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Grey limestone boulders of the Frank Slide with a small yellow tree, under storm clouds
Neea Vesala / Unsplash

Sinister 7 Ultra course maps, legs and cutoffs

161 km through the mountains around Crowsnest Pass in seven legs, run solo or as a relay team, with a 50 mile, a 50K and a half marathon on parts of the same trails.

July 10 to 11, 2027 Crowsnest Pass, Alberta

Sinister 7 runs on July 10 and 11, 2027, in Crowsnest Pass, in the southwest corner of Alberta. The name comes from Seven Sisters Mountain, which looks down on much of the course. The 100 mile is cut into seven legs, from the Frank Slide on the first to Wedge Mountain on the last, with a transition area (TA) at the end of each. You can run all seven alone or split them across a team of up to seven.

The 100 mile, 50K and half start in downtown Blairmore. The 50 mile starts west of Coleman and picks up the last three legs, and the 100 and 50 mile finish at the Crowsnest Sports Complex in Coleman. Between TAs are checkpoints (CPs), mostly remote, staffed by marshals with a radio.

The map shows the 2026 courses, the latest the organizer has posted; the 2027 files aren't out yet. The organizer's own checkpoint distances predate the 2025 and 2026 leg changes, so the distances here are measured along its 2026 files.

The racer guide tells crews not to plan on cell coverage at the more remote TAs. Download the map before you leave town: your phone's GPS still shows where you are with no signal.

This is an unofficial guide: Goat Maps isn't affiliated with Sinister 7 Ultra. Check the official site before you enter or race.

Sinister 7 course map

Every course's aid stations on the Goat Maps topo map. Each course has a map of its own further down.

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Sinister 7 courses

CourseDistanceClimbingStartTime limit
100 Mile161 km (100 mi)6,692 m (21,955 ft)Sat, Jul 10, 7:00 AM30 h
50 Mile82.9 km (51.5 mi)2,985 m (9,793 ft)Sat, Jul 10, 10:30 AM24 h
50K53.6 km (33.3 mi)2,399 m (7,871 ft)Sat, Jul 10, 7:30 AM13 h 30 min
Half Marathon22.8 km (14.2 mi)1,014 m (3,327 ft)Sat, Jul 10, 7:30 AM7 h 30 min

Sinister 7 100 Mile

All seven legs, solo or as a relay, with 30 hours to finish.

Distance
161 km (100 mi)
Climbing
6,692 m (21,955 ft)
Start
Sat, Jul 10, 7:00 AM
Time limit
30 h

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Leg 1 crosses the boulder field of the Frank Slide and runs through Hillcrest and Bear Valley to TA1, at the foot of Hastings Ridge. Leg 2 goes over the ridge and down to Blairmore. Leg 3, Willoughby Ridge, also known as "Satan's Sack", is a loop back to the same TA: dry, hot and exposed, through the burn of the 2003 Lost Creek fire. Leg 4 starts with a climb partway up the ski hill, and Leg 5 runs north beside Mount Tecumseh, with roots, mud and creek crossings.

Leg 6 is the one the organizer rates hardest. It climbs north of Seven Sisters to the course's high point, 2,292 m, then works around the base of Crowsnest Mountain back to the McGillivray staging area. Leg 7 is short: up the base of Wedge Mountain and down into Coleman. Each TA has a cutoff for starting the next leg, and the race is over at 1 PM Sunday. Expect wet feet on every leg from 2 through 6.

aid stations

kmWhereCutoff
0Blairmore start (Gazebo Park)
11.4CP1a
19.3TA1 (base of Hastings Ridge) Crew, Drop bagSat 11:45
29.5CP2
36.1TA2/TA3 (Albert Stella Memorial Arena) Crew, Drop bagSat 15:30
43.6CP3a/CP4a
52.7CP3b
59.7CP3c
66.4TA2/TA3 (Albert Stella Memorial Arena) Crew, Drop bagSat 20:00
73.1CP3a/CP4a
81.7CP4b
90.3TA4 Crew, Drop bagSun 02:00
99.2CP5a
110.6CP5b/CP6c
118.3TA5/TA6 (McGillivray staging area) Crew, Drop bagSun 06:00
126.3CP6a
137.7CP6b
143.3CP5b/CP6c
150.7TA5/TA6 (McGillivray staging area) Crew, Drop bagSun 12:00
155.7CP7
161Crowsnest Sports Complex, Coleman (finish) CrewSun 13:00
Crowsnest Mountain and a craggy ridge beside it, deep in winter snow
Christian Wadstein / Unsplash

Sinister 7 50 Mile

A fast start out of west Coleman, then legs 5, 6 and 7 of the 100 mile.

