Cabot Trail Relay Race


The Cabot Trail Relay Race is an annual 276.33 km relay race around Cape Breton's Cabot Trail. The race takes place over 24 hours in 17 stages and features up to 70 teams and 1,200 runners. The race begins and ends in Baddeck, Nova Scotia. The annual event began in 1988, when just 6 teams participated. Since its founding, over 27,000 runners have participated in the event.
WWW cabottrailrelay.com

Format

The race takes place over approximately 24 hours, beginning on a Saturday morning and continuing to Sunday morning. The race is divided into 17 stages which are unequal both in distance and difficulty. Typically each leg is run by a different runner, but runners can run multiple legs. In 2010 ultramarathoner Mark Campbell attempted to run the entire relay solo, but fell ill and could not complete it. The race begins at the Gaelic College monument outside of Baddeck and completes the Cabot Trail in a counter-clockwise direction, ending in front of the Baddeck Court House. Although some sections of the race are relatively flat, others ascend mountains including Cape Smokey, North Mountain, and MacKenzie Mountain—climbing as high as 460 meters. Leg 9 of the race, which runs over North Mountain, is generally considered the most difficult leg of the race.

Entry lottery

The race is limited to just 70 teams. 45 teams are drawn from a hat of registered entrants. Another 25 teams are selected by members of the tech crew and organizing committee. The remaining teams are placed on a wait list. A list of accepted teams is posted in January of the year of the race.

Requirements

Runners must be 18 years of age to participate in the race. Additionally, runners must be able to run a minimum pace of 9:30 per mile. Runners are expected to finish each leg within the time allotted by this pace. Runners who fail to finish a leg within the allotted time are assigned the time of the slowest runner to complete the leg, plus 5 minutes.

Leg records

Leg distances are not formally certified. The Cabot Trail Relay is run on public roads that are subject to periodic maintenance, closure, and detours. Leg start and finish locations are occasionally altered for logistical purposes, and these changes may not be reflected in the officially published leg records.

Male

The top male record holder is Dan Vassallo who holds three leg records.
LegDifficultyRunnerTimeDistance YearPace
13.5Luke Marsanskis53:1717.0020243:09
23.5Dan Vassallo56:3717.9220223:10
32Lee Wesselius41:3113.4620243:05
45Dan Vassallo1:06:3620.0120143:20
53.5Ryan Jara55:2417.5020243:10
64.5Alec Troxell57:0217.5020243:16
73Jesse Orach44:0213.1020183:22
82.5Judson Cake40:0012.3620123:17
95Alec Troxell1:00:4717.8420233:24
105Joel Gallant52:2714.7020243:35
113.5Erik McCarthy43:4814.0020173:08
123Maksym Pokotylets50:0315.7820243:11
133Aaron Manning52:4915.8820243:20
144Dan Vassallo1:02:1719.8120183:09
152Erik McCarthy50:0515.4220183:15
162Aaron Willingham48:0515.3520233:08
174.5Jacob Benoit1:00:0218.720243:13
Total276.27

Female

Sheri Piers is the top female record holder, holding four leg records.
LegDifficultyRunnerTimeDistance YearPace
13.5Meaghan Strum1:03:061720243:43
23.5Colleen Wilson1:05:2117.9220223:42
32Sheri Piers47:4713.4620123:33
45Sheri Piers1:17:4320.0120083:53
53.5Sheri Piers1:04:2917.520133:42
64.5Sheri Piers1:03:5917.520093:39
73Kristin Barry51:0913.520143:48
82.5Dana Ferguson48:1912.3620143:54
95Colleen Wilson1:11:3717.8420244:01
105Caroline Schlosser1:03:5414.720104:21
113.5Grace Richard53:5314.020243:51
123Erin MacLean57:4115.7820163:39
133Allie Sandluck1:01:1915.8820233:52
144Denise Robson1:16:5919.8120073:53
152Kristin Barry58:4615.4220103:49
162Kristin Barry55:2515.3520083:37
174.5Meaghan Strum1:09:0318.720243:43