Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need any qualifications for any of the races?

No.

What's the time limit?

50km = 36 hours

100km = 36 hours

160km = 36 hours (if you’re not at the 100k mark in 22 hours (4am Sunday), you are not allowed to proceed)

Easy peasy! 🙂

Can I have a pacer?

Yes. Only the 160km runners will have a pacer option. Pacers can be picked up at the farm for the last 60km section and/or at the 130k mark for the last 30k. Yes, you can have pacer “A” from KM100 to KM130 and pacer “B” from KM130 to KM160.

Note: “muling” is prohibited. This means that your pacer cannot carry any gear for you and your pacer can not give you any of their gear to use. Period.

Is there any mandatory gear requirements?

No, but…it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED (not mandatory) that all runners, in every distance/event, have the following items with them at all times:

bottles/flasks/reservoirs that can hold up to 1L of fluids
a waterproof jacket. This is a jacket with taped seams, or a full on heavy duty old school rain jacket will also fit the bill. A poncho is not a jacket. A garbage bag is not a jacket. It must be a jacket.
a basic 1st Aid kit (2 metres of duct tape, a tensor bandage, band-aids, emergency blanket)
food and drink
whistle
a charged cell phone
headlamp(s) and spare batteries for 100km, 160km and RELAY runners. (Note: headlamps will be required from Cape d’Or (farm-bound) or the farm itself)
gloves
toque/buff
sunscreen
course map
lighter/matches
knife

OFFICIALLY PROHIBITED:

any music playing device that requires earbuds
music/podcasts/etc being played on a speakerphone is also not allowed
dogs and/or other pets on the course

Pacers…

Only the 160km runners will have a pacer option. Pacers can be picked up at the farm for the last 60km section and/or at the 130k mark for the last 30k. Yes, you can have pacer “A” from KM100 to KM130 and pacer “B” from KM130 to KM160.

Note: “muling” is prohibited. This means that your pacer cannot carry any gear for you and you can not borrow any gear from your pacer. Period.

Is there a drop bag service?

Yes. We’ll have 4 drop bag locations: at ~20k/30k/70k/80k (ADDA Campground & Reid’s), the Farm (100k) and at 130k (turn around point for the 160k runners). See the “ABOUT” section for more details.

Note that for the 50k runners, your drop bag is at KM 20 and KM 30 (same place).

Note that for the 100k and 160k runners, your drop bags can be at KM 20 (ADDA), 30 (Reid’s), 70 (Reid’s), 80 (ADDA), 100 (Farm), and 130 (Basiley’s).

*Drop bags need to be at the farm Friday evening. If they’re not, you’re out of luck.

Addresses/Locations for Key Places at the Capes 100

“The Farm” (start/finish): 5227 Highway 209, Spencers Island, NS, Canada

Advocate District School (Friday night meal 5pm-7pm and mandatory meeting at 7pm): 3521 Highway 209, Advocate Harbour, NS B0M 1A0

ADDA Campground (KM 20/30 for 50k runners and KM 20/80 for the 100/160k runners): 95 Mills Rd, Advocate Harbour, NS B1N 4K1

Cape D’Or parking lot (KM 36 for 50k runners and KM 86 for 100/160k runners): 1 Cape Dor Rd, Advocate Harbour, NS B0M 1A0

“Baisley’s” (KM 130): 5971 Highway 209, Fraserville, NS

Refund Policy

Please read “The Fine Print” under the registration tab.

How long can I camp out for at the farm?

Free camping is available Friday, Saturday and Sunday night.

What's the pre-race meal?

Friday night (5pm to 7pm) we’ll be offering up amazing food from the Wild Caraway restaurant! Meat and veggie lasagne, salads, and sweet treats. This will all take place at the Advocate District School in Advocate Harbour.

Address: 3521 NS-209, Advocate Harbour, NS B0M 1A0

The mandatory meeting will start at 7pm at the school as well.

What is the course like?

You will be treated to spectacular scenery all over this course!! Stunning beaches, the highest cliffs on mainland NS, the world’s highest tides, well maintained and fun trails, brooks, rivers, fields and more!

The bulk of the course is made up of really well maintained ATV/snowmobile trails. On the longer courses (not the 50k), you’ll be treated to 22+kms of beautiful singletrack in Cape Chignecto Provincial Park…with a few steep hills along the way (the steepest on the whole course).

The 100 milers will have to contend with their longest climbs and descents in the last 60k, which is on a section that only the 100 milers will do.

Can my crew access any aid stations and where do the relay teams tag their runners?

50k crews can access 3 of 4 aid stations. (ADDA Campground (~20 & 30k), & Cape d’Or (~36k).

100k crews can access 3 of the 7 aid stations. (ADDA Campground (~20 & 80k), and Cape d’Or (~86k).

160k crews can access 5 of the 13 aid stations. (ADDA Campground (~20 & 80k), Cape d’Or (~86k), the Farm (~100k), and Baisley’s (~130k turn around).

Crew access anywhere else on the course is prohibited and will result in the runner getting a DQ.

Relay teams will tag their runner in West Advocate at the public beach access (end of leg 1), then West Advocate again (same location as end of leg 1), the farm/start/finish (end of leg 3) and Baisly’s aid station at the end of leg 4!

Swag expectations/drop outs

If you have dropped out at any point before the end of June (when the hoodies and hats were ordered), your order was cancelled. This means that it doesn’t exist, so please don’t show up out of the blue and expect to pick up your swag.

If you dropped out after the hoodies and hats were ordered, your order went to the wait lister that took your spot, so please don’t show up out of the blue and expect to pick up your swag.

If you dropped out of the race, but will be there race weekend to volunteer, your hoodie order was cancelled, but you’ll still get a t-shirt and a hat!

We won’t be mailing or delivering any swag. If there’s any leftovers, they will go to the volunteers and/or community members.

Who is organizing the Capes 100? Is it their first event??

NS Trail Running (or a portion of it) has been organizing races since 1995! We’ve organized everything from relay races to orienteering races to 24hr adventure races to ultramarathons!

We’re the only group in Atlantic Canada that has been hosting a yearly trail running series…since 2011! Our well known “Nova Scotia Trail Running” series is sponsored by Salomon and our courses are known to be very well marked and the events are all very well organized!

You’re in good hands 🙂 Hope to see you there!!