Press release

For immediate release

The North Face becomes presenting partner of all Harricana Events for the next three years

La Malbaie, January 25th, 2023 – The Événements Harricana team is proud to announce that The North Face Canada has become a presenting partner of all its events for the next three years (2023-2024-2025).

The North Face will present (in chronological order):

• L’Échappée de l’Isle-aux-Coudres (June 17 to 19, 2023), formerly the Isle-aux-Coudres Half-Marathon;
• Club Harricana, which offers permanent marked trails in the Massif de Charlevoix and Mont Grand-Fonds from June to October;
• The FestiTrail du Massif de Charlevoix (1st edition on July 15, 2023);
• The TransCharlevoix, a linear stage race (2nd edition from August 25 to 27, 2023);
• The Ultra-Trail Harricana of Canada (12th edition from September 7 to 10, 2023), the most popular trail running event in the country;
• The Quebec tour of the Trails in Motion film festival (October to December 2023).

The company specializing in sports clothing and accessories, mainly oriented towards mountain activities and trail running, has been the presenting partner of the event since the very beginnings, in 2012.

“This long-term commitment is not only a great mark of recognition and trust from an essential partner in the industry, but it is also most certainly one of the most important partnerships ever signed in the industry. world of trail running in Canada”, highlights the general manager of the event, Marline Côté. “The North Face is also a team of enthusiasts with whom we have had the great pleasure of collaborating with for twelve years. This partnership is therefore the result of a strategic vision, but also the fruit of a fluid collaboration and a natural alignment of our respective organizational values”.

As presenter of Harricana Events, The North Face will continue to support the organization’s innovative initiatives in order to contribute to the development of trail running in Quebec, in addition to participating in the success of the various events by energizing the hosting sites, providing equipment and accessories, as well as inviting renowned international athletes.

Carl Bissonnette, Senior Marketing Manager at The North Face Canada, applauds the partnership with Harricana Events for its strategic alignment with the company’s vision. “The North Face is very pleased to be associated with this organization which has positioned itself as a very strong and credible leader in the community over the past twelve years. This partnership reflects our commitment to advancing the industry and community as well as the discipline of trail running”.

ABOUT ÉVÉNEMENTS HARRICANA

Since its creation in 2012, Harricana Events has been a non-profit organization whose mission is to participate in the development and promotion of trail and ultra-trail running and, in a complementary way, to the promotion of outdoor activities and healthy lifestyles, through the organization of events whose outreach and spin-offs benefit social or community causes. The organization is particularly famous for organizing, since 2012, the Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada, the most popular trail race in Canada. The event, which is held at Mont Grand-Fonds, in La Malbaie, brings together more than 3,000 athletes from all over the world on ten courses ranging from 1 km for children to 125 km for experienced athletes.

ABOUT THE NORTH FACE

The North Face® fundamental mission remains unchanged since 1966: Provide the best gear for our athletes and the modern day explorer, support the preservation of the outdoors, and inspire a global movement of exploration.

– 30 – 

Medias : 581-996-6400

The Heat Wave of the 11th edition of Ultra-Trail Harricana of Canada

La Malbaie, September 12, 2022 – Only a few hours after the last runner of the 125k crosses the finish like at the 11th edition of the Ultra-Trail Harricana of Canada (UTHC) on the site of Mont Grand-Fonds in La Malbaie, here are 8 key points to be take away from this exceptional edition, which took place for the most part on the Traversée de Charlevoix trails, under extraordinary late summer conditions, from September 9 to 11. The UTHC confirms its status as the most popular trail running event in the country with more than 2500 participants (over 3000 registered):

• For the first time in the event’s history, the Ultra-Trail Harricana weekend featured incredibly summer-like, hot and humid conditions. During the three days of racing, the temperature exceeded 25ºC, which is exceptional for mid-September. For the past ten years, UTHC runners have been used to beautiful fall conditions, so the hot weather was a surprise to many. Most of the participants in the long events (65, 80 and 125 km) reported suffering from the heat.

• The DNF (did not finish) rate was higher than usual on the long distances. For the 125 km, 137 of 268 people abandoned before the end (52%). On the 80 km, there were 92 DNFs out of 245 starters (38%) and 88 out of 380 on the 65 km (23%). It should be noted that many abandonments occurred relatively early in the race on the main event.

• Elliot Cardin is the new 125 km (4200 m D+) champion of Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada. After winning the 65km in 2018, he had set his sights on winning the UTHC’s premier event the following year. 2019 was no=t his year and he ended up dropping but came back in 2020 to secure the 2^nd spot on the podium. He came back for the win in 2021 however he ended up with a DNF for the 2^nd time on the course. Elliot did everything right since then and 2022 was his year. Starting at 1:00 pm on Friday, September 9, Elliot led most of the race solo. It was with heart, head and resilience, because he was in pain for most of the race, that he crossed the finish line at Mont Grand-Fonds at 3:43 a.m. Saturday morning after 14 hours and 43 minutes of effort. “I’m devastated,” he said at the finish. “I don’t know how I managed to win this race because I had a crappy day! And I don’t want to ever hear again that the 125 km UTHC is a rolling race,” joked Elliot who did not have a good enough day to appreciate the technicality of the trails. He was still very happy and proud of his performance.
• For the second year in a row, young Quebecer Jacob Baril-Arnason finished second in the 125 km race with a time of 16:28 (10 minutes faster than last year), followed closely by Gabriel Sanfaçon, who finished three minutes behind in second place.

Photo : Ian Roberge

• Quebec’s Mylène Sansoucy and Alberta’s Priscilla Forgie battled it out from start to finish over the 125 km, through the rugged backcountry trails on legendary Traversée de Charlevoix. Mylène, who came to La Malbaie with her three young children, led with conviction until the Split Naak, located at kilometer 108, where she experienced a fatigue and energy bonk and was passed by her opponent. Priscilla Forgie won the 125 km race in the early hours of Saturday morning in 17:37, 17 minutes ahead of Mylène Sansoucy. “I found out what a technical trail is like running in Quebec,” commented the rising Alberta trail runner. “I couldn’t do anything to avoid being caught by Priscilla, but I don’t regret anything about my race,” said Mylène Sansoucy, who was also happy to be on the podium again after several setbacks at the Gaspésia 100 and the Quebec Mega Trail this summer.
• Asselin-Demers made her grand debut into the world of ultra-trail by securing third place on the podium at the UTHC for her first trail race of over 100 km.  Up until last year, Geneviève was primarily a road runner and won the Montreal Marathon a few years back.
• Several favourites withdrew, including former UTHC 80 winner Claudine Soucie, Stéphanie Simpson, for whom the event was not a success (second consecutive DNF), the young French racer Maud Parois, whose goal for the season was to win the race, and Lyne Bessette, whose knee doubled in size after several falls on the trails.

