There are three categories for the Capilano Canyon Night Run: Short (about 13K with a slow, guided group), Long (close to 16K) and Crew.
The Crew category is for friends and family, so they are not excluded. Please be aware that the party starts late, so probably is not the right venue for your little ones. There will be no babysitting and the host's children are hopefully in bed. Both runs are loop courses that start and finish at the same place and have been designed to take approximately 90 minutes to complete. The long route is technically challenging, even during the day. The short route offers less technical trails and is perfectly suited to the first time night runner. If you opt for the group run, please stay with the group.
We really don't want you to get lost. Please make sure you print out the appropriate course description and bring it and a plastic baggie to protect it with you on the evening of the night run. Better yet, train on the course during the day and bring the directions! We're quite confident that the instructions are correct, but if you do find an error, point it out to us and we'll buy you a beer!
Please print out the course description (scroll down for printer friendly version) and bring it in a plastic baggie to the start. If you get lost, bail out or need assistance you can call Ean at 604-904-6554. Here is a map (please note that the map is from the Midsummer Nightrun, where we start on Fairmaont Road - the winter route starts from the Griffin Gym and does not go up/down Fairmont Road)
| Time | Group Run - Route Description | km |
| ~6:00 | meet at the soccer field behind Griffin Recreation Center – 851 West Queens Road, North Vancouver | |
| to 6:20 | registration | |
| 6:25 | photo | |
| 6:30 | Reference Point (RP) #0. Start/Finish – 3 metal posts at north entrance to soccer field | 0 |
| This first fairly flat section is a mix of trail and sidewalk that gets you to Capilano Canyon via the direct route. | ||
| - go right and up to Queens Avenue. Cross carefully and continue up Del Rio Street to the end. Take the gravel trail directly in front of you. At the first major trail, go left and uphill to the street (Forest Hills Road.) | 0.6 | |
| - go straight on Forest Hills Road 4 blocks to trail where street ends. Take trail about 10m then go right and down to pavement. Continue straight along street to first corner and turn right (Emerald Drive) | 01.4 | |
| - follow Emerald Drive uphill to little footbridge over creek. Cross street (Sunset) and continue on trail immediately opposite. Follow middle fork and contour Eldon Park on the trail. (Don’t go up stairs or down to park.) | ||
| - at trail end, go right. Pass a big rock in the middle of the trail and go right Pass Cleveland school on your left. Cross Capilano Road at the lights and continue about 100m straight to trail head (TransCanada Trail) onto Ruby Avenue. | 02.3 | |
| This section in Capilano Canyon has a little something for everyone: Paved roads, gravel roads, wide trails and narrow, rooty, muddy ones. The sound of rushing water is your constant companion. | ||
| - take rocky trail downhill to Capilano Park Road. Turn right and take gravel sidewalk on LHS facing traffic | 03.1 | |
| - at notice board opposite fish hatchery, turn left onto trial. After about 50m, gp right onto footbridge and cross river. | 04.1 | |
| - on far shore of river, go right. After about 200m, go left and take the wide gravel trail steeply uphill. When it flattens out, go right onto Giant Fir trail, then first left. Say “Hi” to 350 year old Grandpa Capilano behind the split rail fence. Watch for owls! Climb a steep set of stairs, then go right onto wide trail. | ||
| - continue uphill about 50m then go left and go through bike gate onto Capilano Pacific Trail. | 04.5 | |
| - stay on Capilano Pacific Trail with the river over your left shoulder for about 4 km. Watch for roots and steep drop offs to the left. At the 2 rustic log benches, continue straight. You will cross several small bridges and eventually reach a wooden bike gate. Go left and slightly downhill onto a smooth, wide trail. | 06.4 | |
| - the trail will eventually turn to pavement (Keith Road) and go under the Upper Levels Highway. After about 700m (at intersection of Keith and 3rdleft. Avenue) continue on Capilano Pacific Trail to your | 8.4 | |
| - where trail hits the river, turn left. Follow the riverbank trail about 50m then take stairs up to bridge. Cross bridge on sidewalk (RHS). At far bank, cross road and take tiny trail at the edge of the bridge onto riverbank trail heading up river. | ||
| 7:30 | RP #1. Aid Station Adams. If you are in luck, there may be some friendly folks and your special needs drop bags here. | 09.0 |
