Stoked Scramble 25K Race Report

Race: Stoked Scramble 25K – A single day event taking place in the midst of the 3-Day Transelkirk Stage Race event

Runner: Team RunRun Coach Jennifer Kozak

Race Date: 08/24/2024

Location: Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada

Result: 4:45:44; 7th place in age category, 8th woman overall

Jennifer scrambling down one of the Stoked Scramble 25K climbs. PC: Bruno Long
Jennifer scrambling down one of the Stoked Scramble 25K climbs. PC: Bruno Long
3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?
  1. Scenery: This being my hometown, I have nothing but amazing things to say about the mountains around Revelstoke. The views, most often, are just incredible! Unfortunately, on this particular day, the weather did not cooperate. While there were certainly beautiful vistas to be seen during the run (though moody), it wasn’t as spectacular if it were a clear day. However, I did enjoy the different perspective!
  2. Adventure: The title of this race, Stoked Scramble, alludes to some of the terrain that you might encounter (i.e., a scramble). This was a no fall zone and they had RMR patrol there to assist in helping runners navigate the section. The race also included a rope assisted descent where you felt like you were in Mission Impossible running down the side of a skyscraper.
  3. Community (volunteers/runners/staff): Since much of this course is in the alpine, it was not accessible for most spectators (especially on a bad weather day like we had). The other runners and the volunteers made up for it. Everyone seemed so stoked and completely in awe of the adventure we were having!
Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

Some of the bests listed above are also the other side of the coin to some non-ideal situations:

1. While some people love it, I myself am not super comfortable with exposure when scrambling. We were running along a ridge and looking over the edge that definitely brought on some vertigo. Other runners were running along the ridges and down the scramble sections like they were on a flat trail. As mentioned, there was a definite “no fall zone” that had a lot of runners terrified.

2. Thought will have to be given to the rope section next year. With the area being so steep, you cannot simply allow runners to run down, as they would drop rocks on the heads of people below. There was an absolute hero of a volunteer manning the rope, and helping people down 1 by 1 (or 2 by 2 if they were comfortable with the section). The unfortunate result of this was that a bottle neck formed at the rope descent. While I only had to wait about 20-25 minutes, later runners ended up waiting an hour. In the snow. A few runners decided against waiting that long and simply took the DNF. Others who continued were chasing the cut-off. Not ideal. There can be a change expected next year to avoid this situation.

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?
Snow in August?! On this day, that is exactly what we got. That’s mountain running for you! Pounding snow, hail, wind, rain, and finally…sun. The Stoked Scramble fell on day 2 of the stage race. On day 1, the weather was so hot runners ended up getting heat stroke. A wild contrast!
Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

I did not really have a goal going into this race except to have a good, hard effort in a race environment.

The First Climb:

The beginning of the Stoked Scramble 25K is the climb up the non-technical cat track road before you arrive at Kokanee Ridge. My goal was to power-hike most of this section to save my legs for later in the race, but also getting my HR up since this was the shorter of the races and I knew I wouldn’t be out there all day. Despite not knowing if I wanted to start with poles until 5 seconds before the race went off, this section was uneventful. I was able to chat with other runners heading up, and it was just a good feeling beginning to the race.

The Scramble/Ridge:

My mantra for this section, being uncomfortable with exposure/heights, was “forward motion”. If I didn’t stop, and didn’t look down, it’d be over before I knew it. This was exactly how it went and while I didn’t love this part, I was proud of myself for getting it done quickly. I actually loved the ridge section for the community aspect. It was an out and back area so we were crossing paths with other runners heading back and we were able to give high 5’s and cheer each other on.

The Rope Descent:

Despite the negative of waiting 20+ mins in line at this section, I LOVED IT! It was so fun to be running down a suuuuuper steep grade without worrying about falling. You could really lean into it.

Sub-Peak Loop:

This is when the snow was at its worst. Even though the ground was clear, it felt like the depths of winter. Again, I actually kind of loved it. After climbing out of Kokanee Bowl, my HR got up again and I began to warm up. Running through the snow made me feel like I could manage the effort.

Jennifer descending Mackenzie Ridge during the Stoked Scramble 25K. PC: Bruno Long
Jennifer descending Mackenzie Ridge during the Stoked Scramble 25K. PC: Bruno Long
The Descent:

After climbing out of the bowl and during sub-peak loop, I noticed that there was another female runner right behind me. This lit a bit of a fire (I’m much better as the prey than the predator). I knew the mountain bike trails heading to the finish line pretty well, and the plan was to just let loose as much as I could on the descent and hopefully not have the runner right behind me pass.

Basically, I ran scared to the end of the Stoked Scramble 25K. The sun came out and I was still in my jacket and starting to sweat at this point. I really did not want to stop just to lose my spot. So for the last 4 miles to the finish, I ran as hard as I could! I was very happy with this finish: not only did she not pass me, I widened the gap and passed 4 other runners on the descent.