Photo : Carl Vignola

• The 11th edition of Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada was marked by numerous tributes to Sébastien Boivin, co-founder of the UTHC, who passed away on August 19 at the age of 45, after several years of struggle with multiple sclerosis. The event was held in his memory, under his star and a sublime full moon. The Ultra-Trail Harricana was created at Sébastien’s initiative to raise awareness for multiple sclerosis and to advance research on this degenerative disease by holding a major fundraising event at each edition.
• This year, the objective of $125,000 was largely exceeded for the cause. The cheque presented on Sunday by UTHC to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (MSSC) was an exceptional $154,571, raised by the UTHC running community.

Photo : Ian Roberge

• Mathieu Blanchard, the honorary president of the 11th edition of the Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada, caused a stir in the community when he was stranded in France for administrative reasons barely 24 hours before the start of the event. He was finally able to board the plane and arrive in time to take part in the festivities in La Malbaie. Mathieu was fully mobilized on the courses to encourage the participants of all the events, from the 125 km to the 1 km youth. This was greatly appreciated by the athletes, who were thrilled to run alongside the man who, just two weeks earlier, made world trail history by finishing second in the UTMB, just behind Kilian Jornet, and at the same time setting the second fastest time in the history of the event. Mathieu Blanchard discovered trail running in 2016 at the Ultra-Trail Harricana. It was his first race and the first of many victories in the 80 km event. Marianne Hogan, 2nd in the 125 km last year, but also 2nd in the Western States and UTMB this summer, also shone with her presence and generosity at Mont Grand-Fonds.

Photo : Ian Roberge

• The 11th edition of Ultra-Trail Harricana marked the return of UTHC TV. For three days, a team of twenty enthusiasts reported the event live on the UTHC Facebook page, while providing extensive coverage on social media. It’s a challenge and a feat when you consider that there is virtually no network on the 10 UTHC courses (5, 10, 20, 28, 28 night duo, 42 Classic, 42 St-Siméon, 65, 80 and 125 km). More than twenty personalities from the running world were on the set, installed in a chalet near Mont Grand-Fonds. All the shows are available in video on Facebook and YouTube and in audio via the podcast #jesuisloup.

Photo : Ian Roberge

• Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada was also a great celebration after the lifting of two years of sanitary restrictions. The Quebec group Clay and Friends set the site of Mont Grand-Fonds ablaze on Saturday night, as many runners continued to cross the finish line just meters from the stage. The show, performed exclusively for UTHC participants and volunteers, was a huge success!

Photo : Ian Roberge

ABOUT LES ÉVÉNEMENTS HARRICANA

Événements Harricana is a non-profit organization whose mission is to participate in the development and promotion of trail running and ultra-trail running and, in a complementary way, to promote the outdoors and a healthy lifestyle, by organizing events that benefit social or community causes.

The organization is known mainly for organizing Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada (since 2012), the most popular trail race in Canada since 2016! The event, held at Mont Grand-Fonds in La Malbaie, now attracts more than 3,000 athletes from around the world on ten courses ranging from 1 km for children to 125 km for high-level athletes.

PHOTOS

RESULTS

UTHC 125 KM

MEN

1. Elliot Cardin (Cowansville) 14:43
2. Jacob Baril-Arnason (Ile-Perrot) 16:28
3. Gabriel Sanfaçon (Quebec City) 16:31

WOMEN

1. Priscilla Forgie (Edmonton) 17:37
2. Mylène Sansoucy (Quebec) 17:54
3. Geneviève Asselin-Demers (Montreal) 18:33

UTHC 80 KM

MEN

1. Francis Malenfant (Quebec) 8:15
2. Xavier Legault (Terrebonne) 8:28
3. Jean-Christophe Smith (Quebec) 8:31

WOMEN

1. Marilyne Nakache (France) 9:08
2. Dania Belisle (Quebec) 10:00
3. Ashley Thorup (Montreal) 10:08

UTHC 65 KM

MEN

1. Samuel Poher (Quebec) 5:59
2. Olivier Collin (Ile-Bizard) 6:31
3. Anthony Larouche (Quebec) 6:45

WOMEN

1. Laurence Laplante (Notre-Dame des Prairies) 7:38
2. Johanie Beland (Quebec) 7:42
3. Véronique Samson (Pont-Rouge) 8:02

UTHC 42 KM Classic

MEN

1. Benoit Didier (Lévis) 3:54
2. Antoine Blais (Quebec City) 3:56
3. Vincent Lajoie (Montreal) 4:14

WOMEN

1. Laurianne Roberge (Quebec) 4:44
2. Geneviève Fournier (Sherbrooke) 5:01
3. Emie Gagnon (Sherbrooke) 5:01

UTHC 28 KM

MEN

1. Martin Dagenais (Laval) 2:11
2. Christopher Levesque-Savard (Sherbrooke) 2:12
3. Jonathan Veilleux (Sainte-Marie) 2:21

WOMEN

1. Anne-Claude Rioux (Otterburn Park) 2:46:01
2. Chloé Gilbert 2:46:25
3. Marie-Claude Cyr (Quebec) 2:49

UTHC 28 KM Duo Night Race

MEN

1. William Walker and Jeremy Rolle 2:39
2. Steve Gagnon and Guillaume Duchesne-Lessard 2:44
3. Guillaume Barry and Renée Morissette 3:00

WOMEN

1. Naomie-Kim Chamberland and Alice Marsh 3:27
2. Mylène Tremblay and Lyzane Trépanier 3:32
3. Marie-Soleil Paquet and Kristel Paquet 4:08

MIXED

1. Josianne Mailloux and Olivier Gagnon 3:19
2. Véronique Demers and Cédric Deniset 3:25
3. Christina Larouche and Patrick Pelletier 3:42

UTHC 42 KM St-Siméon

MEN

1. Éric Levesque (Matane) 4:28
2. Francis Lefebvre (Quebec City) 4:40
3. Jeetesh Rao Lukea (Montreal) 4:41

WOMEN

1. Valérie Arsenault (Montreal) 4:41
2. Catherine Poudrier (Bécancour) 5:26
3. Léa Caradant (Montreal) 5:36

UTHC 20 KM

MEN

1. Simon Paccard (France) 1:27
2. Christopher Levesque-Savard (Sherbrooke) 1:35
3. Clovis Lamarre (Montreal) 1:45

WOMEN

1. Constance De Chantal Dumont (St-Alexandre d’Iberville) 2:03
2. Marie-Laurence Dulude (Sherbrooke) 2:03
3. Gabrielle Labonté (Stoneham) 2:07

UTHC 10 KM

MEN

1. François Pépin-Poulet (Québec) 00:52:25
2. Ian Roberge (Montreal) 00:53:42
3. Jordan Mino-Roy (5th overall) (Sherbrooke) 00:55:10

WOMEN

1. Jeanne Burton (3rd overall) (Longueuil) 00:54:49
2. Mathilde Dupuis (Quebec) 00:54:59
3. Alyssia Mino-Roy (Sherbrooke) 00:57:16

UTHC 5 KM

MEN

1. Damien Gouze (3rd overall) (Quebec) 00:29:48
2. Roger-Pierre Lafrance (4th overall) (Montreal) 00:30:09
3. Julien Laberge (6th overall) (Notre-Dame-des-Monts) 00:31:09

WOMEN

1. Murielle Aglot (overall winner) (Montreal) 00:29:18
2. Delphine Hansen-Jaumard (2nd overall) (Montreal) 00:29:45
3. Gabrielle Champigny (Montreal) 00:31:09

UTHC 1 KM

BOYS

1. Francis Bourdon 4 min 19 s
2. Joey Vivier 4 min 23 s
3. Vincent Vivier 4 min 29 s

GIRLS

1. Béatrice Ménard 4 min 32
2. Lily-Rose Tremblay 5 min 06 s
3. Florence Fournier 5 min 08

8 facts to remember two months before the Ultra-Trail Harricana, the most popular trail running event in Canada

La Malbaie, July 13, 2022, – Two months away from the Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada (UTHC), presented by The North Face, which takes place from September 9 to 11, far from civilization, in the backcountry and mountains of Charlevoix, here are eight key facts that will make this event, once again, a must of the 2022 trail season.

