We're starting our final planning for race day on April 29th including assigning bibs, packing shirts and clearing trails!
Check out our 13th year, Lucky Socks
We really loved last year's beautiful digital imprinted nylon socks but the runners have spoken! You let us know you like the durability of high-tech wool and we're proud to bring this great garment back as our finisher prize. That's right - don't go looking for anybody to be draping a medal around your neck as you cross our finish line. Instead, be grateful for socks! You have too many finisher medals anyway.
Something New this year for Our participant Shirts
More changes for our 13th year! Don't worry, we didn't change the course - it's still full of grueling, I mean, glute building climbs and beautiful scenic woods. We did however switch our classic t-shirt to a fun new long-sleeve technical gem. It doesn't glow in the dark, but man, will you ever be seen with this radioactive-green on black design. Do you see the bees? That's in honour of the Orillia honey we give out to all our registrants. We figured you didn't need another logo embossed squeeze ball or keychain. We like to keep it practical at PYP.
Check out the course
If you haven't yet seen the PYP course, you can check out our 12.5km loop below. With about 330m of climb per loop you're guaranteed to enjoy crushing your chosen distance and getting yourself into those lucky socks! Don't worry about navigation as we've got you covered with over 400 little pink marking flags and 20 high visibility turn signs. Most the course is single track and on those stretches we'll have flags as confidence markers that you haven't lost your mind on your 4th loop and that you are indeed, still on course.
Prizes, prizes, prizes
Somebody let the Creative Director play with a chainsaw and he's come up with some fun prizes for our top finishers. Sure, they may still smell like fresh spray paint and construction adhesive when you are awarded them but they are 100% genuine manufactured and assembled in Ontario.
But wait, there's more - Sue Sitki of Sue's Soap Creations fame has provided some "Poison" embossed, Dragon's Blood soaps. Yes, these are every bit as cool as they sound. Apparently, she was feeling generous because our top 5 runners in each distance will get a bar. Head over to her site to buy some for yourself and follow her on Instagram or you'll have clean FOMO! (Nooooooo!) - oh and she'll be on course doing our photography again this year (Yesssssss!)
Are you kidding me? There's still more? YES! Our wicked awesome fuel and hydration partner, Hammer Nutrition Canada, showed up with a dump truck of amazing new flavours of their popular Hammer gels and while we'll have them at the aid stations, we'll also be giving away grab bags of them to our top finishers. Hammer gels are 100% manufactured in North America with the highest quality ingredients and with no simple sugars you're not going to have any GI stress. Don't poop out the woods - take Hammer gels! (not the official slogan of Hammer Nutrition)
To round out prize-insanity, we're going to shove it all into a PYP beer glass for as many finishers as we can (portioned out equally to all distances. Giv'er your best and see what you can get! (not the official slogan of PYP)
Are you the Greatest Of All Time
We appreciate tenacity, and to reward those who get it done, we have our GOAT award. The absolute last participant in each distance who finishes (within cutoff) will be awarded this beautiful, tenacity inspired trophy, a fist-full of Hammer gels, and a bar of Sue's soap - now go clean yourself so you don't smell like a goat.
On course electrolytes by Hammer Nutrition
Listen - we're ultra runners, and we get that when you're on course you don't want to blow your big race by rolling the dice on some freaky new electrolyte named Fishtail or Gaterblaze. PYP is proud to have Hammer Nutrition Canada as our electrolyte and fuel partner. We believe in this stuff - we use this stuff when we race!
We're excited to have HEED in lemon & lime, and orange flavours at our aid stations as our electrolyte drink. Most “sports drinks” are lots of sugar, salt, and citric acid but HEED is a healthy, subtle-flavored alternative. Instead of crappy "flash and crash" simple sugars, HEED has complex carbohydrates in the form of maltodextrin. HEED also contains a balanced electrolyte profile and essential nutrients balanced for blood sugar needs, for buffering lactic acid, and to ensure long-lasting energy. So whether you're going for a spray-paint-stinking 1st place, or our GOAT award, fuel your body with HEED electrolytes and Hammer Nutrition Gels.
Don't be a hammer, follow Hammer Nutrition to fuel right and feel great at your next race!
Check out all of Hammer Nutrition products and buy online > Hammer Nutrition Canada | Fuels & Supplements for Endurance Athletes
What's Next
While this is all lovely and informational, we do actually need to give our runners a little more info about kit pickup and such so keep mashing the refresh button on your email until the race day info shows up (race day info will be sent to registered runners only.)
Run wild trailblazers! (Also not the official slogan of PYP though it sounds pretty kickass.)
