A trail runner on a grassy ridge above a sea of clouds

Black Spur Ultra

It offers a UTMB-qualifying 108k, a 54k and a 21k, all based at Kimberley Alpine Resort.

Prepare for Black Spur Ultra

A plan built from your answers and your race date.

trail training plan

The event is based at Kimberley Alpine Resort in southeastern British Columbia, between the Purcell range and the Rockies. Courses use the resort's trails and the forested slopes above it, with long steady climbs and fast descents. In late August the valley stays warm through the day while nights up high turn cold.

Three distances are on offer: a 108k with 4,460 m of climbing, run solo or as a relay, a 54k with 2,230 m, and a 21k. The solo 108k is a UTMB qualifying race. The field is capped at 500 runners, and the event shares its race organization with Sinister 7 and the Canadian Death Race.

The formats

3 formats on the program.

Format	Distance	Vertical gain
108k (solo ou relais)	67 mi	4,460 m
54k	34 mi	2,230 m
21k	13 mi	—

Organizer information, checked on September 21, 2026 · sinistersports.ca

When to start

A build for this distance usually runs 12 to 24 weeks. Counted back from race day, that puts the start somewhere between March 8, 2027 and May 31, 2027.

These ranges are working conventions, not a research finding — no trial has compared plan lengths against each other. What matters more is that the plan was built for the weeks you actually have, rather than shrunk down from a longer one.

How to choose your start date

When to start

March 8, 2027

→ May 31, 2027

Worth reading before you enter

Races and distances Trail distances: what changes off the road Distance stops being the useful number. What decides a trail race is how long you are out, how much you climb, and how much the descents have wrecked your legs by the end. Read Training Eating and drinking: what’s proven, what isn’t This is where confident advice most often runs ahead of the evidence. Some of it is well tested. Some is opinion wearing a number. And one common habit can kill you. Read Races and distances When to start preparing your race Most plans fail before the first session, because the block started too late and everything had to be squeezed. Counting back from the date is the dullest and most useful thing you will do. Read

Questions

What is the date of Black Spur Ultra in 2027?

Black Spur Ultra is run on Saturday, August 28, 2027 in Kimberley. Date published by the organizer, checked on September 21, 2026.

Is the Black Spur Ultra a UTMB qualifier?

Yes, the solo 108k is listed as a UTMB qualifying race. The 54k, the 21k and the relay version of the 108k do not carry that qualifying status, so choose the solo long course accordingly.

How hard is the Black Spur Ultra course?

The 108k covers 4,460 m of climbing and suits experienced mountain ultrarunners. The 54k, with 2,230 m, fits a regular trail runner used to long days out. The 21k is the entry-level option.

Other races

This list keeps growing; it draws no line. A race that is missing is prepared for in exactly the same way.

Whistler · CanadaUltra Ultra Trail Whistler by UTMB Jun 25 It is the first UTMB World Series event staged in Canada, replacing the former Whistler Alpine Meadows. Crowsnest Pass · CanadaUltra Sinister 7 Ultra Jul 10 Its headline 100 mile course can be run solo or split across a relay team of up to seven runners. Grande Cache · CanadaUltra Canadian Death Race Jul 31 Its flagship course covers 118 km with 5,181 m of climbing, run solo or as a relay. Your race is not here? Tell us about your race You can prepare for it all the same. Any race, anywhere, and even a goal without a race.

Your race is on the calendar. Your plan should be too.

Build my plan

Secure payment with Stripe. Then allow about 30 minutes for your profile, in several sittings if you like.