1. Mathieu Blanchard, the great ultra-trail star, considered one of the best trail runners in the world since his podium at the UTMB last summer, will be the honorary president of the 11th edition of the Ultra- Trail Harricana of Canada. In 2016 Mathieu Blanchard discovered trail running at the Ultra-Trail Harricana. First race and first victory of many on the 80 km event. In hindsight, this event marked and changed his life. Six years later, this exceptional champion is back at the UTHC. Just back from Chamonix, where he will once again toe the line at the UTMB, he will be present at Mont Grand-Fonds and certainly on courses in the woods all weekend.
2. With more than 3000 participants at the start of one of the 10 events over the three-day competition calendar, the Ultra-Trail Harricana, presented by The North Face, smashes a new record. On the program: 7 short-distance events up to the maratrail (5, 10, 20 and 28 km classic, 28 km duo at night, 42 km classic and 42 km Saint-Siméon), and the three emblematic ultra-trails, namely the 65 km, the 80 km and the premier event, the 125 km, attracting top athletes and international runners. Eleven countries are represented this year.
3. Every year, more female athletes are running the Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada events, and the 2022 edition will be record breaking! Of note, they represent 43% of registrants this year, a figure that greatly exceeds the international average (less than 30% of women at the start of trail races). The organizers dream of soon achieving parity. Moreover, there are about ten high-level female athletes capable of claiming victory in the 125 km.

Among them, note the presence of the Frenchwoman Maryline Nakache (1st of the 80 km of the EcoTrail of Paris 2022), the Franco-Ontarian Claudine Soucie (1st of the Mascareignes at the Grand Raid de la Réunion 2019), the Albertan Priscilla Forgie (1st in the 80 km of the Canadian Death Race 2021), or the Quebecers Mylène Sansoucy (1st in the UTHC 80 km 2018), Joannie Desroches (1st in the 80 km of the Quebec Mega Trail 2021) and Lyne Bessette, to name but a few. . The competition will be fiercer than ever.

The competition will also, as always, be hotly contested among the men, with notably at the start of the 125 km the recent winner of the 110 km du Québec Méga Trail, Gabriel Sanfaçon, as well as Elliot Cardin who already has three podiums to his name including a 2nd place in the 55km from QMT. They will try to put their experience in this event to good use against the main favorite, Mike Sidic, a Vancouver based athlete who has won almost every race he has taken part in. Also worthy of mention are the triathletes Antoine Jolicoeur-Desroches and Victor Larocque, winners of the 80 km respectively in 2020 and 2021, or even on the Frenchman Florent Beaufils, one of the best ultra-trailers in Brittany, who made UTHC 125 his number 1 goal for his season.

4. Ludovic Collet, “the voice of trail running”, the emblematic host of the UTMB, the Mont-Blanc Marathon, the Diagonale des Fous and many other major races, will be at the microphone of the UTHC at the start and finish of the 125 km. Ludovic will also be in Quebec with his brother Andy Collet, to present their award-winning documentary “Beyond Time” during a tour presented by Harricana Events.
5. For a second consecutive year, UTHC TV will allow everyone to live stream the Ultra-Trail Harricana of Canada events. Seven hosts, all Quebec trail running specialists, will take turns as pairs in front of the camera, in French and in English, with the support of field reporters and athletes in situ. A plethora of guests will also grace the stage in the log cabin transformed for the occasion into a TV set for UTHC TV.
6. Several well-known Quebec personalities will participate in the Ultra-Trail Harricana of Canada, including the mayor of Quebec Bruno Marchand, the actors Patrice Godin and Anne-Lise Nadeau, the businesswomen Madame Labriski and the popular host Dominic Arpin, who will also run his very first ultra as part of his new show “ Les Crinqués ”.
7. The Ultra-Trail Harricana of Canada, founded in 2012 to raise funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (MSCS), has set itself the ambitious goal of raising $125,000 for this cause. Almost half of the objective has been reached two months before the event. Since the first edition of the UTHC, philanthropic runners have raised nearly half a million dollars, helping to fund research on multiple sclerosis and improving services for people affected by this disease.
8. The Ultra-Trail Harricana is not only sport, but also a celebration. The popular Quebec band, Clay and Friends, will be live, in concert at Mont Grand-Fonds on Saturday, September 10. 

ABOUT HARRICANA EVENTS

Évènements Harricana is a non-profit organization whose mission is to participate in the development and promotion of trail running and ultratrail and, in a complementary way, to the promotion of the outdoors and of healthy lifestyles, by organizing events whose influence and impact benefit social or community causes.

The organization is mainly known for organizing, since 2012, the Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada, the most popular trail race in Canada since 2016! The event, which is held at Mont Grand-Fonds, in La Malbaie, today brings together more than 3,000 athletes from all over the world on ten courses ranging from 1 km for children to 125 km for high-level athletes.

PHOTOS

2021 RECAP VIDEO

* Contact us for the list of participants and their city, state and/or country of origin, if needed

For information

Emmy Duguay

Press Officer

medias@harricana.info

IMPORTANT UPDATE

As announced by the Government of Quebec on Tuesday, August 24, 2021, starting on September 1^st, the vaccine passport will be mandatory to participate in all outdoors events and festivals.

We obviously take the current health situation very seriously and we want to act as a responsible organization to protect the health and safety of the athletes, guests and companions participating in the Ultra-Trail Harricana of Canada.

How to show your vaccine passport at the UTHC

You will need to show a QR code that contains your protection status as proof of vaccination against COVID-19. You can show proof in one of three ways:

• On paper;
• In a PDF on your mobile device;
• On the VaxiCode application.

*Whichever method you choose, you must also show photo ID.

How to get your QR Code

Please read the government specific indications to know more about the vaccine passport.

Participants outside Québec

Participants from outside Québec must show photo ID and proof issued by their country or Canadian province that they have had two doses of one of the following recognized vaccines: Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca or Johnson & Johnson (only one dose required).

If you have questions and comments, please contact us at info@harricana.info.

We thank all participants, volunteers, employees and partners for their collaboration in providing a safe and sanitary event.

