Pick Your Poison Trail Race.
The shortest distance at the Pick Your Poison Trail Race sends you once around Copeland Forest near Horseshoe Valley, and that single loop is enough to show why the organiser calls this one of Ontario's hilliest races. Over 12.5K your flat speed matters less than how quickly you get running again after each climb.
Pick Your Poison Trail Race 2027: Course, Elevation & Route Profile
The race is based at Heights of Horseshoe on Horseshoe Valley Road, and the loop opens downhill: you lose a good 40 metres in the first kilometre and a half, then run the calmest, lowest part of the course to around km 3. A short kick at km 3.3 ends that. From km 4 comes the longest climb, just over a kilometre and 82 metres of gain, with the Ski Hill aid station halfway up. A quick descent takes you back down before the steepest of the long climbs rises from km 6.4 towards Oakleys' Oasis.
The final third is no cool-down. After a small ramp, two more climbs of about a kilometre start at km 9.4 and km 11.1, and only the last 600 metres or so drop back to where you began.
All of this happens inside a band of roughly 90 metres of altitude. There is no big hill on this forest loop: the nearly 400 metres of climbing come from constant up and down, and only about a seventh of the course is flat. Three aid stations sit on the loop, a meal waits after the race, and the event supports local mental-health programmes.
| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km 3.3 | 0.4 km | 9 % | 13 % | +38 m | — |
| km 4 | 1.3 km | 6.5 % | 15.2 % | +82 m | Cat. 4 |
| km 6.4 | 1 km | 7.4 % | 15.2 % | +74 m | — |
| km 8.5 | 0.3 km | 7.4 % | 14 % | +22 m | — |
| km 9.4 | 1.2 km | 5 % | 12 % | +58 m | — |
| km 11.1 | 1 km | 5.8 % | 12.8 % | +55 m | — |
Climb categories follow the road-cycling convention and rate the terrain itself (length and gradient) regardless of sport: Cat. 4 marks the easiest rated climbs, Cat. 1 the hardest, and HC (hors catégorie, “beyond categorization”) is reserved for the most brutal ascents. Short climbs below the Cat. 4 threshold stay unrated.
How to pace Pick Your Poison Trail Race.
Start under control
The first three kilometres are the only ones where speed feels cheap: downhill, then nearly level. Run them briskly but below race effort, because the kick at km 3.3 and the long climb right after it collect on any overdraft at once.
Hold your rhythm
The race is decided between km 6.4 and the finish. The climb to Oakleys' Oasis averages a little over seven percent, and three more rises follow, none long enough to settle into a rhythm. Save enough to push from km 9 instead of merely surviving it.
Spend what is left
The real trap is the descending. About a sixth of the course drops steeply, and tense braking there throws away the only recovery that costs no time. Let it roll on short steps and use those stretches to breathe, not to sprint.
Training plan for Pick Your Poison Trail Race: 12-week build
Build the base
Age-group runners should expect 1:15 to 2:00 hours for the single loop. The race sits on an aerobic base, but the effort is restless: six climbs keep pushing you briefly over threshold, and only the descents offer any recovery between them.
Train race pace
The core of your preparation is therefore hill intervals of six to ten minutes on a gradient of around seven percent, run rather than hiked, with an easy jog down as the rest. That mirrors the two long climbs of the first half. Add a hilly tempo session in which you pick the pace straight back up after every crest, because that transition is where the race costs the most time.
Rehearse the course
The final third asks for force on tired legs. Finish some runs with two climbs once you have been moving for an hour. That rehearses what km 9 onwards demands: lifting the effort when the race already feels hard.
Arrive fresh
Downhill running belongs in the plan too, since the loop falls steeply for almost as much of its length as it rises. Short, controlled descents on rough ground prepare your quads and feet. A late April date puts your key sessions in February and March, so work out early where you will find real gradients then.
Courses
Download the Pick Your Poison Trail Race course as a GPX file for your watch or bike computer.
Let YOUB adapt your plan for Pick Your Poison Trail Race dynamically
Ben connects your goal, the course, current load, recovery, and calendar. Your plan stays pointed at race day even when real life is not perfectly plannable.
Everything about Pick Your Poison Trail Race.
How long is Pick Your Poison Trail Race?
Pick Your Poison Trail Race is 12.5 km long. That distance shapes how much aerobic endurance, pace durability, and race-specific work belong in the training plan.
How much elevation gain does Pick Your Poison Trail Race have?
Pick Your Poison Trail Race has around 370 m of elevation gain over 12.5 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
What is the route profile of Pick Your Poison Trail Race?
Pick Your Poison Trail Race is classified as Hilly, averaging 29.5 vertical metres per kilometre. 14% of the route is flat, 27% climbs moderately (2 to 6%) and 18% is steeper than 6%.
What climbs does Pick Your Poison Trail Race have?
The hardest climb of Pick Your Poison Trail Race starts at kilometre 4, runs for 1.3 km at an average of 6.5% and gains 82 metres. Cycling-convention rating: Cat. 4. 6 climbs are mapped in total.
Is Pick Your Poison Trail Race a loop course?
Yes, Pick Your Poison Trail Race is laid out as a loop: start and finish are in the same place.
Is there a GPX file for the Pick Your Poison Trail Race course?
Yes. The Pick Your Poison Trail Race course is on this page as a free GPX download — ready to import into Garmin, Wahoo, Komoot, Strava or any other app that reads GPX.
How should I prepare for Pick Your Poison Trail Race?
Preparation for Pick Your Poison Trail Race should account for 12.5 km, 370 m of elevation gain, current training load, and available training time. An adaptive plan helps place key sessions without ignoring recovery and real life.
What pacing strategy works for Pick Your Poison Trail Race?
The pacing strategy for Pick Your Poison Trail Race should reflect 12.5 km, 370 m of elevation gain, and your current fitness. Start controlled and keep margin for sections where the profile or fatigue makes target pace harder.
When does Pick Your Poison Trail Race take place?
Pick Your Poison Trail Race takes place on April 24, 2027.
Where does Pick Your Poison Trail Race take place?
Pick Your Poison Trail Race takes place in Barrie, Canada.
Which distances does Pick Your Poison Trail Race offer?
Pick Your Poison Trail Race offers 3 distances — 12.5K: 12.5 km; 25K: 25 km; 50K: 50 km.
How do I register for Pick Your Poison Trail Race?
Registration runs through the organiser: pickyourpoison.ca. YOUB shows you the course, elevation profile and training plan for your preparation.
