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The Adventure Zone

Past stories The Calgary Stampede Moraine for Life Adventure Relay Monarch Redux Rockies Bird Festival Arctic Winter Games Bolivia's Acotango Mount Kilimanjaro The Drambuie Pursuit Canadian Aboriginal Festival Mountain Mania Adventure racing Manitoulin Island Star Party Celebration of Light Algonquin Park Ottawa Race Weekend Maple syrup festival Cain's Quest Have Snowshoes, Will Travel Quebec Ice Hotel In the Eye of the Storm Arctic Aurora Borealis Canada's 'Deep South' Agawa Canyon Ablaze Mahone Bay Boat Festival Vancouver Island's rocky trail Wild Women Expeditions Eco-Endurance Summiting Canada Gourmet getaway Yukon Arctic Ultra Canadian Wind Riders Winnipeg's urban pathways Canoeist/artist Bill Mason Take a hike Whitewater kayaking The 2005 Sea Cavalcade Moonstruck - Adventure racers Delta Marsh Birding Festival Climb for conservation The Eagle has Landed Gold Rush Trail Whistler Film Festival Fit to ski Whyte Museum of the Rockies Cheakamus Challenge "Super Dave" Norona Ontario's French River region Cabot Trail Relay Race Point Pelee Festival of Birds Canmore Ice Climbing Festival Winterlude Yeti Mountain Snowshoe Series Golden Horseshoe Orienteering Club Banff Mountain Book Festival Haliburton Highlands Sand Sculpture Championships BC Mobility Society Bathtub Race Championship Bike Month Running off the road Birds of a Feather Grand Plans in Grand Cache Le Festival du Voyageur Raid Ukatak Around the World Alone November culinary adventure Mountains in Miniature In the Belly of the Dragon Raid the North Extreme!! Making a splash! Volunteer for nature Cycling for sustainability Working for Wildlife Whale of a time Canadian Death Race Mont Tremblant Skiing Nanook of the North Eco-challenge Climate Change Caravan Royal Regatta Unleash the hounds World Cup mountain bike race Yukon River Quest On top of the world Canada's World-Class Heritage Gliding across the silver screen Marathon Madness National Ski and Snowboard Week Christmas Bird Count Banff Festival Adventure racing Coast-to-coast trek Whitewater rodeos In praise of parks Watching Canada's wildlife Canada's Highest Peak Alaska Adventure Racer

IT'S BEEN A LONG, HARD WINTER for Canadians, and by now, even the armchair athletes among us are shaking off the effects of lingering house arrest, digging out running shoes and shorts, eager once more for a taste of the great outdoors.

Just in time, too. Come May 24, the Nike ACG Five Peaks Trail Running Series kicks off its sixth season with the first batch of energizing off-road events in each of British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. With the irresistible call to action, "Get off the road and get on the trails!" organizers promise participants the perfect antidote to cabin fever.

In each participating province, five events are scheduled over the summer months and subsequent races are slated for June 14, July 19, August 16 and September 13. Beginning runners through to lifers will have a chance to pit themselves against a range of trail-running conditions. Much more than a cross-country run, the race series takes competitors through some of Canada's most spectacular terrain — B.C.'s Coast Mountains, Alberta's Rockies and Ontario's Niagara Escarpment. The courses vary from 8 to 15 kilometres, and competitors are guaranteed an exciting run through snow, creeks, bogs, rocks, roots, cat tracks and up and down thigh-melting hills and mountains. For serious racers, one of the events in the series — Whistler-Blackcomb on July 19 — is a Canadian qualifier for the World Mountain Running Trophy.

Visit www.fivepeaks.com for complete information on race locations and registration. The website has a virtual training session that will convert the most ardent road racer into a happy trail runner. There's also a bulletin board where you can swap gear, make connections with training partners and organize transportation and accommodation.