The Spring Trio Trail race was held in Bragg Creek, Alberta on Saturday, May 5th. The race was previously going to be held on April 21st but due to our winter being longer and harsher than usual, the race organizers postponed it a few weeks to allow the venue to thaw out so runners wouldn’t have to worry so much about ice and snow!

It was an absolutely gorgeous morning (thankful that the date was indeed switched) for a trail race. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and the temperature was just perfect with it being around 18 degrees Celsius or so. It was nice to get out of town and head to Bragg Creek for the race as it was held at the Wintergreen Golf & Country Club (formerly Wintergreen ski area).

The Spring Trio Trail race is put on by Be There Races and they do a great job of organizing hosting this type of event! For this trail race, participants had the option of running either 3km, 5km, or 8km.

The course at the start was generally the same for everyone. Runners looped down onto the paved golf course trails for a short distance before heading east again out on the trails. After going up a hill, participants were either directed to go left (for the 3km) or right if you were participating in the 5km or 8km race. There was a nice volunteer there helping direct people, as well as the course organizers had placed coloured flags that corresponded to the distance you were running out on the course to ensure you knew which way to go.

For the 3km trail runners after the hill there was some nice trail running through a little bit of a forest, and then it opened right up again to a field where runners picked their way through the brush towards the main entrance road before looping back towards the clubhouse and the start/finish line!

After participants crossed the finish line, there was plenty of snacks, sub sandwiches, cookies, chips, water, beer, etc. for everyone! All runners who participated received a finisher’s medal, as well as a t-shirt. For those who placed in the top 3 for finishers under 40 and over 40, there was a nice extra medal for them as well.

Overall, this is a great season opener or a wonderful option if you’re looking to try a trail race for the first time. It’s a well put on event with terrain that isn’t too difficult and it’s a wonderful excuse to get out of the city and support the local running community!