
Hello
Everyone,
July
16, 2025
In
this Issue:
- XTERRA
Conquer the Crater This
Weekend
- Chantal Dagostino at IRONMAN 70.3 Musselman
- Marc's 50k from LoEllen to the Valley
- Sudbury Rocks Running Club - Group
Runs
- Photos This Week
- Upcoming Events:
July 26,27 Wilderness Traverse, July
27 Apex Adventure Challenge, July
27 Island Swim
- Track North and Laurentian XC News
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July
19,20, 2025
Jul 19th - 20th, 2025
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Greater Sudbury, Ontario
XTERRA Conquer the Crater
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July 13, 2025
Chantal Dagostino at IRONMAN 70.3 Musselman
Geneva, NY, United States
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50km Trail Run to the Valley
_______________________Marc's
50 from LoEllen to the Valley_______________________
A
run to remember!
by Marc Cayen
50k from the south
end of Sudbury to the border of Blezard Valley.
A run decades in the making.
30 some odd years ago, you could
find me playing in the trails with my pedal bike.
Exploring new territory, pushing boundaries, and
having the best time with neighbourhood friends.
Fast forward to 4 years ago, I’d find myself
running some of these trails during the winter with
my cousin Michelle and Vince. I was new to running,
and trails were my happy place.
I lived in new Sudbury, so I had to learn all new
trails. I got to explore again and push boundaries
with friends. Running makes me feel like a kid again.
I’d slowly learn new trail
systems. I have a good sense of direction, and I
have an easy time remembering points of interest
on trails. I’d learn the Laurentian trails
and the Bioski, I’d learn the Rainbow routes
from one end of town to the next.
A few years ago, my buddy Brian
and I would run from new Sudbury to the valley via
a trail system following the back side of Whitson
Lake. Then, a few months ago, I had a discussion
with Vince about potential trails linking Moonlight
Beach to Second Avenue. He’s assured me that
there were some trails back there, so I set out
on a mission to find them.
I now knew how to connect different
trail systems that would start in Sudbury’s
south end and lead us deep into the heart of the
valley. Rough estimate of 50kms.
I mentioned to a few friends that
I’d like to try and run one way from one end
of Greater Sudbury to the other. We picked a date
and made it happen.
On Sunday, July 13th at 7 a.m.,
a group of 11 of us headed into some trails for
what would be an epic day of running! We stayed
tight together, walked the big hills, and made our
way north. Up and down mountains of black rock ,
across bridges, through fields, and around lakes,
the Laurentian trail system would be the first part
of our journey. Making it to Bioski and choosing
to stay on single track, we weaseled our way through
the Bioski into the Moonlight beach area. 15 k in,
this would be our first water refill station.
The second quarter would be totally
different terrain. A little flatter, a lot softer,
and some pretty cool features.
We’d head west in the grasslands behind the
baseball field, crossing through a tunnel that led
us to the other side of the train tracks. This was
a cool highlight of the run. The trail stayed tight
to the tracks over some easy terrain to Finlandia
village. We’d cross the road at 2nd Avenue
and find more trail to Bancroft. Across the street
was another trail system that would lead us to Best
Buy. The old sand dunes of Minnow Lake. From Best
Buy, we’d head west again and find a trail
leading up to the Chrysler dealership on the Kingsway.
Cross the busy street and make our way north again.
Up and over Adanac ski hill (this was also a really
cool feature) through the marshes of New Sudbury,
we’d take the train tracks for 500 m avoiding
swampy water. We’d cross Lasalle and head
over to Grandview Park where there was a van waiting
for us. This was our last water refill station before
leaving toward the valley. 26km into the run.
3 people would leave and 1 more would join.
9 of us head out.
The 3rd quarter of the run was going
to be the toughest. No shade, enough deer flies
to drive a man insane, and hills as far as the eye
can see. For the next 15 kms, we’d crest countless
mountain tops, endure soakers and mud, and more
mud, but we’d also be blessed with some of
the best views. Looking back on the pole line for
as far as the eye can see, you’d spot our
trail in the distance. It would give you a sense
of accomplishment. The yin to the yang.
Exiting the pole line at km 40, we had 4 more runners
call it. A smart move to be able to run another
day. 40 kms of these trails is no joke, and I’m
proud of everyone that made it this far. I’m
proud of their new personal records, and I’m
proud to have friends that can do hard things.
With 10 kms remaining, 5 of us headed
into the flat valley trails. Made mostly of clay
and sand, these trails were fast. We’d put
some of the fastest kms of the run here. Zig zagging
through trail intersections, finding our way to
2 different bridges that would cross the Whitson
river. Crossing Hwy 69 and heading toward Blezard
valley, we would face the Whitson river once more.
This time there was no bridge; it was the perfect
spot to cool off and clean our shoes.
This would bring us within 3 kms of our 50k goal.
We left the river and did the rest of the trail
system to Brian’s house, where our friends
were waiting and where Brian had a spread of food
waiting for us.
A few kms short, so we ran down the road past the
finish line and back to round it up to 50 even.
It was a run I’ll always remember
and with friends I’ll never forget.
Thank you all for being awesome and ready to tackle
these crazy adventures with me. I’m proud
of you!
Marc Cayen.
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The Start |

