Our Orientation Runs are fun opportunities to prepare for your Squamish 50 weekend. Bring some friends or meet some new ones! We even have a ‘light’ aid station for each run courtesy of Nesters Market and Näak, with gels and energy drink mix, water, Coke, chips, cookies, oranges, and bananas. We check everyone in, and make sure you emerge from the wilderness safely at the end.
As part of our ongoing support of SORCA, we charge a $10 donation for O-Runs, which goes 100% towards SORCA trail maintenance. We encourage everyone to register & donate online, but we will also collect payment pre-run. The $10 donation is a minimum – feel free to donate more if you’re so inclined, it all goes to the trails!
2025 Orientation Runs Schedule (Tentative):
Sunday, March 16: 21 km
O-Run #1 will be following the 23 km course, point to point, but will start further along the actual course and finish prior to the race day finish area, covering approximately 21 kms during this particular orientation run.
Meet in front of Nesters Market, just up the street from our race day finish line. There is plenty of parking and well car pool from here. Please park along the far north end of the parking lot to minimize disruption to customer parking for the day. The run is a point to point and we’ll need to car pool and shuttle up to our starting point at Capilano University (formerly Quest).
Timing:
8:00 am – meet at Nesters for check-in, pre-run briefing, and carpool arrangements
8:15 am – car pools depart for Capilano
8:30 am – arrive at Capilano
8:35 am – group photo!
8:40 am – head out on the run from Capilano
Aid Station: Yup, we’re gonna provide an aid station on a training run cause that’s how we roll! Our aid station will be set up at the entrance to The Far Side. This is 13km into your 21km day.
Once we run back to Nesters we will need to arrange car pooling back up to Capilano to retrieve our vehicles. We encourage people to arrange car pool / car drop options in advance of the day if at all possible. We will ensure all who show up are accommodated however.
Approximate Run Times: 2 hours for lead runners, 4.5 hours for back-of-the-pack runners.
Saturday, April 19: 25 km / 28 km
O-Run #2 is 25 km from Capra Running Co onto Coho Trail, following the 50 mile course until the bottom of Entrails where we pop out onto Mashiter. From there we detour off the SQ50 course to take Roller Coaster, Lumber Jacks and Trestle Trail back to Capra.
*please see map for how to add 3km to your run on the day. Please note the 3km addition up and over Debeck’s will not be marked for this run, so you’ll need to follow a GPS route on your watch, or know the course in advance of the day*
Timing:
8:00 am – meet at Capra Running Co for check-in and pre-run briefing
8:10 am – group photo!
8:15 am – head out on the run
Please arrive at least fifteen minutes early. Parking is available in the Capra complex parking lot. Grab a coffee and check out Capra for all your trail running needs.
On the 50 mile map we would be running from Aid Station 1 through Aid Station 3, continuing along Tracks From Hell, Of Mice and Men and onto Entrails. Once you exit Entrails you’ll take a left onto Mashiter and then detour off of the actual SQ50 route to take Roller Coaster, Lumber Jacks and Trestle Trail on back to your starting point at Escape Route.
Aid Station: At the intersection of Rob’s and Cliff’s Corners 18 kms into the run. This is Aid Station #3 on the 50 mile map.
Approximate Run Times: 2 hours for lead runners, 4.5 hours for back of the pack runners
*add 35 – 75 mins for the Debecks addition if you choose to run 28 kms*
Sunday, June 22: 35 km / 45 km
O-Run #3 is 35 km or 45 km from Capra Running Co onto Coho Trail, following the 50 mile course, including Galactic Scheisse to Capilano University (formerly Quest) and back to Capra. The 10 km variable is the option to skip the loop at Cliff’s Corners.
*please note that while we are only marking the routes for people to run 35km or 45km, there are creative shortcuts or additions that people can choose to add or subtract. We must clarify though that these additions/subtractions will NOT BE MARKED and should only be attempted by experienced runners who know the route intimately. Looking at the maps, it is possible to customize any of the following distances, 30km (minus Galactic), 33km (+ Debecks, – Galactic), 35km (as will be marked), 38km (+ Debecks), 40km (- Galactic), 43km (+ Debecks, – Galactic), 45km (as marked), 48km (+ Debecks).
*We will ask you to confirm your intended route on the day. Please ensure you notify us if you change your plans before or during the run (we’ll provide a contact cell # for organizers).
*the Debeck’s Hill addition is +3km and +/-225m. It will NOT be flagged for this O-run. If you choose to add on Debeck’s, you must either follow a GPS route or know the course already.
*skipping Galactic reduces the route by 5.5km and 540m and again should only be attempted by those who know the area well enough to follow the Northside Connector service road, and to recapture the route thereafter at the entrance to Word of Mouth.
Timing:
8:00 am – meet at Capra Running Co for check-in and pre-run briefing
8:10 am – group photo!
8:15 am – head out on the run
Please arrive at least fifteen minutes early. Parking is available in the Capra complex parking lot.
On the 50 mile map we would be running from Aid Station 1 to Aid Station 5, and then back to our cars.
The 35km route will skip the 10 km loop from Cliff’s Corners to Tracks From Hell, Entrails & Mashiter. These runners will instead turn left at this point and continue along the Northside Connector to then head up Plastic and Galactic Scheisse.
Aid Station: At the intersection of Rob’s and Cliff’s Corners at 18km (for both distances) and 28km (for 45km runners only). This is Aid Station #3 on the 50 mile map.
Approximate Run Times: 35km – 4.5 hours for faster runners, 7.5 hours for back of the pack runners. 45km – 5.5 hours for faster runners, 9 hours for back of the pack runners.
*add 35 – 75 mins for the Debecks addition if you choose to run 38 kms or 48 kms*
