Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra.
The Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra is a race for women aged 16 and over: one lap of Nose Hill Park in northwest Calgary. Its climbing comes not from one big hill but from eight short ascents with hardly any level ground between them, and that constant switching is what your preparation has to target.
Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra 2027: Course, Elevation & Route Profile
The lap starts and finishes on its highest ground, a little above 1,230 metres, and drops away until just past the 2.5 km mark. The whole course stays inside a band of only 100 metres of altitude and still collects nearly 500 metres of climbing, because it crosses that band again and again. The steepest ascent comes early, just before kilometre 3, averaging almost 14 percent, and two more follow by kilometre 6.
A little past 8 km you reach the lowest point of the lap. Almost exactly there, near the Calgary Winter Club, is the only aid station, with water, sports drink, gummies, cookies and pretzels, plus a porto potty. Right behind it starts the ascent with the biggest gain, a good 70 metres over 800 metres of trail. From kilometre 12 three more solid climbs follow, and because the finish sits at the top, the closing stretch keeps rising all the way to the line.
The setting is Nose Hill Park, and the race is one big lap with no repeated loops: once you leave the start, the finish is the next time you see it. The organiser describes the course as carefully designed and very well marked, so your attention can stay on your footing. The race stands on its own, separate from the options of its partner YYC Sub Ultra.
| Start | Length | Ø | Max. | Gain | Cat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| km 2.9 | 0.4 km | 13.7 % | 20 % | +55 m | — |
| km 3.6 | 0.5 km | 5.5 % | 16.3 % | +29 m | — |
| km 5 | 0.9 km | 7.5 % | 16.8 % | +66 m | — |
| km 8.4 | 0.8 km | 9 % | 14.6 % | +72 m | — |
| km 10.6 | 0.6 km | 5.9 % | 8.8 % | +33 m | — |
| km 12 | 0.6 km | 11.5 % | 20.7 % | +69 m | — |
| km 13.8 | 0.6 km | 9.6 % | 15.2 % | +55 m | — |
| km 14.9 | 1 km | 6.7 % | 17.6 % | +68 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 Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra.
Start under control
No single pace will hold for 17 km here: only about an eighth of the course is level, and the rest goes up or down. So race by effort. Run the ramps under control, hike the steepest metres without guilt, and get back into your stride the moment you crest. That recovers more time than forcing the gradient does.
Hold your rhythm
The biggest trap is the opening. The trail falls away, your legs are fresh, and straight after it stands the steepest ramp of the day. Treat that start as a gift and you arrive with your heart rate already high, then pay for it on all seven climbs that follow.
Spend what is left
The race is decided from kilometre 12. The last five kilometres hold around 190 metres of climbing, and there is no easy run-out because the finish is at the top. Do not linger at the aid station, but take what you need calmly and use the long climb behind it to settle and digest at a steady tread. The reserve for the closing hills is built in the first half, not after it.
Training plan for Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra: 12-week build
Build the base
Expect somewhere around 1:45 to 2:45 hours, depending on your fitness. The effort comes in waves: the short ascents push you up to and past your anaerobic threshold, and the descents between them are only partial recovery because they load your muscles and your concentration. Nearly half the course runs downhill, which works the quads as hard as the climbs work the lungs.
Train race pace
Your key session is therefore the rolling run. Find a hill or loop where you can string together six to eight ascents of two to six minutes, and run the descents briskly instead of treating them as a jog break. Make the last three repetitions the hardest, because that is also how the race ends.
Rehearse the course
In the long run, order matters: put the climbing in the final third and practise moving cleanly uphill and staying relaxed downhill when tired. Train power hiking as a skill of its own, with hands on thighs or long strides, since on the steepest metres it is often barely slower than running.
Arrive fresh
With a single aid station at halfway, test beforehand what your stomach accepts under load and decide what you will carry yourself. Your build-up falls in the warm months before the late-August date, so use them to learn your fluid needs. If you travel from lower ground, allow for the altitude of around 1,200 metres. The route is published: if you train in Calgary, run the section from kilometre 12 onwards several times.
Courses
Download the Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra course as a GPX file for your watch or bike computer.
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Everything about Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra.
How long is Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra?
Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra is 17 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 Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra have?
Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra has around 504 m of elevation gain over 17 km. That affects pacing, muscular load, and preparation for late-race sections.
What is the route profile of Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra?
Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra is classified as Hilly, averaging 29.7 vertical metres per kilometre. 13% of the route is flat, 22% climbs moderately (2 to 6%) and 17% is steeper than 6%.
What climbs does Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra have?
The hardest climb of Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra starts at kilometre 8.4, runs for 0.8 km at an average of 9% and gains 72 metres. 8 climbs are mapped in total.
Is Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra a loop course?
Yes, Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra is laid out as a loop: start and finish are in the same place.
Is there a GPX file for the Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra course?
Yes. The Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra 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 Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra?
Preparation for Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra should account for 17 km, 504 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 Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra?
The pacing strategy for Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra should reflect 17 km, 504 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 Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra take place?
Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra takes place on August 29, 2027.
Where does Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra take place?
Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra takes place in Northwest Calgary, Canada.
How do I register for Wild Rose Women's Sub Ultra?
Registration runs through the organiser: wildrosewomensevents.com. YOUB shows you the course, elevation profile and training plan for your preparation.