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The Finish
Got my 50k
stamp!
by Kris Cacciotti
Got my 50k stamp! Marc's
50 from LoEllen to the Valley. 95% on trails. Ups,
downs, battles, epiphanies, new friends, and lots
of Evvy time.
We started at Shelley and Stacy's house, where we
jumped on the Laurentian trail system. Vibes were
high, people were joking around, and most importantly,
the legs felt light and the body felt strong.
Start
..Moonlight Beach
..Finlandia Village ..Rona ..Adanac Ski Hill.. Downsview
Park = 25k
At Downsview Park, Tim's car - which contained a
cooler full of water, Gatorade, pickles, etc. -
was waiting for us. We grabbed a quick snack, reloaded
our water flasks, and continued our journey.
We also picked up Brian (who you will see later
was the MVP of this entire run).
The route to the Valley was along a hydro line.
There was lots of elevation, marshy areas, bugs,
and razor sharp grass. There was also a beaver dam
that we had to traverse, which ended with us taking
turns using a stick to pole vault across to solid
land - the highlight of the section.
Around 30k, I started to feel human. Shelley gave
me two pierogies, which put some pep in my step.
At 45k, I hit a brick wall. I was overheated and
undernourished, but determined to finish. Shortly
after this bonk, we crossed a river, which I laid
in to cool off.
At 48k, I was running on fumes. I had nothing left
in the tank. I couldn't think.
Marc - "Get out of your head." Ok.
Shelley - "Who's going to carry the boats?"
I am.
49.75, 49.80, 49.85, 49.90, 49.95, 49.99... 50!!!
As soon as we got to Brian's house, I collapsed
onto the lawn, and Marc hosed me down.
Remember when I said Brian was the MVP? He had a
spread waiting for us - pizza, coke, homemade beef
jerky, and watermelon. Everything our bodies needed
after burning 4,000 calories.
Lessons learned:
- You need more than just gels when running ultra
distances.
- You run way farther with people than you can running
alone.
- The human body is capable of great things, especially
if you don't let your mind cut it off early.
Grateful for the warriors I did battle with yesterday.
Grateful for my body for carrying me.
Grateful for this beautiful life I get to live.
KEEP SHINING!
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Thank you Marc and excellent job All!
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Sudbury Rocks Running
Club - Group Runs
Wednesdays
- meet at Apex Warrior parking lot departing
at 1800h. Typically runs are 1 hour or 10km.
Saturdays - meet at Bell Park's
Elizabeth St parking lot departing at 0800h. Typically
runs are longer at 1.5 hours or 15km minimum.
Generally the pace floats between 5 and 7 minutes per
km. Anticipate a mixture of roads and trail running on
the routes.
Inclement weather is usually just a challenge. Group has
only been cancelled for local races or xmas. Cancellations
or changes in meeting locations will be posted.
Locations are show in the
attached photos/maps.

Wednesday pm location

Saturday am location
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Photos This Week

July 9 Wednesday pm run

July 9 Moonlight Trail

July 8 Moonlight Pond

July 8

July 9 Fourth Ave

July 10 Moonlight Pond

July 10 Science North

July 11 Sudaca

July 11

July 11 Bioski Pond

July 11 Bioski Pond

July 11

July 11 Doug and Billy

July 11 Moonlight Trail

July 11 Moonlight Backcountry

July 11

July 11 Moonlight Backcountry

July 12 Rocks!! Saturday am run

July 12
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Upcoming Events
July
26-27 2025
Wilderness
Traverse
____________________________________________________
July
26 - 27, 2025
Sudbury Region, Ontario, Canada
Wilderness
Traverse is a 24 Hour Adventure Race hosted
annually in Ontario, Canada. Teams of 3 or
4 navigate using map and compass over 150
kilometers of rugged Canadian Shield back-country
on foot, mountain bike and canoe. It is one
of the toughest team-based endurance challenges
around and simply reaching the finish line
is a massive achievement.
In 2025 Wilderness
Traverse will serve as the Championship Event
in the AR World Series North America Series
____________________________________________________________________
When: July 26-27, 2025
Where: Sudbury
Region, ON Canada
Host Venue:
Laurentian University (Ben F. Avery Physical
Education Centre) (Google
Map Link)
Categories:
Teams of 3, or 4, can be Coed, All-Male, All-Female,
Junior (one member 18 or under)
Sub-category: Rookie (no members have finished
a 24hr AR)
Disciplines:
Trekking, Canoeing, Mountain Biking, each
requiring
wilderness navigation
Duration:
Teams have up to 30 Hours to complete the
course
Distance:
+150km
Trekking 35km, Paddling 30km, Mountain Biking
85km*
*Distances are approximate
and largely impacted by individual team route
selections
Courses:
In order to give all teams the best chance
of finishing there will be locations along
the route where teams can choose a shorter
course,
or may be directed onto a
shorter course if they miss a time cut-off.
The various courses will labelled as follows
with the longest/full course at the top and
each shorter course following below:
Expedition Course
Explorers Course
Challenge Course
https://www.wildernesstraverse.com/home
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July 27, 2025
Apex Adventure
Challenge
Race
Info
The Apex Adventure Challenge
is an exciting new event designed to give
racers a taste of adventure racing without
the long hours. This 3-5 hour race is perfect
for those looking to challenge themselves
with a mix of running, biking, and navigating
through Sudbury’s scenic trails.
The course is
mostly on trail with a combination of marked
and unmarked sections, giving participants
the chance to test their navigation skills
while staying accessible to those new to the
sport. Teams will work together to find checkpoints
along the route, making it as much about strategy
as speed.
Race Details:
Duration: 3 to 5 hours
Trekking: Approx. 8-10 km
on trails with some off-trail navigation
Mountain Biking: Approx. 15-20
km on a mix of dirt roads and single-track
trails
Canoe: 4-7 km and maybe some
portage’s if you are lucky!
Navigation: A mix of marked
sections and areas requiring basic map reading
skills
https://www.apexadventurechallenge.ca/
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