Raid Pulse 8h AR

Raid Pulse - A Regular Fixture on the Canadian Calendar

Benoit Letourneau / 26.04.2016

Benoit Letourneau previews the RaidPulse ahead of the 15th anniversary of this popular Canadian race.

RaidPulse 2016 is coming fast. The May edition is highly anticipated and the level is always good. For many racers, the May 21st event will be their first race of the year and it sets the tone for the rest of the year. 

It's been 15 years since the very first RaidPulse. I had the pleasure of participating (and winning) the very first edition which was held in Arundel in the Laurentians. My team and I were impressed with the quality of the young organization. Sure enough, we returned the following year, and in most years that followed.

One of the strengths of the organization is the community of volunteers who are coming back to help year after year. They do an extraordinary job! It is always nice to be welcomed by the same people from one year to the next and a sense of community formed over the years. This excellent team contributes in an incredible fashion to the success of the series.

I have lots of great memories of the series. I did not participate in all editions, but let's say I competed in many! During all these years, many types of races were held:  winter race; 24-hour race (Montebello); 12-hour race with a start at midnight (Val-des-Monts and Arundel); multi stage races with night section and over three-day races (Montpellier and Plaisance).

With time, a strong organization developed and the R.O.G.A.I.N.E format is now the favoured style of the event since it allows the inclusion of advanced sections in each of the disciplines and caters to every type of racers. Whether the elite runner competing for victory or the participatory runner looking for a good adventure, everyone benefits. That’s the beauty of RaidPulse.

Just talking about it, I cannot wait to return.

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