At -23 it was brutally cold and with it being a night race it felt even colder. the 100+ racers headed out in 3 different heats, family, open and elite. Each one offered the racers an opportunity to test their skills on 25 obstacles laid out over an approx. 6KM course. Walls, ropes and fire did not slow down the Elite's as they dashed through the course under 50 minutes. Others chose a more scenic approach and came in around 1.5-2 hours later. A hand made medal of stone greeted the finishers as did a cotton tee. This was a qualifying event for the OCRWC being held again this year in Blue Mountain, Ontario, Canada. 20 racers managed to get one of the coveted spots both male and female from the Raganrok event. The event was held at Eagle's Nest Racing and it offers racers a year-round race course to practice their technical skills and plan their pace accordingly. Smiths' Falls is located between Ottawa, Montreal and Kingston. The Best Inn in located 5 minutes from the site and offers a reasonable rate and clean rooms to overnight. Headlamps are mandatory to participate in the 6PM and 8PM heats. Sponsors were IceBug shoes (OCRStrong.ca) and Strongbars Nutrition.

This is the second year for this event and they really made some obvious improvements. The medals were custom made stone and each top 3 winner received a fantastic carved stone plaque. Parking was $10.00 on site and Strongbars Nutrition was the main sponsor. This was a 6K night time obstacle course and racers could qualify for the upcoming Obstacle Course Racers World Championships being held in Blue Mountain, Barrie this October. Top 20 qualified best on time and no obstacles missed. Racers were confronted with a serious drop in temperatures that added the challenge of slippery terrain and frozen limbs. Cleats were recommended for some of the more challenging 14' walls. 25+ obstacles were dotted throughout the wooded trails and a fire jumping photo opportunity was the icing on the cake. Free photos for participants and a cotton tee shirt for all participants. Located at Eagles- Nest Racing in Smiths Falls, Ontario one of the few permanent outdoor OCR facilities. 3 heats were available, family, open and elite and the final heat started at 8 PM. Headlamps were mandatory for the two twilight events.

Wow, for a third year in a row, this was a great event. Free parking. Ample access to washrooms and indoor facilities. Great chili and desserts after the event and door prizes for almost everyone there. Last person selected won a pair of Dion racing snowshoes. 135+ participants who chose between a 5K and 10K route. No snow so we switched the loop to a trail run and took in the beautiful Upper Canada Village Christmas lights through the foggy night. Headlamps a must and bring a change of socks and shoes for sure. Normally a points qualifier for the Dion series but due to a lack of snow, just top 3 prizes custom made by the village blacksmiths. Great job this year and an added perk we all got to try out the NiteIze that illuminate during your race so you are visible in the dark-such fun! Wore my Garmin Forerunner 220, IceBug Zeal 2 and RoadID for safety.

We headed off to Stittsville to celebrate the beginning of fall and try our luck at running away from zombies. It was about a 1.5-hour drive to Karters Korner where a well-maintained go-kart track awaited us. Parking was $5.00 and located right on site making it easy to come and go to our car. Bag check was free and volunteers had us registered quickly and efficiently. We chose the first heat out at 10:45 and after a quick safety briefing, we were off. The course is multi-terrain and included gravel, trails, grassy areas, hills, and track. We looped through the go-kart track with some nice walls, crawls, and over/under's. We then dodged a few zombies who would attempt to take 1 of our 3 flags, the goal being to keep a flag until the finish line. We then wove our way into and out of the woods where again, zombies in fabulous makeup and costumes would jump out of trees and bushes and attempt to grab our flags. It is suggested to work in teams and sacrifice a few for the many. The terrain is fairly flat and the obstacles were all well-built and creative. There were lily pads to traverse the water, sideways walls with enema baths and some great paintball structures where zombies hid around corners and behind apocalyptic structures. Although a smaller event, there was live music, a BBQ and a festive air about it. Armed soldiers with life-like weapons were stationed throughout the course protecting racers from unseen enemies and motivated racers to get to the finish line. Upon completion of the course, racers were divided up 'infected' or 'survivor' to determine if the decontamination process was necessary, whereby corn starch was sprinkled over racers to make them 'safe' to return to society. A fun touch. One of the most creative things about the event was the finisher's medal that is a different body part each year. This year was severed fingers that dangled from twine with a customized tag for 2016. Each participant received a canvas knapsack that contained flyers, pamphlets, a water bottle or t-shirt, granola bar and water. Thanks to Ryan Ricci and Susan Vacheresse, the co-founders of this event who donate the proceeds to Habitat for Humanity. Well done, and highly recommended!