Strap in - this one's gonna be long!

We're so, so, SO looking forward to seeing you all again September 24-26 - our first real event in over two years! We could wax poetic for days about how crazy this time has been, but we've got an awful lot to update you on, so let's just dive right in!

This will be the first of two updates that will be sent out prior to Race Weekend. Please make certain to forward it along to your teammates if their email info wasn't provided at the time you registered.

Truthfully - pretty much as we've been planning. While the Province's re-opening plan is more "open" than we would have expected at this point, we'll be sticking with the general plan we've been developing since last Fall. With the exception of a minor change to the Hike course timelines (explained below), all of the Event Day details outlined on our website and in the race information packages will remain as-is.

The racer information packages for each course provide all of these details - we can't stress enough how important it is that you review them! These packages have been updated with some additional info as of August 7th. You can link to each in the "after you register" section of www.stormthetrent.com/register

You can also find here the team confirmation list, which provides all the details around which course and which wave you signed up for; whether or not you booked an on-site canoe rental; and your team roster.

Once again, the racer information packages provide all the details - please carve out some time to have a read. In the meantime, the following is a quick overview of some of the most important points.

In mid- September, the home page of the Storm website will be replaced by "Race HQ" - your central source for all Race Day info. This will include links to the racer packages; team starting times; the course maps; the pre-race briefing video; and the essential Race Day forms. We will send out a second update in September to announce the launch of Race HQ.

At the point of registering, your team selected a start wave that included a time range of between 45 minutes to an hour. In September, each team will be assigned an actual start time within that wave. Start times will be staggered in 10-minute intervals.

THE COURSE MAPS:

Yes, you will be seeing these in advance this year, to reduce the amount of time spent preparing on Race Morning. You will however, still receive printed paper copies in your team kits.

PRE-RACE BRIEFING VIDEO:

This will replace the regular in-person pre-race briefing, to give you more time before you start and to eliminate the need for any gatherings. You will definitely want to view this video prior to leaving for the race site - we promise to keep it under 10 minutes long.

RACE DAY FORMS:

Waivers and COVID screening forms absolutely must be completed in advance and brought with you on Race Day this year. You will be able to download these here.

This year's race is going to be awesome, but it's also going to be rather different from past events. Here are a few of the key points (all explained further in the racer packages) that you'll want to be aware of:

Teams in the Sunday Hike course will notice a minor change to the timings outlined in the racer packages and on the team confirmation list noted above. The 3 wave times are now as follows:

Wave 1: 7:30-8:15am

Wave 2: 9:00-9:45am

Wave 3: 10:30-11:30am

As noted above, each team's assigned start time within these waves will be posted when Race HQ is launched.

Around this time is typically when we start to receive inquiries regarding teammates that have gone MIA since the point of registration. While refunds and deferrals are not offered, team rosters can always be switched up to accommodate teammates who are unable to race.

If you need to make a substitution on your team, simply contact us at info@stormevents.ca and we will make the necessary changes for you.

We have also been starting to field requests for changes between racecourses and waves - and while ordinarily this is something we would happily accommodate, this year is obviously far from ordinary.

We are still working under a maximum-capacity-per-wave basis, and unfortunately do not have the flexibility to switch teams between waves or Race Days. Please ensure that you are ready to race for the wave or course that you committed to at the point of registration.

As some have already determined, Algonquin Outfitters in Dwight is our canoe rental provider, but they will NOT be able to transport any more boats than what we've already arranged for. We kindly ask that you do not contact them, as they will not be able to assist with additional canoe rentals.