Minotaur SkyRace is the 33.5km skyrace at Minotaur SkyRace 2026 (Crowsnest Pass Gazebo Park, Canada). The race starts on June 27, 2026 at 07:00 AM. It starts and finishes in Crowsnest Pass Gazebo Park. The time limit is 12 h.
Race strategy
Hold a steady pace and save energy for every section.
- 677m descent. Go easy, save your quads.
- Steep 47% wall. Control your pace and stay focused.
- Final 1097m descent. Save your legs to go all out on it.
- Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 17.3km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 20.2km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
- Start · 0.0km–1.3km · Race-day nerves push your heart rate up: don't follow the crowd, find your own rhythm.
- Settle in · 1.3km–8.5km · Climb of 839m, descent of 677m averaging 18%. Ease in: hold back more than feels necessary. The race is still ahead. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Hike the steepest pitches.
- Work · 8.5km–17.3km · Climb of 946m, high point 2312m, descent of 668m averaging 24%. This is where the race is built: steady, solid effort. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. This descent is hard on the legs: short steps, stay in control, poles if you have them. Hike the steepest pitches.
- Fade · 17.3km–20.2km · Climb of 673m. Your energy fades, and that's normal: hold a steady effort and stop counting the miles. Climb by heart rate or breathing, not pace. Hike the steepest pitches. Your heart rate drifts down on its own: don't chase your early-race numbers, go by feel.
- Home · 20.2km–32.8km · Descent of 1097m averaging 9%. No heroics: settle back into your own effort and hold it to the line. Very long descent: first half under control, then even, let go only near the end. Hike the steepest pitches.
Course
The course climbs 2900m+. With 87m/km of climbing, the course is exceptionally steep, with long hiking-grade sections. By gradient, 43% of the distance is uphill, 46% downhill and 11% flat. The longest climb runs 6.0km at an average 15.7% grade (946m of vertical). The longest descent runs 12.6km at an average 8.7% grade (1097m of vertical). The steepest climb averages 53.8% over 0.5km. The steepest descent drops at 57.4% over 0.6km. Surface: 84% trail and 11% road. Flat-equivalent effort: 56.7 FlatKM.
Summits
The highest summit on the course is Livingstone South Peak (2256m), 20.2km from the start. Other named summits along the route: Bluff Mountain (2145m).
Poles
Trekking poles are strongly recommended: about 5.1km of the course is steep enough for them to pay off.
Quad damage
Quad damage risk is moderate (index 31 of 100), with 52% of the load in the first half: 2 descents deserve a plan and a couple of downhill sessions before race day.
- Control your HR on the first mountain, save your quads on the descents until 17.3km, then run your race pace, and start the final descent from 20.2km under control, then go all out near the bottom.
- #1 · 4.8–8.5 km · 677 m D−, -18.4% · 24.2 km ahead → control
- #2 · 14.5–17.3 km · 668 m D−, -24.2% · 15.4 km ahead → control
- 20.2–32.7 km · 1097 m D−, -8.7% · 0.0 km ahead → even, first half under control, let go at the end
Weather
On race day, start temperatures have historically ranged from 8°C to 16°C, with around 11°C at the highest point; the chance of precipitation is about 50%. Heavy rain of 10.0mm or more falls on about 5% of days around this date.
Results
315 finishers completed the 2026 edition. Men's winner: Adam Loomis (Individual Neutral Athletes) in 4:18:39. Women's winner: Ailsa Macdonald (Individual Neutral Athletes) in 5:31:25.
This page has the full results and splits, a pacing and nutrition planner, a gradient matrix, an interactive elevation profile and historical weather for Minotaur SkyRace.
Other distances of Minotaur SkyRace 2026Mini-Taur 10K (10.5km)·Minotaur VK (4.0km)
Other editions of Minotaur SkyRace2027
Official websitemeettheminotaur.com