We also invite you to read the sanitary measures put in place by the event

Press release / For immediate release 

Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada™ and The North Face extend their partnership for three years

La Malbaie, 22th July, 2021 – The Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada™ is proud to announce that The North Face Canada has confirmed its partnership as the presenter of the event for the next three years (2021-2022-2023). The company, which specializes in sports clothing and accessories, mainly oriented towards mountain activities and trail running, has been the presenting partner of the event since its very beginnings, in 2012.

“This long-term commitment is a great mark of recognition and confidence on the part of a preferred partner who contributes enormously to the development of trail running in Quebec and Canada”, highlights the general manager of the event, Marline Côté. “That’s not to mention all the pleasure we have in collaborating with their creative and dynamic team who have made all the difference in the success of the event for the past nine years! “.

As presenter of the Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada™, The North Face will continue to support the novel initiatives that are the hallmark of the event, in addition to participating in its success by revitalizing the finish line site and welcoming renowned international athletes.

Maxim Turcotte, Senior Sports Marketing Specialist at The North Face Canada, applauded the partnership with Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada™ for its strategic fit with the corporate vision. “The North Face is very happy to be associated with this popular and prestigious trail race. This partnership reflects our commitment to bring the industry and the community as well as the discipline of trail running to another level” he says. 

ABOUT THE ULTRA-TRAIL HARRICANA DU CANADA

Since its inception ten years ago, Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada™ has established itself as a leader in trail running in Quebec. The event offers runners breathtaking scenery in the Charlevoix backcountry, as well as a stimulating physical challenge. The event, which is part of the renowned Ultra-Trail World Tour circuit, is also the most popular in the country to date, expecting more than 2,500 athletes from September 9 to 12 in Charlevoix.

ABOUT THE NORTH FACE

The North Face® fundamental mission remains unchanged since 1966: Provide the best gear for our athletes and the modern day explorer, support the preservation of the outdoors, and inspire a global movement of exploration.

– 30 – 

Questions and information : 581-996-6400

Press release / For immediate release 

Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada™ and The North Face extend their partnership for three years

La Malbaie, 22th July, 2021 – The Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada™ is proud to announce that The North Face Canada has confirmed its partnership as the presenter of the event for the next three years (2021-2022-2023). The company, which specializes in sports clothing and accessories, mainly oriented towards mountain activities and trail running, has been the presenting partner of the event since its very beginnings, in 2012.

“This long-term commitment is a great mark of recognition and confidence on the part of a preferred partner who contributes enormously to the development of trail running in Quebec and Canada”, highlights the general manager of the event, Marline Côté. “That’s not to mention all the pleasure we have in collaborating with their creative and dynamic team who have made all the difference in the success of the event for the past nine years! “.

As presenter of the Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada™, The North Face will continue to support the novel initiatives that are the hallmark of the event, in addition to participating in its success by revitalizing the finish line site and welcoming renowned international athletes.

Maxim Turcotte, Senior Sports Marketing Specialist at The North Face Canada, applauded the partnership with Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada™ for its strategic fit with the corporate vision. “The North Face is very happy to be associated with this popular and prestigious trail race. This partnership reflects our commitment to bring the industry and the community as well as the discipline of trail running to another level” he says. 

ABOUT THE ULTRA-TRAIL HARRICANA DU CANADA

Since its inception ten years ago, Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada™ has established itself as a leader in trail running in Quebec. The event offers runners breathtaking scenery in the Charlevoix backcountry, as well as a stimulating physical challenge. The event, which is part of the renowned Ultra-Trail World Tour circuit, is also the most popular in the country to date, expecting more than 2,500 athletes from September 9 to 12 in Charlevoix.

ABOUT THE NORTH FACE

The North Face® fundamental mission remains unchanged since 1966: Provide the best gear for our athletes and the modern day explorer, support the preservation of the outdoors, and inspire a global movement of exploration.

– 30 – 

Questions and information : 581-996-6400

Press Release
 / For Immediate Release

 THE 2021 EDITION OF THE ULTRA-TRAIL HARRICANA™ OF CANADA WILL BE HELD UNDER THE THEME OF CELEBRATION

La Malbaie, May 18, 2021 — The unveiling of the annual theme for the Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada™ is always significant. An opportunity to highlight an issue or a vision of the event in relation to the community of trail runners, the theme also calls on a different artist each year.

For this 10th anniversary, the UTHC team has chosen the theme of Celebration as the guiding thread of this next edition. The intention is, of course, to celebrate the event’s 10th anniversary, but also to celebrate a discipline that is flourishing and progressing in harmony with its environment.

Known for her colourful creations, centered on the relationship between humankind and nature, Montreal illustrator Florence Rivest was ideally suited to accompany us in the process.

It is important to remember that, every year, Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada™ chooses a theme that allows it to develop new aspects of the event or to emphasize certain current topics in the world of trail running. For example, the 2017 thematic of sustainable development and the concrete actions that evolved from this theme led to our event being awarded the Charlevoix Reconnait prize for that year. This prize awarded by Gala Charlevoix is a recognition of our eco-responsibility and our ambition to become a leader in organizing races that are respectful of the environment.

In 2020, the theme of Solidarity also led to different initiatives to support the trailrunning community in those times of uncertainty.

ABOUT THE ANNUAL VISUAL

Based in Montreal, the illustrator Florence Rivest’s creations are mainly guided by nature and its contrasts.

To illustrate the theme of Celebration, which marks the 10th anniversary of the Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada™, she let herself be inspired by the natural and symbolic components that characterize the identity of the event and its history. The resulting mosaic symbolizes both the connection that the Ultra-Trail Harricana of Canada™ wishes to cultivate with the surrounding environment as well as the diversity of its community.

An ode to the land, the mountains and the paths that cross them, the soft and colourful watercolours of the 10th edition of the UTHC are thus intended to be a celebration of the harmony that trail runners maintain with the territory.

ABOUT THE ULTRA-TRAIL HARRICANA du CANADA™

Since its creation ten years ago, Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada™ has established itself as a true trail running leader in Quebec. The event offers runners breathtaking scenery in the backcountry of Charlevoix, as well as a stimulating physical challenge. The 125 km event is part of the prestigious Ultra-Trail World Tour circuit, placing it on the international scene in a way unequalled by any other race of its kind in Quebec.

– 30 – 

Medias, 581-996-6400

Press Release
 / For Immediate Release

 THE 2021 EDITION OF THE ULTRA-TRAIL HARRICANA™ OF CANADA WILL BE HELD UNDER THE THEME OF CELEBRATION

La Malbaie, May 18, 2021 — The unveiling of the annual theme for the Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada™ is always significant. An opportunity to highlight an issue or a vision of the event in relation to the community of trail runners, the theme also calls on a different artist each year.

For this 10th anniversary, the UTHC team has chosen the theme of Celebration as the guiding thread of this next edition. The intention is, of course, to celebrate the event’s 10th anniversary, but also to celebrate a discipline that is flourishing and progressing in harmony with its environment.

Known for her colourful creations, centered on the relationship between humankind and nature, Montreal illustrator Florence Rivest was ideally suited to accompany us in the process.

