Oxbow 50

The Oxbow 50 is a 50k trail running ultra held on the Trans-Canada, Epinette & Yellowquill Trails of Spruce Woods Provincial Park Manitoba. We acknowledge that these are the ancestral lands, Treaty 1 Territory, traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota, and Dene Peoples and the homeland of the Metis Nation.

Interested in the Oxbow 50? Here are the details.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING BEFORE REGISTERING.

Registration Details

Date

Saturday, May 6, 2023

  • Bib Pick-Up & Check-In begins at 7:30 AM
  • Racer Meeting at 8:15 AM
  • Race Begins at 8:30 AM
  • 50k Cut Off
    • The course closes at 6:30 PM (10 Hours).
Registration
  • Registration begins Sunday, January 1 at 10:00AM. Registration closes once we’ve reached our cap of 100, or May 4, whichever comes first.
  • Cost
    • Early Bird Special (January 1-22) – $105.00. Registration happens through UltraSignup and will have a processing fee added to the $105.
    • Regular Registration (January 23-April 12) – $120.00. On January 23rd , registration goes up to $120, also through UltraSignup and will include the UltraSignup processing fee.
    • Late Registration (April 13-May 4) – $135.00. Registration will be closed on UltraSignup during this period. Email for details on how to do a late registration ( joel[at]ontheedgerunning[dot]com ). Finisher T-Shirt not available for late registration, and no personalized bib for those who register late, but you’ll still get a cool race logo’d bib and patch.
Refund Policy

In the case of the event being cancelled due to public health restrictions, weather or any other factors beyond our control there will be no refunds or deferrals. Many of the costs of the event are incurred well before the event takes place. If you are uneasy with this policy, please do not register.

If you are unable to race for whatever reason, bib transfers are allowed. Bib transfers are allowed until May 4th. Find someone who is willing to take your bib and contact Joel Toews to make arrangements for that transfer.

Entry Includes

Access to a fun, relentlessly up and down and deceptively hard 50k course. Supported aid stations throughout (see more details re: aid below), first aid support, Oxbow 50 Patch, Oxbow 50 Finisher T-Shirt (for those who register before April 27th) made by local business Floodway Print Co., and post-race meal.

Additional Race Details

Timing

We will use manual timing for this event and there will be no live tracking. Results will be posted on UltraSignUp a few days following the event.

Course Description  **New for 2023!

The route will begin by running to Cabin 3 using the Epinette Trails and returning to the trailhead parking lot where you will find the main aid station.
After this, you will head south on the Trans-Canada Trail linking up with the Yellowquill Trails eventually making your way to the Yellowquill Trailhead Parking lot. Family, friends and crew are welcome to cheer you on from this area and provide support as needed. Additionally, there will be an Aid Station that you’ll pass twice on this section.
You’ll return back to the start/finish area and then head out again to complete a second loop of the Yellowquill trails.

To give you a sense of the route, see link below.

2023 Oxbow 50 Map – GAIA App

The change of this route from previous editions of the Oxbow 50 allows for ample Aid Station support, the opportunity to see more people along your adventure, and cheers from family and friends throughout if they choose to join you for the day.

Any changes to the course up to and including race day are at the discretion of the Race Director to ensure the safety of participants and volunteers.

Aid Stations

When you begin this race, you should have everything with you to complete the entire race without aid of any kind. Extra socks, food/nutrition/drink mix, blister care, anti-chafing goop, proper clothing, sunblock, enough fluid capacity. Ultimately, you are responsible for you!

However, to try and support you in doing your best, there will be aid stations on route. An exact list of aid station food will be provided prior to the event in a racer email.

Drop Bags – You can leave a drop bag along the trail or in your vehicle at the Epinette Trailhead Parking Lot, Start/Finish area.

Cup Free Race – At the aid stations, there will be beverages available that you may not want to put in your bottles. If this is the case, please bring your own cup as we are a cup-free race.

DNF’s (Did Not Finish)

If you need to DNF, you must do so at an Aid Station. No one is coming along the trail to pick you up. Once you’ve DNF’d at an aid station, you may have to wait until that aid station closes before you’ll get a ride back to the Finish.

Emergencies

While we do everything we can to support racers, come with the mindset that on the trail, you are responsible for you! Please make sure you have enough fluids,  proper gear, appropriate first aid, and know how to use it. If you see someone in trouble, please provide help.

We will have first aid/first responder personnel with AED plus rovers on bike. Note that communication is difficult in the area, and responding to an emergency could take hours.

**IMPORTANT** Please be aware of this fact before starting this event.

Sponsors & Supporters

Tony Martin – Logo Design