Hurt’n Bear

The Race

The Hurt’n Bear Trail Race showcases some of the amazing routes that make up the extensive trail system at the Pidherny Recreation Site – a 620-hectare recreational gem nestled within city limits above North Nechako Drive.

The area is managed by the Prince George Cycling Club, through an agreement with Recreation Sites and Trails BC. The Road Runners are grateful to PGCC’s Mountain Bike Association for allowing us to host the Hurt’n Bear at Pidherny.

Our goal is to highlight the trails unique to the eskers and glacial kettles that have shaped this beautiful spot along the Nechako River.

For decades, this growing network of trails has been a labour of love for a few dedicated souls and has opened the area to mountain biking, walking, hiking, running, snowshoeing, and skiing.

The Hurt’n Bear’s Hagen Half is meant, in small part, to say thank you to two of those individuals – Dr. Barry and Thelma Hagen.  The Hagens are the literal ‘trailblazers’ behind some of the most beloved single track trails in Prince George.  From the alphabet trails at Otway (AC/DC thru to Mocha) to Easy Street, Park Avenue, Shady Lane, and the Tool Circuit (Chainsaw, Pulaski, and Screefer) at Pidherny, the Hagens have quietly dedicated countless hours to enriching the fabric of this community.  It’s a legacy that’s taken close to 30 years to painstakingly plot and carve; and one PGRR hopes to shine a light on by taking runners on some of the Hagens’ Pidherny routes.

Route Description

The Hurt’n Bear features 5km and 10km distances and the 2023 routes are very close to those exact distances, but remember it’s trails and your watch may show a slight variation in the distance.  Trailforks is measuring the 2023 Hagen Half marathon route at 21.3km.  The start and finish lines will be set up 30m into the rec site from the Upper Pidherny parking lot off Foothills Boulevard.

***2023 IMPORTANT NOTES*** 

• The 2023 race routes have been changed due to the closure of the Ridge Trail from May 15 to July 31 for major improvements.
• There is NO Race Day registration, online registration closes on Tuesday, May 23 at 6pm

Route Details

The 5km out-and-back
Racers head into the trails on the New Access Trail/Upper Papa Wood. At the 2km mark, it’s a big climb for approximately 250m to the top of New Access/Upper Papa Woods. The halfway point (and Aid Station) is 250m along the Ridge Trail, where racers will turnaround and come back out to the finish line along the same route.

The 10km loop
2023 route map can be viewed by clicking on map below.

Route Details: Racers head into the trails on the New Access Trail/Upper Papa Wood. At the 2km mark, it’s a big climb for approximately 250m to the top of New Access/Upper Papa Woods. The 10km route continues on Ridge Trail for 448m before turning onto Northern Lights. You will stay on Northern Lights for 2km, coming out onto the Pidherny Forest Service Road. Racers remain on the Pidherny FSR for 1km, before turning onto Bush Chicken. From there it’s an 812m stretch through Skid Row junction to Carcass – you’ll climb up Carcass to the Ridge Trail for the return trip out along New Access Trail/Upper Papa Wood. Enjoy!

The Hagen Half – 21.3km
2023 route map can be viewed by clicking on map below 

Route Details: Racers head into the trails on the New Access Trail/Upper Papa Wood. At the 2km mark, it’s a big climb for approximately 250m to the top of New Access/Upper Papa Woods. Hagen Half racers continue on Ridge Trail for 448m before turning onto Northern Lights. You will stay on Northern Lights for 2km, coming out onto the Pidherny Forest Service Road. In under 200m on the Pidherny FSR, you’ll be directed to turn right onto Sally Housecoat and through Lazy Susan to Pidherny FSR 2. Turn right onto FSR 2 for 325m, turn left onto the Ridge Trail/Lookout Access for a 600m run before heading down Ridge XC for a 400m downhill stretch. ***Watch for trail markers at the bottom of the hill*** It’s a sharp, left-hand turn onto Sidewinder. At the end of Sidewinder, racers cross Pidherny FSR and head back into the trails via Flowjob, turning right onto Skid row junction to Carcass – you’ll climb Carcass to Ridge Trail and head back down New Access/Upper Papa Wood until you reach Valve Job, where a course marshall will direct you to the lower loop. This is a cut-off point. Racers must reach Valve Job by 11:00am to continue down to the lower loop. Racers head down Valve Job to Pidherny FSR 6. Turn left onto the FSR for approximately 135m before turning left into Toolbox junction. Once there, course marshalls will direct you onto the lower loop that includes some of the trails built by the Hagens. The loop consists of  a newly modified Screefer, Back Door, McLeod and Pulaski