It is important to remember that, every year, Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada™ chooses a theme that allows it to develop new aspects of the event or to emphasize certain current topics in the world of trail running. For example, the 2017 thematic of sustainable development and the concrete actions that evolved from this theme led to our event being awarded the Charlevoix Reconnait prize for that year. This prize awarded by Gala Charlevoix is a recognition of our eco-responsibility and our ambition to become a leader in organizing races that are respectful of the environment.

In 2020, the theme of Solidarity also led to different initiatives to support the trailrunning community in those times of uncertainty.

ABOUT THE ANNUAL VISUAL

Based in Montreal, the illustrator Florence Rivest’s creations are mainly guided by nature and its contrasts.

To illustrate the theme of Celebration, which marks the 10th anniversary of the Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada™, she let herself be inspired by the natural and symbolic components that characterize the identity of the event and its history. The resulting mosaic symbolizes both the connection that the Ultra-Trail Harricana of Canada™ wishes to cultivate with the surrounding environment as well as the diversity of its community.

An ode to the land, the mountains and the paths that cross them, the soft and colourful watercolours of the 10th edition of the UTHC are thus intended to be a celebration of the harmony that trail runners maintain with the territory.

ABOUT THE ULTRA-TRAIL HARRICANA du CANADA™

Since its creation ten years ago, Ultra-Trail Harricana du Canada™ has established itself as a true trail running leader in Quebec. The event offers runners breathtaking scenery in the backcountry of Charlevoix, as well as a stimulating physical challenge. The 125 km event is part of the prestigious Ultra-Trail World Tour circuit, placing it on the international scene in a way unequalled by any other race of its kind in Quebec.

– 30 – 

Medias, 581-996-6400

Start of the race moved to Friday afternoon

The 125 km schedule is often questioned by our athletes; starting at 2:00 am does not provide a good night’s rest before the start and the majority end up finishing late the following night, making it difficult to manage sleep over the weekend.

We suspect that this scheduling issue is a contributing factor to the high dropout rate on this distance (between 45% and 50% depending on the year).

In order to improve the completion rate of the 125 km and allow for extended cut-offs, we are taking the important decision to change the 125 km departure times to 2 waves, now on Friday afternoon: 

• 1:00 p.m. : Start of the 1st wave (less than 20 hours)
• 2:00 p.m. : Start of the 2nd wave (more than 20 hours)

We understand that this update will completely change the 125 km athletes’ plans and we are very sorry if this decision does not suit everyone. We sincerely think that this update is in the majority of runners’ best interest.

Athletes’ overall experience improved

In addition to getting to run the most beautiful section of the course in daytime (the first 30 kilometers), the majority of athletes will finish the next day, in daylight, where the athletes will enjoy and also contribute to a livelier atmosphere at the finish line and on the main site.)

We believe that the overall experience will be improved with:

• time to chill and enjoy the main site with the other runners on Saturday
• beautiful views along all of the first section of the race
• a good night’s rest on Saturday evening
• more lively start on Friday afternoon
• better sleep before the race
• less stress to get to the starting line
• extended cut-offs to allow more runners to achieve their goals
• the experience of a long night run
• etc.

We could not consider this option in the past given that such a schedule requires significant logistical adaptations that we were not ready to assume: about fifty more volunteers (on a weekday!), much longer hours on several aid stations, security teams and logistics deployed over a longer period, etc. But, we feel that the team is now ready to implement these changes and we want the 2021 athletes to benefit from that shift.

Zoom Meeting on Monday, May 24, at 1h p.m. (EST)

We wanted to share this news as soon as possible so that you can adapt your planning accordingly. Details about shuttles and bib pickups will be shared on Monday, May 24. Rest assured that everything possible will be done to simplify logistics for all our athletes.

We hope you can join us on a Zoom Meeting at 1:00 p.m on May 24 as well (Eastern Time Zone) so that we may hear your thoughts and comments on this decision and answer all your questions.

ZOOM MEETING (join us with this link)

Questions

Since we know that many of you have already planned your accommodation and transportation for a 2:00 am departure, we will be very flexible for those that prefer canceling or transfering to another distance (ex: 80 km). Please write to us at info@harricana.info to ask for a change or share your thoughts.

Thank you for your collaboration!

A point-to-point stage race, crossing Charlevoix East to West for 2022

Press Release / For immediate release

 Updated (2022-04-17) : The TransCharlevoix is confirmed for September 3 to 5, 2022! Visit the official website at https://transcharlevoix.com/

Charlevoix, April 29, 2021 – The Harricana Events team is giving serious thought to the feasibility of organizing a point-to-point stage race, crossing Charlevoix East to West between July 15 and August 15, 2022. The course, with possible yearly modifications, would allow trail-running athletes to discover, in 4 days and only through daylight hours, the magnificent Charlevoix region.

The course, which could be different each year, would become the first event of its kind in Quebec.

“The idea of ​​a TransCharlevoix has been simmering within the organization for many years. Our organization is now reaching the maturity to produce such a project which offers great development potential. The community of trail runners is growing rapidly and is looking for new challenges of this kind, focused on discovery, travel and sharing”, explains Marline Côté, General Manager of Harricana Events.

Accessible to both weekend warriors and elite runners, and presented as a competition or simply for the fun of it, in the spirit of sharing and networking that are the beauty of our sport. 

Runners will average 30-45 km per day and each of these daily stages would conclude in an athlete’s camp where everyone can gather, eat together and network. The organizers could possibly (depending on the formula chosen) take care of all the logistics and transportation of the participants’ equipment, from one site to another, day to day, so that runners only have to carry what they need during their time on course.

Given the scale of such a project, our team wishes to gauge the interest of the running community and identify the key elements that would help make it an assured success. 

Deliberations will continue in the coming months and, based on the outcome, the event could be announced by early fall 2021 for an inaugural edition to be held in 2022.

– 30 – 

Survey (Clickable link)

Gestev becomes an official Ultra-Trail Harricana™ of Canada collaborator

Press Release For Immediate Release

Charlevoix, March 18, 2021 – Ultra-Trail Harricana™ of Canada is proud to announce its collaboration with Gestev, now a partner of choice for certain production components during the international-calibre ultra-trail event held in Charlevoix every September for the last 10 years.

Gestev, which began collaborating with the Ultra-Trail Harricana™ of Canada (UTHC) team in 2020, will handle event operations, including the setup and takedown of the departure and arrival sites, transport planning, and the coordination of stakeholders responsible for various operation management activities.

“We are very pleased to work together with this Quebec-based company known for its proven expertise in large-scale event management,” says Marline Côté, Executive Manager at Événements Harricana. “There is no doubt that with this new player on our team, the Ultra-Trail Harricana™ of Canada event will move to a higher level over the next few years,” she says.

Gabriel Fontaine-Leclerc, General Manager at Gestev, is also delighted by this new partnership, “Since 2016, our team has organized five running events per year under the Je Cours QC banner, so this is an area we are highly familiar with, and are especially passionate about,” he says. “Collaborating with Ultra-Trail Harricana™ of Canada was a must for us, because just like Gestev, their team is known for delivering unique experiences. We will be new allies in producing another memorable event in 2021.”