| This final section is net uphill on wide trails and a few street sections. Be sure to take care when crossing streets | ||
| - just after the last house, go right uphill onto a small trail through a piney woods. At the clearing, stay on grassy trail. You will reach Capilano Road. Bowser Trail is opposite and about 10m to the right of where you stand. CROSS CAREFULLY! | ||
| - you will now contour the bottom of the cliff on Bowser Trail for about 750m to Pemberton Street. Pass a playground and a few dead-end streets. At Pemberton (note C-Lovers Sea Food restaurant) go right one block then left on Marine Drive at the Shell station. | 10.3 | |
| - Take sidewalk 4 blocks to the Rogers Video at Hamilton Avenue then go left and up one street. Go right onto 16th Cross Fell Avenue and enter Mosquito Creek Park. Go left at the river then stay straight on the wide trail with Mosquito Creek over your right shoulder Street to where it ends. | 11.5 | |
| - Hopefully, you will meet up with the competitive runners along this section. Go under the Upper Levels Highway. At the junction with the paved trail, go straight and follow the Trans Canada Trail sign. When you reach the skateboard park, go right | ||
| - cross the drive when it is safe to do so. | ||
| 8:00 | RP #0. Finish! The 3 posts at the soccer field. | 13.2 |
| Freshen-up at the Harry Jerome Recreation Center at Lonsdale and 23rd Avenue. Pool. Hot tub. Sauna | ||
| to ? | Potluck party at 3515 Fairmont Road. |
Please print out the course description (scroll down for printer friendly version) and bring it in a plastic baggie to the start. If you get lost, bail out or need assistance you can call Ean at 604-904-6554. Here is a map (please note that map is from the Midsummer Night run. During the winter run we do not go north beyond Queens)
|
time |
Capilano Night Run - Mardi Gras - Long Course Description |
km |
|
~6:00 |
meet at the soccer field behind Griffin Recreation Center – 851 West Queens Road, North Vancouver |
|
|
to 6:20 |
registration |
|
|
6:25 |
photo |
|
|
6:30 |
Reference Point (RP) #0. Start/Finish – 3 metal posts at north entrance to soccer field |
00.0 |
|
|
This first section gets you to Capilano Canyon via the scenic route |
|
|
|
- cross the driveway, then follow fence on left around river. Suffer through the sneers as you cut through the skateboard park. On the far side of the skateboard park, go uphill and left on trail that cuts along side of ravine |
|
|
|
- where trail meets the street (Colwood Drive), go right to next intersection (Thorncliffe Drive) then left a few blocks to where street ends at Dudley Place Park. Go right onto Newmarket Drive then almost immediately left onto Crescentview Drive. About 50m after the bend in Crescentview, find entrance to Murdo Fraser Park on your left. (If you reach Highland Blvd, you’ve gone 25m too far!) |
01.1 |
|
|
- descend concrete stairway. At bottom of stairs, go right at first trail and over little bridge. Pass duck pond and cool log cabin. Stay right and up Mackay Creek. After crossing bridge, go straight then follow path right and uphill thru tennis courts. |
|
|
|
RP #1. There’s a fountain on your RHS near the last tennis court. Assume it doesn't work. |
01.5 |
|
|
- go right onto Elizabeth Way. Pass playground. Go right at first street (Paisley Road) up short hill and keep straight toward ‘no exit’ sign at intersection (St. Annes Drive.) |
|
|
|
- Street curves left and ends at trail. At clearing, cross Ridgewood Street carefully and head left for intersection with Capilano Road. Cross at the stoplight and go right and uphill on the sidewalk on the west side of Capilano Road. |
02.3 |
|
|
- pass Capilano Suspension Bridge. Cimb hill. Pass entrance to Capilano River Park. Climb hill. At stoplights at top of hill, go left onto Eldon Road toward the canyon |
03.2 |
|
|
- Take path marked with a Trans-Canada Trail sign on left at bend in street. You will drop down to a road crossing. Immediately opposite is a yellow gate. At gate, go left onto marked with a Trans-Canada Trail sign. (Chinook Trail.) |
|
|
|
This section through the Capilano Canyon is mostly on narrow, rooty trails. |
|
|
6:45 |
- Follow Chinook/Trans-Canada Trail markings. Begin a gnarly bit of steep climbs and descents in the deep woods with the river always to your left. After about 100m on a fairly wide path, you'll go down toward the river. Take the steps back up the side of the canyon. (Don't go left and down to the river.) |
|
|
|
- after a nasty descent through rocks and roots, you will pass thru a bike gate and come to a large intersection (Pipeline Trail). Go straight (Coho Loop Trail). |
04.5 |
|
|
