Race Recap: Quebec Mega Trail 100 Miles (Part 1)
The Quebec Mega Trail (QMT) is a beautiful and challenging ultra trail race that traverses the banks of the St. Lawrence River in Québec, and lives up to its reputation as one of the most challenging trail races in Canada. The point-to-point 100 mile (160km) course links steep and technical trails that connect the Massif de Charlevoix and Mont-Sainte-Anne mountains in the region and includes a number of river crossings, steep climbs, suspension bridges, waterfalls, and spectacular views throughout the trail. 2022 marked the 10th anniversary of the event, and the 2nd edition of the 100mile race. Over the weekend, there were over 2500 runners competing in distances ranging from 1km to the 110km and 100mile ultra categories. It was an incredibly well-organized event and truly felt like a celebration of trail running! Here’s a recap of my experience in this year’s 100 mile event.
En Route to Beaupré
Our adventure started on the Wednesday before the race when Adam and I packed up all of our gear and departed for leg 1 of our trip, the 4.5 hour drive from Halifax to Fredericton. My parents (who were joining as crew for my race) took the ferry from Newfoundland and planned to meet us in Fredericton Thursday afternoon so we could continue the rest of the drive to Mont-Sainte-Anne together. Planning around various work schedules and travel dates, we had devised a plan to leave our car in Freddy and all four of us would travel in their campervan Ruby to République Provincial Park that night, finishing the remaining few hours’ drive to Beaupré on Friday morning. Usually I would plan to get to the race site at least a day early, but in the end it worked out just fine to arrive mid-morning for the 8pm race start on Friday. Riding in the back of Ruby with our feet up and napping along the way was also a pretty great way to travel the rest of the way there!
Having a quick stopover in Fredericton also meant that we could squeeze in a visit with some friends, go for a quick wiggle run along the Fredericton walking bridge, and stop in for some last-minute race supplies and encouraging words from the awesome folks at our favourite gear shop, The Radical Edge. It was a great way to break up the drive and fill us up with good vibes for the big weekend ahead!
Pre-Race Prep at Mont-Sainte-Anne
Arriving at Mont-Sainte-Anne, we were greeted with the beautiful (and VERY steep!) mountains rising up from the St. Lawrence River. I was full of butterflies and a little nervous about running up them the next day, but was mostly feeling eager and excited to get going. The resort was bustling with families and mountain bikers enjoying the trails over the long weekend, runners starting to arrive for bib pickup, and vendors setting up tents for the festival-like atmosphere at the race star/finish line. We ran into a few familiar faces right away (I love the close-knit trail community in eastern Canada!), then went to get Adam’s bib and drop bags for the 110km race. The 100 mile bib pickup was only available at the start line in Baie-Saint-Paul later that day.
We picked up some fries from a chip truck to go with our lunch wraps and had a picnic outside of Ruby at the base of the mountain. Not long after, Bruce and Lyndsay (Adam’s dad and sister) arrived. They were joining in for the weekend as crew for Adam’s race, and Bruce also planned to join as Adam’s pacer for the final 30km section of the race.
The countdown was on, and at this point I was only hours away from the start of my race. Mom asked me how I was feeling, and I said that I felt focused and ready. The excitement was there too, but I was trying to stay calm at this point and let the energy build so I could channel it during the race when I’d need it the most.
Final pre-race preparations were in full swing. Adam and I laid out all of our food and race gear and started sorting it into piles in the parking lot at MSA. Here’s a rough outline of my system for organizing everything before the race:
(1) Race Kit (what I wore and carried for the race):
- my Osprey Dyna 6 race vest (with Newfoundland flag, I2P, and New Brunswick Trail Running patches for good vibes!)
- 2L bladder with water + electrolytes
- Headlamp + spare batteries
- Garmin Forerunner 245 watch, plus charging block and cord
- Phone with the race course loaded onto the Ondago app for navigation
- Cup (for aid stations) + a 250ml bottle for carrying coke (for a quick hit of caffeine and sugar!)
- Buff (from Ultra-Trail Gaspesia) for the race start/night sections
- Waterproof shell
- Injinji toe socks
- Emergency kit: reflective blanket, BeFree filter bottle, Trail Toes lube, pre-cut KT tape, extra electrolytes, ginger chews
- Nutrition: a combination of different sweet and salty snacks including granola bars, fruit, Clif Bloks, Endurance Tap maple syrup gels, and fuzzy peaches
- Salomon Speedcross 5 shoes (the Speedcross are my favourite shoes for super technical trails…or really any trails!)