Ultra-Trail Harricana™ of Canada is part of the prestigious Ultra-Trail World Tour circuit, positioning the event on an international level like no other race of its kind in Canada. The event is also the most popular race in the country in its category, drawing in over 2,250 registrations in 2019.

The next edition of the Ultra-Trail Harricana™ of Canada will be held on September 10-11-12 at Mont Grand-Fonds (La Malbaie). 

ABOUT ULTRA-TRAIL HARRICANA™ OF CANADA

Since its creation ten years ago, Ultra-Trail Harricana™ of Canada has become a leader in Canadian trail running. The event offers runners a unique experience in a breathtaking setting, and a physically stimulating challenge with a warm and friendly ambiance like no other. A total of 10 races are offered, from the 5 km course for little ones and beginners, to the 125 km race for elite athletes who will venture through the wild trails of the region’s backcountry and the Traversée de Charlevoix.

Ultra-Trail Harricana™ of Canada continues to expand year after year, and promotes Charlevoix’s magnificent landscapes and touristic experiences to the world.

ABOUT GESTEV

Founded in 1992, Gestev is a firm specialized in organizing and creating events that have stood out both here in Quebec and internationally. Over the years, Gestev has raised the standards in event organization and production, brining a festive component to high-performance sports events by adding music and entertainment to programs, and by making their competitions accessible to all. Red Bull Crashed Ice, Vélirium, the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, Je Cours QC events, and the FIS Cross-Country World Cup Championships are just a few of the major projects carried out by the firm, which also runs its own experiential marketing agency in addition to handling site management at Baie de Beauport.

– 30 –

Informations : Marline Côté, 581-996-6400, marline.cote@harricana.info

Événements Harricana

There can be no activity report more difficult to summarize than that of this past year’s, a year replete with an impressive set of surprises, twists, turns and uncertainties.

While the end of the year allows us to take a step back from all the events of the past few months, it still seems too early to congratulate ourselves on having made it through these trials. We are fortunate to have pulled through relatively unscathed, but we realize the future remains murky. We will need to remain vigilant, creative, and rigorous, and will need to continuously adapt to the current reality as it evolves over the coming months.

We would like to thank all those who support and trust us. Partners, volunteers, athletes, contractors, collaborators, suppliers, customers: you gave us the courage, optimism, and support that made all the difference in finding the solutions that were needed in 2020.

Thanks to you, we enter 2021 with a realistic optimism and the confidence that we will continue to achieve great things again.

Highlights

• February 2020: Hosting of record-setting edition of the Virée Nordique de Charlevoix with 1400 participants;
• March and April 2020: Production of the Portraits de loup, Covid Special podcast;
• Spring 2020: Unprecedented media presence in mainstream channels; in particular, two television shows devoted to the UTHC (filmed in 2019 and broadcast in the spring of 2020) : The De par chez nous program, broadcast on Unis TV, and On the Van Aventure program, broadcast on the Évasion channel and simultaneously on TVA with Dominic Arpin.
• March to December 2020: Participation in various working and consultation committees of the racing and events sectors;
• June 21th to September 11th: Creation of the Harricana Club as well as the Lone Wolf Harricana initiative in June 2020 (197 participants, 4 discovery outings and 4 other activities organized throughout the summer);
• July and August 2020: Organization of three open-air screenings of approximately fifty people in in the Capitale-Nationale region;
• September 2020: The long distances events of the Ultra-Trail Harricana ™ of Canada were held with COVID-19 as a backdrop; New 80 km course; Exceptionally fruitful fundraising efforts for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada;
• November and December 2020: Transformation of the Trails in Motion Quebec film tour into virtual mode;
• November 2020: Recipient of the Vivats for eco-responsibility award in the “Prevention and reduction at source” facet of the event’s 2019 edition;
• November 2020: Creation of a virtual challenge on the Ultra-Trail World Tour platform (496 athletes from approximately thirty different nationalities);
• January to December 2020: Election of General Manager Marline Côté to the governance committee of the Ultra-Trail World Tour as representative of the circuit’s 500-point races for the year 2020;
• January to December 2020: Continued consolidation of organizational governance (discover our team)
• And even more!

Virée Nordique de Charlevoix 2020

For the second year in a row, the Harricana Events team coordinated La Virée Nordique de Charlevoix. The 7th edition of this absolute must in the region came to an end on Sunday February 16, 2020, just a few weeks before the start of the pandemic, with record participation in each of its activities for a total of over 1,400 participants from all over Quebec.

The new activity for the 2020 event, the Yeti des Glaces race, also reached the cap set at 100 participants in the Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park, on a unique 10 km snow running course.

Club Harricana and Lone Wolf Harricana

Faced with the uncertainty and the possibility that the event would have to be postponed, our team developed a new program of activities that was offered throughout the summer to fuel the motivation of runners as well as to continue to support the Charlevoix region: the club “Harricana all summer” later became the “Club Harricana” with the promise of future developments throughout the year.

One of the main activities on offer was inviting members to come and run the “Harricana Lone Wolf 28 km and 10 km” from June 27 to September 11.

Several discovery outings were also organized throughout the summer. Among these was a week of activities with Mathieu Blanchard which included two trail workshops, as well as exploring the new 80 km loop in the Hautes-Gorges National Park, and the equally new UTHC 42 km from Saint-Siméon. An outing on the Les Florent trail in Baie-Saint-Paul and another to experience the 125 km from the start line to the La Marmotte aid station were also organized.

While the Harricana Club’s fall programming was scheduled to continue from September 19 to October 18 at the Massif de Charlevoix, it was cancelled at the last moment due to the second wave of the pandemic.

A total of 197 club members took part in these various activities from June to September.

Ultra-Trail Harricana™ du Canada

The 2020 Ultra-Trail Harricana ™ du Canada has been a very special edition, exceptional in many ways, but definitely successful. What a relief it was to see that the athletes collaborated willingly,showing understanding and respect for the health rules that we were obliged to put in place this year. A special, unique, historic edition that will long remain etched in our memories.

Grandiose landscapes, a warm and welcoming region, exceptional weather, an unbelievable opportunity … and athletes so happy to be together again, to surpass themselves and to share in these unforgettable moments.

Due to the pandemic, international athletes were not able to participate in this historic edition, but that did not prevent the 2020 edition from being among the most competitive in the UTHC’s history, with a remarkable line-up of high calibre Canadian trail runners.

This year, Canada’s Ultra-Trail Harricana™ was held under the banner of solidarity. With the slogan “Ensemble, plus loin / Together Forward”, our team wanted to reflect on how the trail running community could collectively pull together to get through the COVID-19 pandemic. This theme led us to get involved in multiple formal and informal working groups and consultation committees aimed at helping one another out as race organizers.

In spite of the pandemic, Ultra-Trail Harricana™ du Canada welcomed 650 athletes spread over four start lines, more than 295 volunteers and about 50 employees at 15 different sites over four days of activities.

