The weather…. wow. Raid Temiscamingue 2024 took place under some incredibly challenging weather. Driving rain, stiff gusts of wind and temperatures dropping to the low 40s and even upper 30s in the morning. This was truly an aberration for the area as well - the days prior to the race were sunny, dry and pleasant but during the race, the region was absolutely saturated.

Perched precariously on the edge of a silica quarry with a 200 foot sheer drop, the ropes team had set up a massive rappel/zipline section for teams. The rain and wind continued relentlessly, but one representative from each team bravely clipped in for a big drop and skim across the pool at the bottom of the open pit quarry.

The weather on third day of Raid Temiscamingue continued with the same pattern of driving rain, hard wind and cold temperatures that the previous day had been plagued by. Despite the punishing weather, all the teams lined up for a slightly delayed and modified start. Since the winds and rains were producing local flooding, parts of the paddle section would be cut out and the race would start one hour later than intended. Starting with a run, teams sprinted out of the gate for what would be a shortened, and therefore much faster, race.

While it can hardly be called an actual stage of the race, there was a small section of this year’s Raid Temiscamingue, was located at Transition area 4 on the bank of an inlet from the Ottawa river into the Baie de la Ferme Klock. The teams were required to load their bikes onto a canoe ferry to cross the inlet which was perhaps only 30 meters wide. They immediately got back on their bikes while race crew pulled the single canoe ferry back across the water with an attached rope. It may not be a “real” paddle stage, but it’s certainly one of the shortest distances I’ve ever seen paddled by adventure racers.

The weather forecast did not look promising when we headed to the start line this morning and it just kept getting worse and worse throughout the day. The rain began to fall soon after the start of Raid Temiscamingue this morning and it only intensified throughout the day. As temperatures dropped into the low 40s in the afternoon and the winds began to pick up, race organizers made the tough decision to cut the race short for the day.

The community here has really come together in a lot of different ways to help make sure Raid Temiscamingue is a success. The latest example is the Junior Raid that served as a fun prologue for teams and a firsthand introduction to the sport for 120 local high school students. While this was not a timed section for the competitive race, it gave racers a chance to be an adventure racing coach for the kids here who have been training all summer.

In the tiny town of Remigny, QC 29 teams of adventure athletes have gathered for the opening ceremony of a three day stage race, starting tomorrow morning. For many adventure racers, stage racing will be a bit of a twist on an old favorite. Instead of pushing through sleep deprivation, after each day of adventure racing, times are taken and the teams can rest overnight and prepare for the next day’s challenges with their support crews.

I’ll admit I have been practicing my French in preparation for this trip to Raid Témiscamingue… And it hasn’t been pretty. Luckily I know just enough to buy gas, order food and be polite in general, but that’s the extent of it.