(2) Crew Kit (what I left with my parents to transport between aid stations):
- Extra socks and shoes
- Resupply of my trail snacks
- More food for eating at the aid station: mushroom risotto, fruit, coke, cookies, salted boiled potatoes, etc.
- Cap and sunglasses to swap for the daytime sections
- Feel-good kit: blister care supplies, sunscreen, mouthwash, fly dope
- Electrolytes for water refills
(3) Drop Bags (three bags transported to aid stations throughout the race):
Since I had my parents coming to aid stations, I kept “just-in-case” supplies in my drop bags so that I had enough fuel to be self-sufficient if something came up and they couldn’t make it to an aid station. Each bag had extra trail snacks and electrolytes, and I left a pair of socks and shoes in the Saint-Tite-Des-Caps drop bag (80km mark), where I figured I might change into dry ones for the next day.
Race Check-in at Baie-Saint-Paul
We parted ways around 3:30pm (4.5 hours to the race start!). Adam, Bruce and Lyndsay went to get settled into the condo we had booked near Beaupré and Mom, Dad, and I headed over to the 100mile start line at Baie-Saint-Paul, about a 45-minute drive from Mont-Sainte-Anne. I had a solid nap on the way to the start (thank you Dad for the nap-anywhere genes that I inherited, they come in handy for ultras!) and was very grateful once again for the comfort of Ruby the crew vehicle.
The parking lot was already starting to fill up when we arrived and the DJ had started on stage. The start line overlooked a picturesque shoreline and the weather was perfect: cool but clear, with some clouds overhead that reminded you the forecast was calling for scattered thunderstorms in the next couple of days. I had planned to get to the start early to have lots of time to register, pack my drop bags, and complete the required medical check-up before the start. In the end, all of that took no time at all so I had lots of time to rest before the start.
The 100 mile competitors had to complete a medical check at the start and mid-point of the race. At the check-in, this involved weighing in, getting my blood pressure taken, and answering some questions about my health. Mom came with me and the lovely volunteer who took my blood pressure asked her if she was stressed about her daughter running 160km, to which my mom replied “No, not really! I know she can do it!” (thanks Mom!). Big kudos to the organizing team and amazing volunteers for this race! They were efficient and enthusiastic at every step of the way. I was impressed and very grateful for their help throughout the race, from the medic teams to the aid station volunteers and everything in between.
I went back to Ruby to pack my drop bags, tape my toes (to prevent/minimize blisters), and eat some more food before the race (salty boiled potatoes, scrambled eggs, and cous cous salad). I was excited to run into another running friend from New Brunswick, Drew, who was back for redemption to finish his first 100-mile race after DNF-ing the course last year. He was there with his girlfriend Emily, joining him as crew/pacer, who has a background as an endurance cyclist (and I think will be crushing her own ultras before too long)!
Adam, Bruce and Lyndsay arrived just as it started to pour rain! I wasn’t sure if they were going to be able to make it to see us off before the race, and it was an extra boost of energy to see them before heading off into the mountains. Adam was hoping to get a good sleep before his early 3:00am start for the 110km race, so it was special to get one more hug before the race and share some words of encouragement with one another. It was Adam’s longest race to date, and I would be thinking about him throughout my run and hoping to get updates from my parents on how he was doing.
An announcement came on over the loudspeakers that I couldn’t quite hear from inside Ruby, but all of a sudden runners started heading towards the start line. The energy was electric and I was buzzing with anticipation. In the start corral I found myself next to Krista, a fellow trail runner from Nova Scotia who I’ve had the pleasure of sharing the trails with at a number of races. Her positive attitude and strength is inspiring, and it was nice to have a few moments together before the race started. I love the energy at the start line of a race, there’s nothing like it!
The rain let loose as they blasted smoke and music to pump everyone up. The announcer counted down and we let out a big woop. It was go time!
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As I’m writing this, my heart is full of gratitude for the support I receive from all of the people that are part of my running adventures: my parents, Adam and his family, the trail running community on the east coast, friends and family cheering me on from wherever they are, volunteers and staff who organize these races, the team at the Radical Edge in Fredericton who support my adventures, my thesis supervisor and coworkers who cheer me on and adapt to my running schedule, fellow runners on the trail who become friends or just share a few encouraging words as we pass each other, the other women who inspire me by pushing their limits in ultras/endurance sports, and so many more.
It’s a special privilege to do what I love and share it with others; it truly takes a community to be able to do that. Thank you!