To the best of our knowledge, absolutely nothing was heard of a possible spread of COVID-19 during these activities, 98% of which took place outside.

Although the second wave was not yet at its peak at the time of the event, we hope that we demonstrated that it is possible for our sports and outdoors sector to organize safe activities despite the restrictions linked to the pandemic. We recognize how fortunate we were, and we hope this example can help bring all of our trail running events back in 2021, whether or not the coronavirus is still an issue.

Of special note, this 9th edition of the event was an opportunity to bring in Julien Harvey, as an additional race director, as well as the GESTEV team which is our new logistics service provider. These collaborations promise to take the UTHC to another organizational level in the upcoming years.

Eco-responsible management

2020 brought us its share of challenges with COVID-19, but letting go of our intrinsic values such as eco-responsibility was out of the question.

Thanks to the support of RECYC-QUEBEC, we were once again able to hire a squad from Coop de l’Arbre to manage the waste as best as possible on the main site. The heads of aid stations were also asked to sort their residual materials and send them to us at the main site.

Each year, we seek to improve our methods in order to limit the production of waste and optimize its sorting and management. We are far from perfect, but there is no lack of effort being deployed!

Also of note, on November 11, 2020, the 2019 edition of the Ultra-Trail Harricana ™ du Canada was declared the winner of a Les Vivats award from the Conseil québécois des événements écoresponsables – CQEER- Les Vivats, in the “Prevention and reduction at the source” category!

In the 2019 edition, thanks to the support of RECYC-QUEBEC, additional steps were implemented to improve the eco-responsible management of our event, which were achieved thanks to the collaboration of two volunteer coordinators, Thomas Duhamel and Marie-Philippe Ouellet.

A sorting centre, more efficient management of compost, a green team, a decrease in medal production, testing the washing of dishes at night; several measures had been added in addition to those already in existence in order to become even more aligned with our values of eco-responsibility.

Trails in Motion’s Quebec Tour

For the 6th year, the Harricana Events team coordinated the 2020 Quebec tour of the Trails in Motion International Trail Running Film Festival.

The Trails in Motion tour was adapted in two different ways for 2020. First, three open-air screenings of around fifty people were organized in July and August in the Capitale-Nationale region (Outdoor centres in the regions of Sainte-Foy, Baie-de-Beauport and Baie-Saint-Paul).

Later in November and early December, four webcast screenings were presented in collaboration with these local promoters: coach Benoit Talbot; the Bromont trail club; Richard Turgeon and Louis Sabourin from Gatineau; and La Clinique du coureur and Gaspesia 100. Close to 1000 people took part in one of these 4 screenings. This significant participation rate as well as the comments collected were conclusive in showing the relevance and interest that offering this kind of webcast in the context of the pandemic have.

Ultra-Trail World Tour Virtual challenge

From November 1 to December 1 2020, thanks to the UTWT virtual club, the Ultra-Trail Harricana ™ du Canada invited its community to rack up a distance of 125 km and 4220 D + (or 167.2 km without D + ) in their respective regions in a maximum of 10 outings and 25 hours, which is the official time limit for the 125 km race. We wanted to allow all those who had not had the chance to take part in our event this year to be able to experience it a bit. The objective was also to motivate our community to get some training volume and elevation gain done at one of the times of the year when it is often less easy to train.

A total of 496 athletes from about thirty different nationalities registered for the challenge.

Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada

Despite the context of the pandemic, an unanticipated amount of $ 41,968.33 was raised for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada as part of the UTHC.

We take this opportunity to thank all those who participated in the 2020 fundraiser. We were overjoyed than to say we didn’t expect such an amazing fundraising effort and such a great result within the current context. Bravo!

Onwards to 2021

The upcoming edition is likely to be a transitional year on the way to a probable return to normality in 2022, and it will certainly require us to continue to adapt our activities and events to the context of the pandemic. This reality will certainly contribute in the creation of even more innovation as well as testing new ways of doing things.

The Harricana Events team is hard at work as it seeks new ways of adapting itself while pursuing its mission of continuing to expand trailrunning horizons.

To follow all our activities :

• Ultra-Trail Harricana website
• Trails in Motion Francophone website 
• Ultra-Trail Harricana Facebook page
• Trails in Motion Francophone Facebook page
• Ultra-Trail Harricana Instagram
• Virée Nordique de Charlevoix website
• Événements Harricana Twitter feed
• Infolettre : info@harricana.info

Événements Harricana

There can be no activity report more difficult to summarize than that of this past year’s, a year replete with an impressive set of surprises, twists, turns and uncertainties.

While the end of the year allows us to take a step back from all the events of the past few months, it still seems too early to congratulate ourselves on having made it through these trials. We are fortunate to have pulled through relatively unscathed, but we realize the future remains murky. We will need to remain vigilant, creative, and rigorous, and will need to continuously adapt to the current reality as it evolves over the coming months.

We would like to thank all those who support and trust us. Partners, volunteers, athletes, contractors, collaborators, suppliers, customers: you gave us the courage, optimism, and support that made all the difference in finding the solutions that were needed in 2020.

Thanks to you, we enter 2021 with a realistic optimism and the confidence that we will continue to achieve great things again.

Highlights

• February 2020: Hosting of record-setting edition of the Virée Nordique de Charlevoix with 1400 participants;
• March and April 2020: Production of the Portraits de loup, Covid Special podcast;
• Spring 2020: Unprecedented media presence in mainstream channels; in particular, two television shows devoted to the UTHC (filmed in 2019 and broadcast in the spring of 2020) : The De par chez nous program, broadcast on Unis TV, and On the Van Aventure program, broadcast on the Évasion channel and simultaneously on TVA with Dominic Arpin.
• March to December 2020: Participation in various working and consultation committees of the racing and events sectors;
• June 21th to September 11th: Creation of the Harricana Club as well as the Lone Wolf Harricana initiative in June 2020 (197 participants, 4 discovery outings and 4 other activities organized throughout the summer);
• July and August 2020: Organization of three open-air screenings of approximately fifty people in in the Capitale-Nationale region;
• September 2020: The long distances events of the Ultra-Trail Harricana ™ of Canada were held with COVID-19 as a backdrop; New 80 km course; Exceptionally fruitful fundraising efforts for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada;
• November and December 2020: Transformation of the Trails in Motion Quebec film tour into virtual mode;
• November 2020: Recipient of the Vivats for eco-responsibility award in the “Prevention and reduction at source” facet of the event’s 2019 edition;
• November 2020: Creation of a virtual challenge on the Ultra-Trail World Tour platform (496 athletes from approximately thirty different nationalities);
• January to December 2020: Election of General Manager Marline Côté to the governance committee of the Ultra-Trail World Tour as representative of the circuit’s 500-point races for the year 2020;
• January to December 2020: Continued consolidation of organizational governance (discover our team)
• And even more!