2022 Route: Runners will head out for 2.5km on the Ridge Trail, where they will be directed onto Northern Lights, down Sally Housecoat and through Lazy Susan.  Participants will exit Lazy Susan via the Kitchen Sink connector to Pidherny Forest Service Road 2, where they will turn southwest (right) for 325m before turning left onto Ridge Trail/Lookout Access, for a 600m run before heading down Ridge XC for a 400m stretch before heading back up Sidewinder to cross Pidherny FSR and head back into the trails via Flowjob, for the climb up Honeyshuttle.  Once at the top of Honeyshuttle, Hagen Halfers will run back to the Zen Bridge where they will head down New Access Trail/Upper Papa Woods to Valve Job and the start of the lower loop.  Racers will take Valve Job down to run a lower loop that includes some of the trails built by the Hagens.  The 6km loop consists of a newly modified Screefer, Back Door, McLeod and Pulaski, before you’ll make the return run up Valve Job to the finish line. WAY TO RUN!

Aid Stations:

• ONE – 2.5km – this is the 5km turnaround point
• TWO – 5km – at the end of Northern Lights (for 10km and Hagen Halfers)
• THREE – both the 10km racers and Hagen Halfers will pass by the first aid station
• FOUR – 12km – entrance to Toolbox Junction
• FIVE – 18km – you will pass by aid station four on your way back up-and-out to the finish line!

‘Bear’ Essentials for Race Day

• the Hurt’n Bear Trail Race is a BC Athletics-sanctioned event, but will be manually timed by race officials
• It is recommended that runners participating in the Hagen Half marathon carry cell phones.  All race participants must sign in and out at the registration table
• this is a trail race in a wilderness setting – while bear spray is not mandatory, it is recommended
• runners participating in the Hagen Half marathon must reach the trailhead for the lower loop (approx 11km) by 11:00am (2hrs).  (Any participant arriving after this time will not be allowed to complete the lower loop and must head out to the finish line – this time limit is in consideration of our volunteers and allows us to honour our User agreement with the Prince George Mountain Bike Association)
• First Aid provided by members of the Canadian Ski Patrol
• the race routes will be well marked with flagging stakes and tape, meaning that if you haven’t seen a flagging stake in 200-metres or so, it’s time to backtrack!
• this is a public recreation area that will not be closed to others during the race, please be courteous to other trail users
• parking in the upper lot is limited.  
• PGRR reserves the right to alter the race or route in the event of poor trail or weather conditions – thanks for your understanding!
• for more information, or to volunteer, please contact Race Directors Michelle Cyr-Whiting,  Jules Ubdegrove and Denise Blanchette.

Important PGRR Information

• PGRR members participate for free, but still need to register online to receive a bib number
• Non-members can sign up online by clicking here
•  a portion of the race proceeds will be going to the Prince George Mountain Bike Association to support trail maintenance efforts at the Pidherny Recreation Site
• all PGRR races include a free Kids Race
• Please leave your dog and headphones at home due to liability and safety issues

Route Maps

Click on maps for Trailforks routes 

5km Route                                           10km Route                                            Hagen Half 

Elevation maps

The seeds for the Hurt’n Bear Trail Race were planted in the summer of 2017 when a group of friends started running at Pidherny, marvelling at the beauty, and talking about ways to respectfully ‘share’ our find with others.  We hope you enjoy this race!

Heartfelt thanks to our Title Sponsor, IRL Supplies Ltd. – Rob, Martha and the IRL team – for their generous support and ongoing support. IRL helped to make the Hurt’n Bear a reality!