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The 2025 Season

Canadian Running Magazine
2025 will mark 24 years of me hosting events... and what an adventure it has been. I am never quite satisfied with just sitting still, and the crew at Sinister Sports has had an itch to do more. In case you missed the news, we're going to expand into Ontario with two new events. The SOO 200 will be our second 200-miler, and it will take place in the third week of July in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The Blue Bully Ultra is a three-day stage race that will happen the first weekend of October at Blue Mountain Resort, north of Toronto. Rather than me going into great detail, check out this excellent article by Keeley Milne of Canadian Running Magazine.

We go through a painfully long assessment process when picking new venues. We try and balance both our schedule, and other regional race schedules to be sure we minimize any conflicts. We look for locations that have great amenities, and helpful people. I hope we'll see a lot of you out there for the first annual running of these races. 

Next year will see some important milestones as well. Canadian Death Race is going to celebrate it's 25th running, which makes it one of two of the longest running ultras in Canada. CDR has inspired three generations of runners; kids from the early days of the race now have kids of their own, and these kiddos are running the kids race. Some of these intrepid teens are even running in the solo, marathon, and relay categories. It's incredibly special to be a part of that journey. All solo runners will get a special 25th annual belt buckle. 

Black Spur Ultra will be celebrating its 10th running, and we are working on a few fun things, including a shorter distance option - stand by for more details on that. A lot of people wonder where the name came from, and I'm always happy to share that story over a pint or coffee. 

Castle Alpine Trail Race is going to have its 5th running this coming fall. The race is moving earlier in September, and will now be hosted at the same time as The Divide 200. The only downside to that is competitors will not be able to do the four horsemen anymore, but I think we can probably retool that in a different way. 


Sinister 7 Ultra is still going strong as ever, and we're so excited to host Western Canada's largest ultra. If you haven't been to Sinister 7 before, there is a good reason why so many people turn up for this event. The energy, the community, the views, and the challenge are just somehow magical. 
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