Monarch Ultra to return in 2021 with 1,800K route through Ontario

Originally a 4,000-kilometre trek from Canada to Mexico, the Monarch Ultra Relay is cutting back to a still hefty 1,800-kilometre undertaking in 2021, and organizers have mapped out a route that will remain in southern Ontario. The race is now looking for runners to run 30K or 50K segments in specific areas of the course in September and October.

If you live in Southern Ontario, it's time to start training and get involved with the Monarch Ultra Relay Run!

OPEN SEGMENTS: We are looking for runners to register for 30km or 50km distances in Nanticoke, Port Burwell, Leamington, Chatham & London. #CallToAction pic.twitter.com/5Js70zjopC

— The Monarch Ultra (@monarch_ultra) March 9, 2021

Instead of cancelling the event, she and her team made the appropriate adjustments, and the relay will now go south from Peterborough on September 19 all the way to Windsor before turning back north to Barrie, where the team will arrive on October 9. While the Monarch Ultra has raised funds for organizations that protect monarch butterflies, this year’s run will support Camp Kawartha, an Ontario-based non-profit with a focus on conservation and environmental awareness.

Join the Monarch Ultra Relay Run this fall!
21 days of running
1,800 km along @TheGreatTrail & @WaterfrontRT
84 spots available
Distances of 30km & 50km
Be part of Canada’s longest relay run
Have a team looking after you the whole day
Run along greenways, waterways, and roadways pic.twitter.com/VwdFwjzWu3

— The Monarch Ultra (@monarch_ultra) January 29, 2021

Touring Ontario 

This year’s Monarch Ultra Relay will follow the Waterfront and Trans Canada trails, James says. “The Trans Canada Trail isn’t just on trails. It sometimes goes through towns on country roads. Since the whole run is 1,800 kilometres, we’ll be able to see a lot of different towns.” Throughout the 21-day journey, the Monarch Ultra will pass through close to 100 cities and towns across southern Ontario, which James says is a great opportunity to spread awareness about monarch butterflies, the environment and conservation. 

RELATED: Monarch Ultra Relay goes short for 2020 with 50K charity run

“It’ll be a downer if COVID is still really bad in the fall,” she says. “If that’s the case, all of our outreach and community engagement events won’t be able to happen.” James says the event team — which consists entirely of volunteers — is scheduled to visit a number of schools along the route. Even if the school visits and other engagements are forced to cancel, the relay’s lengthy route and many stops along the way from Peterborough to Barrie increase the Monarch Ultra’s reach. 

“We have 84 spots on the relay team,” James says. “Twelve are already taken, but there are still a lot available.” She says these spots might not remain free for long, though, and while the registration for the relay opens on March 1, anyone who is interested in joining James and her crew to run a leg should contact her now to reserve a spot. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CK4sWpGBCWs/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

“We want runners to run in pairs,” she says. “We’ll cover 80K per day. Each day, there will be two segments. One part of the leg will be 30K and the other will be 50K.” James adds that running isn’t the only way to participate in this event. “No matter how someone is inspired by this, they should contact us and we’ll find a job for them to do to help out. We’ll take all the help we can get.” 

RELATED: Monarch Ultra Relay follows pollinators’ path from Ontario to Mexico

A virtual run 

In addition to the 1,800-kilometre relay, there will be a virtual event for people who still want to run but aren’t interested in going 30K or longer. “There are lots of people who love our mission and our project, but they aren’t ultrarunners,” James says, “so we decided to launch a virtual run that’s more accessible to everyone.”

The Monarch spring migration is just around the corner! This is the time of year that you will see the first generation Monarch Butterfly start Stage 1 of an amazing journey.

Monarch butterflies go through 4 stages during one life cycle, and through 4 generations in one year. pic.twitter.com/iP98AiNRUk

— The Monarch Ultra (@monarch_ultra) February 8, 2021

James says she hopes this will keep people motivated to stay active this year, and participants can run, walk, bike or hike to complete the virtual challenge. The event is 10K, and it’s open to anyone in North America from April 1 to November 1. 

RELATED: Italian man wins 3,100-mile ultramarathon after 43 days of running

To learn more about the Monarch Ultra, visit the relay website or check out the event Instagram and Facebook pages. You can also view the route map here, as well as the relay dates to see where and when the Monarch Ultra will be coming near your hometown.