Blue Spruce

Distance
When
Where
Cost
Contact
5km, 10km
Sunday, September 29, 2024
Forests for the World
PGRR members free!
Race Director
Trail Race
9am, Kids Race 8:45am
FFTW parking lot, Kueng Rd
$15 5km, $20 10km

The Race

Blue Spruce is a beautiful trail race that highlights some of the paths in the Greenway and Forests for the World Trail systems.  The inaugural race in 2013 marked the Prince George Road Runners’ first foray into hosting a trail event!

PGRR’s July event features both 5km and 10km distances and begins in the parking lot of Forests for the World, at the end of Kueng Road, atop Cranbrook Hill. 

This race takes runner past Shane Lake and onto the Blue Spruce trail – 5km participants will just get a ‘taste’ of that amazing trail before turning around to loop on the far side of Shane Lake and back to the parking lot. 

The 10km participants go out 2.5km on the Blue Spruce Connector to the gate at the open meadow, before turning to come back.

Route Description

5km

Both distances begin at the gate on the eastside of the parking lot, leaving on a wide trail that is known as the Eastern Boundary Loop.  Runners will turn right onto the water tower trail just before reaching 0.5km, for approximately 300 metres before turning left onto the Reflection Lake loop trail (Shane Lake).  When the trail separates into a Y, runners take the left trail to Shane Lake and keeping left, run parallel to the lake.  The trail will climb for a short distance before runners encounter a short, steep downhill section.  At the bottom of the hill, stay left on the Greenway Forest for the World Access trail.  It will curve right and over a wooden foot bridge before you head up the trail and turn right onto the Greenway UNBC Access Trail.

All runners will stay left at the Blue Spruce/Greenway ‘Y’, but 5km participants will find their turnaround point just a short distance down the Blue Spruce trail.  Then, they’ll retrace their footsteps back to the base of the hill on the Greenway Forest for the World Access trail, where they will connect with the Reflection Lake loop trail for a run around the west side of Shane Lake.  As runners round the northern edge of the lake and begin heading east, the trail splits at an interpretive information sign, turn left there and begin the final stretch back to the finish line at the parking lot.

10km participants will continue down the Blue Spruce Connector for approximately 2.5km to the turnaround point, which is a gate at an open meadow.  Participants will run back past the ‘Y’, over the foot bridge, and onto the Greenway Forest for the World trail for the final push around the west side of Shane Lake on the Reflection Lake Loop trail, as detailed above.

 Route Difficulty  Route Length  Elevation Gain  Surface
 Easy to Intermediate  5km or 10km  5km 110m ascent, 112m descent  gravel/dirt

Important Blue Spruce Information

  • PGRR will not be providing hydration/nutrition stations for the 2022 season, so remember to bring what you need
  • To volunteer or for more information, contact Race Director Dale Huzar

Important Race Information

  • PGRR members participate for free, but still need to register online or at the event to receive a bib number
  • Non-members can sign up online by clicking here, or can pay $15 for the 5km and $20 for the 10km on the day of the event
  • The entry fee is non-refundable and non-transferable between participants
  • You can pre-fill this event waiver form at home and bring it with you
  • All PGRR races include a free Kids Race
  • Please leave your dog and headphones at home due to liability and safety issues

Route Map 

5km route, click on photo for larger map

    

 10km route, click on photo for larger map

 

5km elevation map

10km elevation map