Race recap for our 15th year!
Get all the details on our latest year of running and catch up on the excitement that is PYP!
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Pick Your Poison Trail Race
12.5k / 25k / 50k
Saturday,
APRIL 25, 2026
Get ready to lace up your shoes and hit the trails We're thrilled to celebrate our 16th year of trail running, embarking on another incredible and hill filled journey with all of you. Join us for an unforgettable season filled with breathtaking views, challenging terrain, and an amazing community of fellow trail enthusiasts.
Registration for PYP 16 opens December 1, 2025 at 8:00pm
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🅿️☠️🅿️ is a race for all experience levels!
The latest news
ABOUT
PICK YOUR POISON
From jars of honey to the technical finisher socks, PYP is one sweet race! A challenging 12.5k loop through the Heights of Horseshoe in Craighurst, Ontario (Barrie area) awaits you, and runners can choose one of three distances to run including our 12.5k, 25k and 50k races, but what poison will you pick? Each loop presents challenging terrain and climbs that will elevate the heartrate of even the most experienced trail runner. You'll never know what the conditions will be on race day as the variability of Canadian spring weather has given us everything from t-shirt weather to snow! Proceeds from the race go to local social service organizations and the Copeland Forest Friends. Come for the day or stay in the area for the weekend and enjoy the many scenic vistas that Simcoe County has to offer.
Registration For PYP 16 will open on DEC 1, 2025 at 8:00pm EST
Registration Page
We use Race Roster for our registration so your existing account will allow you to sign up for PYP. If you don't have a Race Roster account, it's a great way to get ahead of the registration process to sign up for one. About a month before the Dec 1 registration opening, we'll send an email out with the link and release it at the top of this page. Be sure to signup for our news updates so you don't miss out!
Waitlist
We maintain a wait list through Race Roster. As runners withdraw from the race, people on the waitlist will be given an opportunity to register for the race based on the order they registered. Selected participants will be notified via email once selected and have one week to register once the email is sent. The odds of getting into the race depend primarily on the amount of turnover from the registered runners list. Since we don’t have any control over this, your guess is as good as ours. When registering on the waitlist, you will be charged only if you are selected from the waitlist and you accept the invitation to become a registered runner.
Refunds
We do not offer refunds. Runners can defer to the following year. Deferrals can be carried over for max 2 years. Deferrals can be made up to midnight EST on April 15 each year.
Distance Transfers and Deferrals
Runners can transfer distances and request deferrals up to the midnight EST, on April 15. If transferring to a longer distance, runners must pay the difference in current registration values. There is no refund for runners transferring to shorter distances. We also realize that injuries in sport happen. If you are unable to run for any reason, please contact us and we can defer your race entry.
Bib Transfers
Our waitlist necessitates that bibs cannot be transferred. If you are not able to race this year we can defer your entry but your bib from this year will be passed on to somebody on the waitlist and cannot be assigned to another runner outside of the waitlist. Exceptions are made for grandparents. We love beastly, ultra trail running grandparents. If your grandma or gramps is over 70, you can transfer the bib to them.
12.5k
25k
50k
"I felt so good crossing the finish line!! A huge thank you to everyone organizing and volunteers! What an awesome event, smile, smiles, smiles all over! Thank you!"
Francois
"Thanks so much, this is my first attempt of trail running race since I landed in Toronto a year ago. The course is well marked and the volunteers are helpful. I also like the finisher socks which are very thoughtful. Appreciate it!"
Larry Wong
"Thanks for a brilliant race day. I've never laughed as hard as I did yesterday with all the mud!"
Lucy Staves
RACE OVERVIEW
Event Date
Saturday, April 25, 2026
Start Time
8:00 am 50k
8:30 am 25K
9:30 am 12.5K
Cutoffs
5:00pm cutoff time for all distances. 50k runners must have started final lap at 2:30pm.
Start/Finish
The Heights of Horseshoe, 1106 Horseshoe Valley Rd., Horseshoe Valley ON, L4M 4Y8
Kit Pickup
Pre-Race Kit Pickup
Friday, April 24th, 2026. 10:00am-4:00pm at Sojourn Outdoors, 31 Commerce Park, Barrie
Race Day Kit Pickup
Saturday, April 25th, 2026. 7:00am at the race venue (Heights of Horseshoe)
Registration
First come, first served basis
2026 Registration Open Date
The 2026 registration opens on December 1, 2025 at 8:00pm
Capacity
450 runners, 150 runners for each distance
Aid Station Info
Each loop will be stocked with 3 aid stations. The usual fare will be present: pop, water, electrolytes, various candy assortments, chips, and pickles. Additional foods may be present such as PB & J sandwiches, and hot soup.
Post-Race Food
Each runner will receive a ticket for their post-race meal. Post-race food will include a boxed lunch from the venue.
Course Preview
Electrolyte and gel sponsors
Race prize sponsors
Proud members of
PICK YOUR POISON
TRAIL RACE
GET IN TOUCH
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