Brave the lake in winter

The Express is the ideal introduction to the CRYO Races. In this event, athletes face the challenge of running in winter, in the dark, on the magnificent Lac St-Jean. Under a starlit sky, hearing only the sound of their footsteps in the snow, participants will enjoy a truly exotic experience.

The Express will start at the Village sur glace in Roberval and finish at Chalets et Spa Lac Saint-Jean in Chambord under the cover of darkness. Athletes will use the same groomed and marked track as Traversées athletes.

Participants have a maximum of 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete the Express. No selection criteria are required. However, running on a frozen lake in the middle of winter and at dusk represents a major challenge that really shouldn’t be overlooked, and is nothing like a trail or road race in terms of the effort required and the mental strength required. Weather conditions can deteriorate rapidly in the early evening, providing an extra challenge for athletes.

Each participant is commited to raising $500 in donations for the On the Tip of the Toes Foundation, which changes the lives of young cancer patients by offering them the chance to take part in a therapeutic adventure expedition. Please note that fundraising is mandatory. Only participants who have completed 100% of their fundraising will be able to set off on February 22.

Are you ready to brave the night, the cold, the lake?

LOGISTICS

SUMMARY SCHEDULE

4:30 p.m. Shuttle bus departure (please note that shuttle buses are mandatory)..

5:15 p.m. Departure of the Express.

MANDATORY EQUIPMENT

IMPORTANT: THE LIST OF MANDATORY EQUIPMENT IS THE SAME FOR ATHLETES ON THE STARLIT, THE 20 KM OR THE EXPRESS. AS WEATHER CONDITIONS ON LAC ST-JEAN CAN CHANGE RAPIDLY, THIS EQUIPMENT COULD COME IN HANDY AT ANY TIME!

For the start of your event, we strongly recommend that you wear multi-layered clothing that allows you to easily add or remove layers as needed, depending on weather conditions. To increase your visibility to the CRYO race team once you’re on the lake, we recommend that you wear colorful clothing if possible.

In addition to the clothing you’ll be wearing at the start of your race, here’s a list of mandatory equipment to carry with you throughout your race.

Running shoes suitable for cold weather (trail or winter shoes) No road or street running shoes will be accepted.
Lined insulating coat (ideally synthetic).

👍🏼The Thorium hoody jacket

👍🏼The Cerium hoody

👎🏼 Atom hoody alone (as it does not provide sufficient protection)

IN YOUR RACE BAG, WHICH YOU’LL NEED TO CARRY WITH YOU THROUGHOUT THE EVENT, YOU’LL NEED THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL ITEMS OF CLOTHING:

• • Second lined insulating coat that you won’t be wearing in the first place. This coat can be made of down since you shouldn’t wear it when doing physical activity;
  • Shell jacket, if not already worn (a simple windproof coat is not enough);
  • Spare gloves or mittens;
  • Spare neck warmer or tubular scarf;
  • Spare tuque;
  • Spare socks;
  • Long running pants, which the organizers may require you to wear depending on weather conditions;
• Cell phone with fully charged battery (plan to keep it as warm as possible with hand warmers);
• Survival blanket;
• Foot and hand warmers;
• Eye protection, ski goggles as this is the only option that doesn’t fog up;
• Whistle;
• Reflective strips on your clothing;
• Race rucksack that can hold all your extra gear and allow you to add clothes that you can remove as needed;
• Necessary medication (asthma, EpiPen, etc.);
• Health insurance card;
• Reusable glass (to reduce waste, no glass is available at refueling stations. You are responsible for bringing your own bottles, glasses or any other container of your choice);
• Headlamp with at least 100 lumens maximum charge (bring spare batteries or a second lamp);
• 2 lights (bike light style) set to flashing mode (one on the bag + one on the front).

SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT

• Gaiters ;
• Insulated liquid container ;
• Snowshoes (depending on trail conditions) – (It is possible to leave a pair of snowshoes in the drop bag for Traversée athletes);
• Crampons (depending on trail conditions);
• Energy supplements.