The impacts of wildfires, including poor air quality due to smoke, is a growing concern for outdoor events across Canada.  As such, CMTR / SQ50 have established a Wildfire Smoke Policy as outlined below.

CMTR / SQ50 reserves the right to cancel or modify a race should we believe it to be necessary for the safety of our runners, volunteers, and race staff.  Barring extenuating circumstances, we will follow the guidelines outlined below.  For the SQ50 races, we will assess air quality using the BC government’s Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) for Squamish found here:

At an AQHI of 6 or below, the race will proceed as normal. 

At an AQHI of 7 and 8, the race will continue with increased safety measures including offering masks to runners and volunteers, and communication with runners ahead of time with more information and forecasts. We understand that individuals may have health concerns running at an AQI of 7 and above, and so will be offering those who choose not to start a 50% discount on the entry fee for the following year. Those who purchased the refund insurance upon registration will be able to get a full refund by filing a claim and providing a physician’s note.

At an AQHI of 9 and above, the race will be canceled, and we will communicate this decision via email, website, and social media channels. We would then file an insurance claim with our provider, and once that claim is processed, we would look to refund all affected runners via this insurance policy payout. 

In many cases, the AQHI will change throughout the day – in Squamish, winds often pick up and AQHI decreases.  When the AQHI is forecast to change during the race, we will consult with local weather experts and review all available information ahead of time to help us determine whether to run or cancel at AQHI values different from those listed above.  We will keep all runners and volunteers informed of our decisions ahead of the race start when the AQHI is forecast to reach 7 or above. 

In all cases, we will do our utmost to keep our runners and volunteers safe and informed before and during the race should wildfire smoke be present.

Please direct any further questions to run@squamish50.com.