Distance
82.9 km (51.5 mi)
Climbing
2,985 m (9,793 ft)
Start
Sat, Jul 10, 10:30 AM
Time limit
24 h

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The 50 mile starts at 10:30 Saturday from York Creek, west of Coleman. Its first stretch joins Leg 4 and skips the climb up Big Bear, and it's quick, with a bit of single track about a kilometer in, so find your spot early. From TA4 you're on the 100 mile course for the rest: Mount Tecumseh, the Seven Sisters loop and Wedge Mountain.

You have 24 hours, until 10:30 Sunday. Of the three legs you share with the 100 mile, Leg 6, around Seven Sisters and Crowsnest Mountain, is the longest and the hardest.

aid stations

kmWhereCutoff
0York Creek staging area (50 mile start)
3.3CP4b
11.9TA4 Crew, Drop bag
20.8CP5a
32.2CP5b/CP6c
39.8TA5/TA6 (McGillivray staging area) Crew, Drop bag
47.9CP6a
59.3CP6b
64.9CP5b/CP6c
72.3TA5/TA6 (McGillivray staging area) Crew, Drop bag
77.3CP7
82.9Crowsnest Sports Complex, Coleman (finish) CrewSun 10:30
Island Lake in Crowsnest Pass, with a wooded islet, below rocky peaks
Christian Wadstein / Unsplash

Sinister 7 50K

Up Drum Creek and Heartbreak Hill, then the Willoughby Ridge loop.

Distance
53.6 km (33.3 mi)
Climbing
2,399 m (7,871 ft)
Start
Sat, Jul 10, 7:30 AM
Time limit
13 h 30 min

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The 50K leaves Blairmore half an hour after the 100 mile, at 7:30. It takes the first half of Leg 1, climbs the Drum Creek drainage to CP2 and goes over Heartbreak Hill, then drops to TA2 on the back half of Leg 2. After that you run all of Leg 3, the hot, exposed loop over Willoughby Ridge, and finish back at the same TA.

You have to be through TA2 by 3 PM, and the course closes at 9 PM.

aid stations

kmWhereCutoff
0Blairmore start (Gazebo Park)
11.5CP1a
15.9CP2
22.4TA2/TA3 (Albert Stella Memorial Arena) Crew, Drop bagSat 15:00
29.9CP3a/CP4a
39.1CP3b
46CP3c
53.6TA2/TA3 (Albert Stella Memorial Arena) CrewSat 21:00
Boulders in the clear water of Emerald Lake in Crowsnest Pass, below a forested mountain
Christian Wadstein / Unsplash

Sinister 7 Half Marathon

The 50K's opening stretch: Drum Creek, Heartbreak Hill and back to Blairmore.

Distance
22.8 km (14.2 mi)
Climbing
1,014 m (3,327 ft)
Start
Sat, Jul 10, 7:30 AM
Time limit
7 h 30 min

Take this course offline

Download its map in Goat Maps and you can find the next aid station without a signal.

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The half runs the 50K's first 22.8 km. You leave Blairmore, go up Drum Creek to CP2 and over Heartbreak Hill, and finish at TA2/TA3. The organizer calls it a half marathon "(ish)": it climbs about 1,000 m, and the limit is 7.5 hours.

aid stations

kmWhereCutoff
0Blairmore start (Gazebo Park)
11.5CP1a
16.1CP2
22.8TA2/TA3 (Albert Stella Memorial Arena) CrewSat 15:00

Registration and fees

Entry is online only, through Race Roster, and 2027 registration is open. The race holds 250 spots for solo runners and opens any left on January 1 to teams. A relay team needs at least two teammates to register.

Fees for 2027, in Canadian dollars, rise in two steps: after November 29 and after June 17. The solo 100 mile is $310, then $320, then $340; the 50 mile $285 to $325; the 50K $275 to $300; the half $245 to $260. Relay runners pay $240 to $260 each.

Rooms in the Pass go fast. The racer guide says you'll struggle to find a bed after January, and points to Fernie, Sparwood and Pincher Creek if the Pass is full. The race also runs its own campsites near TA2/TA3, booked ahead.

Getting to Crowsnest Pass

Island Lake in Crowsnest Pass, with a wooded islet, below rocky peaks
Christian Wadstein / Unsplash

Crowsnest Pass grew up on coal and timber, and today it's five neighbourhoods in one municipality: Bellevue, Hillcrest, Frank, Blairmore and Coleman. The nearest airport is Lethbridge, about an hour and a half away by car. Calgary has many more flights and is two to two and a half hours away, as is Cranbrook in British Columbia.

Check-in, the pre-race dinner and the racer meeting are on Friday at the Crowsnest Sports Complex in Coleman, which is also the finish. Solo runners hand in drop bags there on Friday, since none are taken on Saturday morning.

