Seek the Peak

Seek the Peak

Seek the Peak

( 3 reviews )
100% of reviewers recommend this race
81 17
2015
"16k race up a mountain!"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
Brie Hemingway's thoughts:

Seek the Peak offers a 4-person relay or a solo option. I chose to do it solo. I picked up my race package the day before. It didn't include a t-shirt and I wasn't planning on purchasing one until I found it that it was Lululemon brand and only $28 (which is a deal for Lululemon shirts). The design was super cute too!

Since it is a point to point route, there was a shuttle set up in the morning from the lot at the bottom of the Grouse Grind to the start line at Ambleside beach. I opted not to use this service and instead park at the start and find my way back there later. There was lots of parking available.

The route features the widely popular Grouse Grind, a 2.9 km climb with 850 m elevation gain. I have done the Grind several times before, once coming pretty close to a time of an hour.

Prior to the Grind is a 10 km stretch from Ambleside beach to the base of the Grind. It went through the Capilano Canyon, which I was not familiar with, and then up a steep road called Nancy Greene Way, which I have only ever driven.

After the Grind, the last 3 km take you up to the peak and back down to the lodge where the finish line is located. I had no idea what to expect for this portion.

I was so nervous about this race. How do you pace yourself for an entirely uphill race!? How much is actually runnable for me!?

It turns out most of the first 10 km is runnable. The Grouse Grind is not (for most people anyway). The climb from the top of the Grind to the peak is steep and on loose gravel. If you have some gas left in your tank, you could run or run/walk it but I just briskly walked most of it. At the top, you turn around back the way you came and it's a short downhill to the finish.

There were four aid stations along the route which had pretzels, oranges, Vega gels, water, and Powerade. I ate a little bit of everything! It was really hot and sunny so I had my hydration pack as well with snacks and water.

At the finish line, there were lots of people hanging out and booths giving away free coffee, tea, cider, etc. I didn't stick around long but it seemed like a fun place to hang out for a while! I received my finishers medal, hydrated, and then took the gondola back down to the base of the Grind and ran a slow 10 km back to my car.

Overall a really fun race and very different than the usual ones! You can tell it's a good one due to all the repeat runners. It's an annual event for many locals!

Read my full race recap here: http://briehemingway.com/blog/2015/06/race-recap-seek-the-peak-2015/

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