- with the river to your left, pass the Cable Pool lookout, a bridge and a picnic shelter then come to a paved traffic circle in front of the fish hatchery. Cross the paved road below the traffic island and rejoin trail immediately opposite. (Small bridge over creek that ends in concrete culvert.) Take the trail about 15m, then turn left and head uphill |
05.1 |
|
|
- this steep bit takes you out of the canyon to a fountain at Cleveland Dam. Hug an old Doug Fir as you gasp for breath. At the dirt road, continue straight (to parking lot) and up a long set of stairs. At the top of the stairs, turn left. |
|
|
7:00 |
RP #2 – Cleveland Dam washrooms and water fountains. Assume the washrooms will be closed and no water in the fountain. |
05.9 |
|
|
- cross the dam and take the dirt road downhill to your left. You will now be descending the canyon with the river to your left. At the second intersection after about 100m, stay on the dirt road leading downhill and away from the dam. In about 200m, you will come to Trans Canada Trail / Giant Fir Trail to your left. Take steep stairs down. |
06.8 |
| - Say "Hi" to the Grandpa Capilano. Go right and down a 10m of rooty singletrack, then right again onto a wide, very straight gravel trail. Veer left at first intersection and take trail entrance to your right marked Upper Shinglebolt Trail. | ||
| - at the clearing with 2 rustic seats, stay left. Follow Capilano Pacific trail along canyon wall, over little bridges and over roots about 1500m until you cross a little bridge and drop onto a large gravel trail | ||
| - go left and downhill. The trail will eventually turn to pavement (Keith Road) and go under the Upper Levels Highway. After about 700m (at intersection of Keith and 3rd Street) take the trail with a bike gate to your left. | ||
| - where trail hits the Capilano River, turn left. Follow the riverbank trail about 100m then turn left immediately before bridge. Cross bridge on sidewalk (RHS). On far side of river, cross road and take tiny trail at the edge of the bridge onto riverbank trail heading up river. | ||
| - Aid Station Adams. If you are lucky, there may be an aid station here. | ||
| - just after the last house, turn right on a small gravel trail through a piney woods. At the clearing, stay left. You will reach Capilano Road. Bowser Trail is opposite where you stand, but please go left about 20m to the crosswalk and cross there. Cars are fast and they are not expecting you! CROSS CAREFULLY. | ||
| This final section is net uphill. Expect to get your shoes muddy if they’re not already. Be sure to take care when crossing streets | ||
| 7:30 | - you will now take Bowser Trail for about 750m as it contours the bottom of the cliff to Pemberton Street. Pass a few dead-end streets and a playground. | |
| - the trail ends at Pemberton Street. There is a monster staircase to your left. Go up about 6 steps then step off the staircase and onto the steep rabbit trail through the blackberry bushes that leads up the side of the cliff. | ||
| - when you reach the top, turn right onto the paved street (17th Avenue) and go to the end. Turn left on Mackay Street and go one block up the hill to the trail entrance at the white fence on your right opposite Keith Road. Take the trail downhill, then go left onto the nice trail on the side of the canyon. | ||
| - stay on the west side of Mackay Creek for about 750m until you reach a t-intersection. Go right and downhill and cross a concrete bridge. Pray the batteries in your flashlight and cell are still good | ||
| - on the far side of the concrete bridge, take the path to your right and head back down the canyon. Go about 75m along the side of the canyon, cross a little bridge with broken chunks of concrete then go left and climb out of the canyon. At the top, go to the left of the soccer field washrooms and take the street (21st Avenue) directly in front of you uphill to the end | ||
| - Carefully cross Fell Avenue and regain the trail about 10m to your right then drop downhill to Mosquito Creek. Stay left at the confusing intersection at the bottom. There should be fences on either side of the trail. | ||
| - you will now follow the left bank of Mosquito Creek to the finish. Hopefully, you will meet up with other runners along this section. Go under the Upper Levels Highway. At the junction with the paved trail, go straight and follow the Trans Canada Trail sign. When you reach the skateboard park, go right around the fence and focus on the finish line! | ||
| 8:00 | RP #0. Finish! The 3 posts at the soccer field. | |
| Freshen-up at the Harry Jerome Recreation Center at Lonsdale and 23rd Avenue. Pool. Hot tub. Sauna | ||
| to ? | Potluck party at 3515 Fairmont Road. |