Ultimate Trails of Manitoba UTofMB
It’s back for another year!
We’re excited to present the third annual Ultimate Trails of Manitoba series, which awards points to MATR members for every local trail race they participate in, regardless of the season.
We award points to members based on how many races they complete, with extra points for trail maintenance, volunteering, top performances, and other categories that reward sportsmanship and community-building.
Racing locally strengthens the community, promotes sustainable travel habits, and helps people discover the beautiful trails in their own backyards.
Every 2024 MATR member is automatically entered to collect points in the race series.
Want to join the race series?
It’s as easy as making sure you have your 2024 MATR membership and signing up to race or volunteer for at least one local trail race (see eligible trail races below) OR join us for our many trail work parties between November 2023 and October 2024.
Eligible races
Upcoming 2024 Races:
Oxbow 50 (May 4) - Spruce Woods Provincial Park / Registration open (Early bird pricing till Feb. 10, registration closes April 7)
Suffer on Centennial (May 25) - Whiteshell Provincial Park / Registration open (closes March 30)
Epic East Gate (June 1) - Riding Mountain National Park / Registration open (Early bird pricing till March 3, registration closes May 26)
Turtle’s Back Trail Run (June 15) - William Lake Provincial Park / Registration open
Groovy Granite (June 23) - Lac du Bonnet / Registration open
Grand Sand (July 7) - Lester Beach/Grand Beach Provincial Park / Registration open
Old Tom Backyard Ultra (July 6 - ??) - Blumenort, Manitoba / SOLD OUT!
Birds Hill Trail Series (June 27, July 18, August 8) - Birds Hill Provincial Park / Registration open
Rider vs Runner ( August 3) - Souris Bend Wildlife Management Area / Registration date TBA
Prairie Goat Vertical Kilometer (August 11) - Spring Hill Ski Area, Manitoba / Registration date TBA
Race The North Face (September 7) - Brandon Hills / Registration open (Early bird pricing till February 23, registration closes July 5)
Bellringer (September 21) - Schinkenwald Trails, Thornhill (Morden) / Registration opens May 5
Beaudry Fall Classic (October 4-6) - Beaudry Provincial Park / Registration opens May 12
Pinawa Trail Run (October 26) - Pinawa Provincial Park / Registration date TBA
Past 2024 Races:
Frozen Falcon (February 4) - Falcon Trails Resort
Actif Epica (February 16-18) - Crow Wing Trail
Manitoba Snowshoe Run (February 19) - Riding Mountain National Park
We will consider additional races if current race directors expand their race portfolio and/or new organizers enter the scene in 2024 to be as inclusive as possible.
Earning points
You could win cool trail running gear and/or services from local businesses by earning points throughout the year. Here’s a sample of the categories in which you could earn points:
| Category | Points | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Finishing each event in the series | 20 points per event | The more races you participate in, the more points you rack up! *Note each race in the Birds Hill Trail series is worth 10 points, completing the entire series will earn you 30 points. **Points for Old Tom Backyard Ultra will be awarded for any racer who starts the event and completes at least one lap. |
| Event volunteer | 10 points per event | Give back to your community at races you don't plan to run by being an official volunteer. |
| Worker bee | 20 points | Participate in organized trail maintenance days to earn Worker Bee points. |
| Top finishers | 10, 8, 5 points | Points for top finishers in each category recognized by the event. |
| Master of masters | 10 points | The oldest finisher of any race series event. |
| Trail prodigy | 10 points | The youngest finisher of any race series event. |
| Fresh blood | 5 points | Runners finishing their first trail race. |
| Longest time, biggest heart | 10 points | The final finisher of each event. |
| Manitoba May-jors | 10 points | A points bonus for finishing any distance at each event in May and June. |
| Tour grit | 10 points | A points bonus for finishing at least one event by at least three participating race organizers. |
| Racing across regions | 5 points | A points bonus for finishing at least one event organized by at least two participating race organizers. |
| First off the fence | 3 points | A points bonus for being one of the first 5 registrants for an event. |
MATR reserves the right to add or amend categories as the season progresses, and grant points to race directors to give out to reward participation, volunteerism, and sportsmanship.
Thank you to our 2023 sponsors!
Do you or your organization or business want to sponsor or donate a prize for UTofMB? Get in touch!