Crewing, drop bags and pacers

Crews can drive to every TA and should meet their runner only there: help anywhere else gets you disqualified, and crews are asked to stay away from the CPs. TA2/TA3 and TA4 have paved access. TA1 is the hardest to reach, and the road to TA5/TA6 is bumpy. You don't need a 4x4, though some clearance helps. Parking at the TAs is tight, so the race advises against bringing an RV.

Solos can leave up to four drop bags: at TA1, TA2/TA3, TA4 and TA5/TA6, where one bag serves both visits. The guide singles out TA5/TA6 as remote, coming after one of the hardest stretches, so pack warm clothes there.

There are no pacers. You can run with any registered runner on the same leg, and anyone can join you for the last 300 m of a leg.

Weather and what to carry

A river at dawn in Crowsnest Pass, with dry grass and snowy peaks behind
Christian Wadstein / Unsplash

July at Connelly Creek, the Environment Canada station east of Bellevue at 1,249 m, averages highs near 23°C and lows near 9°C (1981 to 2010 normals), with about 47 mm of rain. The course climbs well above that. The organizer warns of 35°C sun turning to rain and hail, and of snow still lying up high in July. It also says that if you can't finish in 15 hours, you'll be running in the dark.

The race's recommended kit is a headlamp after 8 PM, room for 2 L of fluid, a wind and water resistant jacket, a toque, a sun hat, a whistle and a space blanket, plus bear spray if you know how to use it. Bears, cougars and wolves live here. Aid stations have no disposable cups, so carry a bottle or a cup.

Sinister 7 aid stations and GPS coordinates

For crews and spectators: each place on the map in decimal degrees, latitude first. Paste them into any map app or add them as waypoints in Goat Maps.

  • Blairmore start (Gazebo Park)

    49.60784, -114.43859

  • York Creek staging area (50 mile start)

    1,422 m (4,665 ft)

    49.62225, -114.50294

  • CP1a

    1,376 m (4,514 ft)

    49.56555, -114.38649

  • TA1 (base of Hastings Ridge)

    1,491 m (4,892 ft)

    49.52350, -114.39372

  • CP2

    1,649 m (5,410 ft)

    49.56591, -114.43376

  • TA2/TA3 (Albert Stella Memorial Arena)

    1,294 m (4,245 ft)

    49.60596, -114.44456

  • CP3a/CP4a

    1,469 m (4,820 ft)

    49.60562, -114.50034

  • CP3b

    1,723 m (5,653 ft)

    49.54095, -114.50359

  • CP3c

    1,444 m (4,738 ft)

    49.56930, -114.45594

  • CP4b

    1,384 m (4,541 ft)

    49.62877, -114.54150

  • TA4

    49.62944, -114.61828

  • CP5a

    1,450 m (4,757 ft)

    49.65537, -114.61103

  • CP5b/CP6c

    1,691 m (5,548 ft)

    49.69390, -114.60085

  • TA5/TA6 (McGillivray staging area)

    1,518 m (4,980 ft)

    49.65586, -114.53627

  • CP6a

    1,809 m (5,935 ft)

    49.72332, -114.54086

  • CP6b

    1,832 m (6,010 ft)

    49.74184, -114.61093

  • CP7

    1,553 m (5,095 ft)

    49.66660, -114.51000

  • Crowsnest Sports Complex, Coleman (finish)

    1,361 m (4,465 ft)

    49.63621, -114.48536

Sinister 7 FAQ

When is Sinister 7 2027?

Saturday and Sunday, July 10 and 11, 2027. The 100 mile starts at 7 AM Saturday in Blairmore and closes at 1 PM Sunday in Coleman.

How does the Sinister 7 relay work?

A team of two to seven runs the 100 mile course, each runner taking one or more of the seven legs. You hand off at the TAs, and the next runner should be waiting, since the team's clock keeps running. The leg cutoffs apply to teams as well; a team that misses one can be given a forced start and run on unranked.

Can you have a pacer at Sinister 7?

No. You can run with other registered runners on your leg, and anyone can join you in the last 300 m of a leg, but outside pacers aren't allowed.

Is Sinister 7 a Western States qualifier?

No. It isn't on Western States' qualifying race list for the 2027 or the 2028 lottery.

Is there cell service on the Sinister 7 course?

Don't count on it. The racer guide tells crews not to plan on coverage at the more remote TAs, and race staff use radios. Download the course map so your phone's GPS can place you without a signal.

How hard is Sinister 7?

Hard, by the organizer's own account: 6,692 m of climbing on the 100 mile, creek crossings, deadfall, wet roots, and heat by day that can turn to cold at night. They rate Leg 6, over Seven Sisters, the hardest and Leg 7 the easiest.

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Updated . An unofficial guide, from the organizer's published information. Coordinates from the organizer's course and OpenStreetMap contributors. Photos from Unsplash. Organize a race? We help with course files.