Non-Race Highlights:

I love this race. I have been a volunteer both last year, and this year (on the non-running days), and it is such a joy to be a part of it. Jacob is a race director who really cares about all the staff/volunteers/runners, and is very generous to everyone. He truly wants this race to be an adventure and to have runners build life-long memories and friendships here.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner
  1.  Pack everything that is suggested in the race guide/at the pre-race briefing! Many runners got too cold and could not continue. You can’t anticipate everything, so it is better to be prepared.
  2. Have a plan for your poles, if you decide to use them, and practice it before hand! I stowed my poles in a quiver over the scramble section but on my way back, the start of the scramble looked like a pole graveyard as people just left them behind to do the out and back.
  3. Bring gloves regardless of temperatures! The rope is so much easier to use if you aren’t worried about rope burn.
Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

Watch the promotional videos before-hand (or search for race reports)! I didn’t quite understand what the terrain would be like until a day or two before the race. Not ideal!

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

The most important thing is knowing you are going into an alpine environment, and the things that you can expect: sudden changes in weather, bears and other wildlife, etc.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

Gorgeous! It is running through the remote alpine of the Selkirks, both on and adjacent to the Revelstoke Mountain Resort ski hill, a hill that boasts the longest vertical descent of any ski hill in North America. While the views weren’t exactly clear on the Saturday, they were still stunning.

Sights of the remote alpine Selkirks during the Stoked Scramble 25K.
Sights of the remote alpine Selkirks during the Stoked Scramble 25K.
Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

Yes and no. By the numbers, the Stoked Scramble 25K does not look that uninviting. It is 25K (15.5 miles), with around 1650m (~5400 ft) of elevation gain/descent.

The first 3 miles of the course is a climb up a cat-track road. The grade is fairly gentle and undulating with ups and downs. Around 3.5 miles you turn off onto a narrower trail to climb up to the ridge. Here it gets much steeper, and much rockier, but not overly technical. Approaching Kokanee ridge is where the challenging terrain begins, with the aforementioned scramble section. Once you complete the scramble, you are running out-and-back along the ridge. This was harder than it seemed. There is no set trail in this section, so you ended up running across “meadows” that were anything but flat. This was actually where I found to be at greatest risk of an ankle roll.

Once you complete this out-and-back, you retrace your steps over the scramble section, and then make your way to the rope assisted descent. Some people struggled with the rope, others flew down it, but it is very steep. Once at the bottle, you travel across more trail-less meadows and then climb right back up the other side. This was again, very steep with either poles, or hands and feet climbing. Following this section you head over the McKenzie Ridge where the a well-developed trail system is in place. After a bit more mild exposure on the sub-peak loop, it is nothing but buttery mountain bike trails heading down to the finish.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

The Transelkirks Run is an event run by the company TransRockies Race Series, who are well practiced in putting on races. The RD, Jacob Puzey, and his team do an amazing job of putting on this logistically challenging race. This was the first year that day two had four separate races happening at once (the half and full 3-day stage race event, the Stoked Scramble 25K, and the Stoked Ultra). Having many more people this year navigating the rope section caused the bottle-neck that I don’t think could have been predicted. Despite this hiccup, everything else was run very smoothly.

Competition – Is there a strong field?

Absolutely. While there aren’t any names that would be recognized globally, there are silent crushers who threw down astonishing times.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

There isn’t much to do here but go and sign up for the Stoked Scramble 25K here! They have tiered pricing so you save by committing earlier. When it gets closer to the race, it will more than likely sell out. If you want the easiest access lodging, book the resort hotel and then just roll out of bed to the start line. One thing to be aware of is that there will often be other tournaments in town that weekend, so while there should be enough space for everyone, you might not get your first choice if you book later.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

The aid stations are top notch and the volunteers are amazing! Especially the station at the top of the chair-lift exposed to the pounding snow and rain. There is the usual fare at the aid stations: chips, pretzels, watermelon, pickles, PB&J sandwiches, oranges, gummy candy, M&Ms, soda, electrolyte, water, Xact nutrition bars, cookies, etc. On Day 1 we also had Tater Boost join at an aid station to make samples for the runners. Oh, and Fireball!

Weather and typical race conditions

It could be gorgeous and sunny. It could be snowing. We had it all this year. Mountain conditions can change at the drop of a hat, so these swings might even occur on the same day. Typically, weather in mid-August is lovely.

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next runner?

I was happy to have poles for this event, even though it was only 25K. I felt like it helped save my legs for the downhill. Bring a pair of cheap, throwaway gloves if the rope descent is a part of the course in future years.

Jennifer's Stoked Scramble 25K wooden medal.
Jennifer’s Stoked Scramble 25K wooden medal.
Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

Unfortunately, no. The start and finish line are at the top of the gondola, so family/friends could make their way up there to cheer you on as you depart and as you cross the finish line. They could certainly do some hiking to get to other areas to cheer, which would be beautiful, but not easily accessible.

How’s the Swag?

Wonderful! Entrants received an Adidas Terrex long sleeved zip up T-shirt, a very pretty wooden medal and dinner that evening at the resort.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

For this year, I’d probably give the Stoked Scramble 25K an 8/10 simply due to the bottle-neck incident. If it had been smooth sailing, this race deserves a 10 for sure!

As a side note: The TransRockies 6-day stage race will have its final event in 2025, while more effort will be put into Transelkirks and The Golden Ultra. If you are looking for a North American stage race, come check it out!

Jennifer Kozak is a coach with Team RunRun who knows how to balance training with family, on both the roads and the trails. Jenn works with athlete of all abilities, from those dipping their toes in trail races or tackling new goals on the roads, from the 5k up to the marathon.