Virée Nordique de Charlevoix 2020

For the second year in a row, the Harricana Events team coordinated La Virée Nordique de Charlevoix. The 7th edition of this absolute must in the region came to an end on Sunday February 16, 2020, just a few weeks before the start of the pandemic, with record participation in each of its activities for a total of over 1,400 participants from all over Quebec.

The new activity for the 2020 event, the Yeti des Glaces race, also reached the cap set at 100 participants in the Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park, on a unique 10 km snow running course.

Club Harricana and Lone Wolf Harricana

Faced with the uncertainty and the possibility that the event would have to be postponed, our team developed a new program of activities that was offered throughout the summer to fuel the motivation of runners as well as to continue to support the Charlevoix region: the club “Harricana all summer” later became the “Club Harricana” with the promise of future developments throughout the year.

One of the main activities on offer was inviting members to come and run the “Harricana Lone Wolf 28 km and 10 km” from June 27 to September 11.

Several discovery outings were also organized throughout the summer. Among these was a week of activities with Mathieu Blanchard which included two trail workshops, as well as exploring the new 80 km loop in the Hautes-Gorges National Park, and the equally new UTHC 42 km from Saint-Siméon. An outing on the Les Florent trail in Baie-Saint-Paul and another to experience the 125 km from the start line to the La Marmotte aid station were also organized.

While the Harricana Club’s fall programming was scheduled to continue from September 19 to October 18 at the Massif de Charlevoix, it was cancelled at the last moment due to the second wave of the pandemic.

A total of 197 club members took part in these various activities from June to September.

Ultra-Trail Harricana™ du Canada

The 2020 Ultra-Trail Harricana ™ du Canada has been a very special edition, exceptional in many ways, but definitely successful. What a relief it was to see that the athletes collaborated willingly,showing understanding and respect for the health rules that we were obliged to put in place this year. A special, unique, historic edition that will long remain etched in our memories.

Grandiose landscapes, a warm and welcoming region, exceptional weather, an unbelievable opportunity … and athletes so happy to be together again, to surpass themselves and to share in these unforgettable moments.

Due to the pandemic, international athletes were not able to participate in this historic edition, but that did not prevent the 2020 edition from being among the most competitive in the UTHC’s history, with a remarkable line-up of high calibre Canadian trail runners.

This year, Canada’s Ultra-Trail Harricana™ was held under the banner of solidarity. With the slogan “Ensemble, plus loin / Together Forward”, our team wanted to reflect on how the trail running community could collectively pull together to get through the COVID-19 pandemic. This theme led us to get involved in multiple formal and informal working groups and consultation committees aimed at helping one another out as race organizers.

In spite of the pandemic, Ultra-Trail Harricana™ du Canada welcomed 650 athletes spread over four start lines, more than 295 volunteers and about 50 employees at 15 different sites over four days of activities.

To the best of our knowledge, absolutely nothing was heard of a possible spread of COVID-19 during these activities, 98% of which took place outside.

Although the second wave was not yet at its peak at the time of the event, we hope that we demonstrated that it is possible for our sports and outdoors sector to organize safe activities despite the restrictions linked to the pandemic. We recognize how fortunate we were, and we hope this example can help bring all of our trail running events back in 2021, whether or not the coronavirus is still an issue.

Of special note, this 9th edition of the event was an opportunity to bring in Julien Harvey, as an additional race director, as well as the GESTEV team which is our new logistics service provider. These collaborations promise to take the UTHC to another organizational level in the upcoming years.

Eco-responsible management

2020 brought us its share of challenges with COVID-19, but letting go of our intrinsic values such as eco-responsibility was out of the question.

Thanks to the support of RECYC-QUEBEC, we were once again able to hire a squad from Coop de l’Arbre to manage the waste as best as possible on the main site. The heads of aid stations were also asked to sort their residual materials and send them to us at the main site.

Each year, we seek to improve our methods in order to limit the production of waste and optimize its sorting and management. We are far from perfect, but there is no lack of effort being deployed!

Also of note, on November 11, 2020, the 2019 edition of the Ultra-Trail Harricana ™ du Canada was declared the winner of a Les Vivats award from the Conseil québécois des événements écoresponsables – CQEER- Les Vivats, in the “Prevention and reduction at the source” category!

In the 2019 edition, thanks to the support of RECYC-QUEBEC, additional steps were implemented to improve the eco-responsible management of our event, which were achieved thanks to the collaboration of two volunteer coordinators, Thomas Duhamel and Marie-Philippe Ouellet.

A sorting centre, more efficient management of compost, a green team, a decrease in medal production, testing the washing of dishes at night; several measures had been added in addition to those already in existence in order to become even more aligned with our values of eco-responsibility.

Trails in Motion’s Quebec Tour

For the 6th year, the Harricana Events team coordinated the 2020 Quebec tour of the Trails in Motion International Trail Running Film Festival.

The Trails in Motion tour was adapted in two different ways for 2020. First, three open-air screenings of around fifty people were organized in July and August in the Capitale-Nationale region (Outdoor centres in the regions of Sainte-Foy, Baie-de-Beauport and Baie-Saint-Paul).

Later in November and early December, four webcast screenings were presented in collaboration with these local promoters: coach Benoit Talbot; the Bromont trail club; Richard Turgeon and Louis Sabourin from Gatineau; and La Clinique du coureur and Gaspesia 100. Close to 1000 people took part in one of these 4 screenings. This significant participation rate as well as the comments collected were conclusive in showing the relevance and interest that offering this kind of webcast in the context of the pandemic have.

Ultra-Trail World Tour Virtual challenge

From November 1 to December 1 2020, thanks to the UTWT virtual club, the Ultra-Trail Harricana ™ du Canada invited its community to rack up a distance of 125 km and 4220 D + (or 167.2 km without D + ) in their respective regions in a maximum of 10 outings and 25 hours, which is the official time limit for the 125 km race. We wanted to allow all those who had not had the chance to take part in our event this year to be able to experience it a bit. The objective was also to motivate our community to get some training volume and elevation gain done at one of the times of the year when it is often less easy to train.

A total of 496 athletes from about thirty different nationalities registered for the challenge.

Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada

Despite the context of the pandemic, an unanticipated amount of $ 41,968.33 was raised for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada as part of the UTHC.

We take this opportunity to thank all those who participated in the 2020 fundraiser. We were overjoyed than to say we didn’t expect such an amazing fundraising effort and such a great result within the current context. Bravo!

Onwards to 2021

The upcoming edition is likely to be a transitional year on the way to a probable return to normality in 2022, and it will certainly require us to continue to adapt our activities and events to the context of the pandemic. This reality will certainly contribute in the creation of even more innovation as well as testing new ways of doing things.

The Harricana Events team is hard at work as it seeks new ways of adapting itself while pursuing its mission of continuing to expand trailrunning horizons.

To follow all our activities :

• Ultra-Trail Harricana website
• Trails in Motion Francophone website 
• Ultra-Trail Harricana Facebook page
• Trails in Motion Francophone Facebook page
• Ultra-Trail Harricana Instagram
• Virée Nordique de Charlevoix website
• Événements Harricana Twitter feed
• Infolettre : info@harricana.info