I chose the Capes 100 as my first big race after my long and slow glute recovery. I didn’t have much recon on the course, but running along the coast of Cape Breton sounded beautiful, so I figured it was the perfect place to make a comeback.
Running a race in another province, especially one where you had to take a plane, came with added logistics. It was a little stressful leading up to the race but made sure I had everything for the race, including an extensive mandatory kit.
My plan was to run the race, drive the Cabot Trail then spend a few days exploring Cape Breton. I had to go to Nova Scotia anyway so the timing of the race worked out fine.
Race logistics
There was a mandatory race meeting on Friday, the day before the race. I arrived early Thursday so I had no trouble making the meeting. In fact, I even drove to the race start so I would have no surprises on race morning. The meeting vibe was relaxed and Maritime-friendly. I was happy to see Lorna and Robert, who I hadn’t seen in years, and Joanna and Eric. Great to catch up with all of them.
I picked up my race kit and chatted with the race director about the route. I asked about the best views, the answers I immediately forgot. The race director gave last minute instructions about flagging and the course. He warned us about the last 10 kilometres, which was new this year. He told us it would like runners anywhere from three to four hours to complete.
My race
I was so nervous that I thought I was going to puke. A final trip to the port-a-potty made me miss the official start of the race. I was just disinfecting my hands when I heard a faint go or something along those lines. Needless to say I was situated at the back of the pack when the race began.
The race began on a dirt road that took us into the highlands. Honestly it was quite unnerving to run in a conga line for such a long distance (especially when you’re used to running alone). For the 86K race, there were eight aid stations, and the first was at the 11 km mark. When I reached the first station, there was a line up so I just kept going. Another four kilometres later, we finally headed up to the trails. This first climb was the toughest for me all day. I think my legs were just as surprised that they were on a dirt road for so long.
There was a mandatory gear check where they checked that we had a seamed rain jacket and a phone. Eric mistakenly took his rain jacket out in the morning, and he was disqualified.
The race profile clearly shows all the ups and downs on the course. I was happy to connect and chat with some runners from N.S. and N.B. during the first half of my race. At the 50K mark, I left a lady that I had been chatting with for kilometres. I climbed this hill called Steep Mountain and encountered a man picking blueberries.
Once I descended the climb, I saw a sign for an aid station/cow pasture. Momentarily I was confused about which direction to go. I went with my gut after confirming with my map then questioned myself the entire way until I reached the aid station.
More road running and I felt generally good. Admittedly I powerhiked much of the race but I just wanted to finish and I am okay with this.
It was dark when I reached the final aid station. I chatted with Eric and Joanna who were waiting for a friend who was behind me. Another 10K/600 metre gain, and I thought it would take me at the most 2.5 – three hours. Boy was I wrong. The last 10k was treacherous and not fun. I was happy to hook up with a runner and we powered through the last few kilometres together. Once we emerged from the trees into the pasture, we could see the finish line but I knew we had to run around the barn to the finish line.
However, we were disoriented, and went the wrong way. It was frustrating because we could see the finish line. The race director must have seen our headlamps wandering around in the pasture because he yelled the directions to the finish line.
We were surprised (not surprised) that we were the among the final finishers for the 86 km race. (I had 90k on my Garmin) Only 34 runners finished this distance with 25 DNFs. My time was gross but I was finished and that’s exactly what I set out to do. My glute/leg was hurting for the first 20K or so but it worked itself out in the end. I set a 50-minute alert on my Garmin to remind me to eat and drink. This worked out really well. I was well hydrated and fuelled throughout the race. I carried my own fuel so I didn’t have to rely on aid stations.
After finishing the race, I had a few pancakes before heading back to my rental to sleep for a few hours. Early the next morning, I drove to Baddeck, where served as my homebase for my adventures.
Course
Forget long kilometres of stunning ocean views. The race course was disappointingly more dirt and gravel road than any breathtaking views. Once we hit the highlands, we climbed and rain single track in the trees – these sections were lovely.
Around the 43 kilometre-mark, we got our first real glimpses of the Atlantic Ocean. I was disappointed that there were no long stretches along the coast.
Previous race editions included a run on a beach and some road running. The beach section was removed this year, and replaced with a 10 km jaunt through the woods behind the race director’s property. After running 76 kilometres, runners had to tackle a section that belonged more in Alone or Castaway, not a trail race. It felt like someone went in with a chainsaw, took down a few trees and called it a trail. Rooty, messy, and littered with downed trees at the steep descents was chaos.
A sign warned runners if they weren’t feeling well to turn around. You really had to be focused and mindful in this section. I was overly cautious because I didn’t need a gopher hole or a tree to take me out this far in the race.
Overall impression
Grassroots is how I would describe Capes 100 with little fanfare that usually comes with bigger races. No race medals, finish line photos or swag beyond the usual race shirt. (I think the 100-mile finishers received a medal but not the shorter distance finishers.) The volunteers were genuinely friendly and helpful. The sections in the highlands were lovely with the single track. I liked the road section where we ran by cow pastures – mainly because I was chatting with a nice man from Halifax.
My only complaint was the amount of dirt and gravel road running. I wasn’t expecting that, and in hindsight I should have studied the course more closely.
In the end, Capes 100 felt like a mixed bag with its warm volunteers and relaxed Maritime vibe. There were some great trail sections but the 10k add on felt wildly out of place in a trail ultra. Even if the course wasn’t what I expected, the experience was absolutely worth it. I got to see another part of Canada and I got to run new-to-me trails, and to be reminded about how good the running community can be.