only

70 kilometres from Edmonton, is the Tawatinaw Valley Alpine and Nordic Centre, one of the best lowland ski areas in Alberta, offering 2 4 downhill ski runs and miles of cross-country ski routes.

For those runners seeking to conquer a challenge on the trail, the Athabasca Ultra 100 is set to kick off its first edition on July 27 to 29 of this year. In teams of up to ten, runners will follow the trail ’s historic route by starting at West River’s Edge in Fort Saskatchewan and finishing on the Athabasca Riverfront at Athabasca Landing. The 100-mile team relay will have runners brave gradual elevations, rugged terrain and two rivers, and will offer distances varying from 9.3 to 30. 4 kilometres between transition areas. At each of these areas, racers will have the opportunity to watch and participate in historical re-enactments. The event aims to honour the heritage of the trail, and celebrate its recent connection to the TransCanada trail system, which has now expanded to more than 2 4,000 kilometres, connecting all the way from the Pacific to the Arctic and finally to the Atlantic coast .

A Friday welcome dinner and opening ceremony, as well as a Saturday lunch are included in the race package. Race director Brenda Reynolds hopes to make the new race an annual event.

“A unique feature of the Athabasca Ultra,” says Reynolds, “is that it is the longest ultra in Alberta, and it’s point-to-point. We will have an outdoor theatre production based on the history of the Indigenous, Métis and settlers who built this trail continuing at each transition station all the way to the finish.” Reynolds adds that the runners, their families and spectators will get to enjoy the warm hospitality of the people of northern Alberta and their communities.— CR