E-Tree Farm Long Run

By: Matt Setlack

Location: This is a loop so you can start it wherever you like but I prefer to star/end it in Tri-City Estates.

Distance: Approximately 34km

Surface: Paved road in the countryside

Map of E-Tree Farm Long Run (click to enlarge)

This is one of my favourite long runs around Cold Lake. It is very fast and extremely flat (about 180m of elevation gain and loss over 34km). The countryside roads are quiet and the motorists are generally very courteous (as long as they see you - so wear a bright shirt). I generally start this run in Tri-City Estates and run the loop CW.  

Looking east on the road to Kinosoo Ridge (Township Rd 630)

Washrooms: Located at Tim Horton's in Tri-City Estates, community garden porta-party outside the Energy Centre (in summer), inside the Energy Centre, gas stations in Cold Lake North, washrooms in the first parking lot at the Cold Lake Provincial Park (if you want to make a detour at the NE corner of the map above) and there may be washrooms at the Grand Centre Golf Course but I have not used them before.

The busiest section of this long run is the road leading to the Kinosoo Ridge Snow Resort. Once you are off this road, the run gets significantly better and much quieter. The majority of the roads on this run are lined with trees, which provide shade from the +30C heat in the summertime and a wind block from the -30C cold in the wintertime. You can run this route all year around.

Looking south on the road near E-Tree Farm (Range Rd 414)

The roads are moderately cambered so I like to run facing traffic for half the run and with traffic for half the run (on the roads that are less busy). 

Looking north near the turn on Range Rd 414

You can really get into a nice groove/pace running this loop. The roads are very clean and in good condition for the most part (when they are not under construction as they are currently (Sep 2017)). Once construction is done, this is going to be an even more amazing long run. 

Looking east at the intersection of Township Rd 624 and Range Rd 415

Alternates: If you don't want to run the complete 34km loop, then you can just do the "upper left box" in the map above (approx 18km, I believe). Also, when you are running eastbound on the road to Kinosoo Ridge, you can turn south a little earlier (on Range Rd 415 (as per map above) or Range Rd 15 (as per Google Maps)). I believe this would reduce the distance by about 5-6km. 

Looking north on Range Rd 420A near the Grand Centre Golf Course

Advice: As of 28 Sep 2017, there is construction occurring on Range Rd 15A and on the road to the Kinosoo Ridge Snow Resort so I would not recommend running on these two roads until construction is finished.

Update: As of 28 Apr 2018, construction appears to be complete on Range Rd 15A. This road is now very likely the fastest road to run on in the Cold Lake area. I love it! The surface is relatively soft asphalt that has minimal camber. The lines have not been painted on the road yet. I recommend running facing traffic and wearing brightly coloured clothes for better visibility for the motorists.   

Country Lane Estates Road Run

By: Matt Setlack

Location: Starts at a large cross near Tri-City Estates (near the intersection of Highway 28 and Township Rd 632)

Distance: Approximately 10km but it varies greatly depending on how long your session is and can be as long as you want it to be

Surface: Smooth, relatively soft, minimally cambered pavement

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Map of Country Lane Estates Road Run (click to enlarge)

Country Lane Estates is one of the fastest places to run in Cold Lake. It is my go-to location for doing workouts such as tempo-pace and interval-pace sessions. This is not really the place to go and do an easy run but it is the perfect place to do a fast workout. The arrows on the map above designate the route that I typically follow. I find that this is the safest and fastest route since you don't have to cross over the road at all (except once for the 180 degree turnaround).  

Running north on Range Rd 423.

I usually start my session at the cross (see map above and photo below). If you rode your bicycle here, you can lock it up around the fence. One of the reasons I like starting at the cross is because there is a slight downhill when running west before crossing over the creek.

Large cross marks the start point.

This is an amazing place to do fast running workouts. The surface of the road is smooth and clean so you can wear thin, light flats and not have to worry about stepping on rocks or gravel.

The slight downhill just west of the large cross.

The road has minimal camber. Camber is the curved cross-section of the road (i.e. the road is highest in the middle and lower at the shoulders - this allows water to run off and not pool in the middle), Zero camber is ideal for running. I believe that running on a road with less camber means that you are much less likely to get injured and sustain overuse injuries. I generally run facing traffic for the first half of the workout and run with traffic for the second half of the workout. Having a bicycle pacer with front and rear lights allows motorists to see you better.

One of the residential areas that you run through.

The road pavement is relatively soft but not too soft. After running 6,000km per year for many years, you develop a very good sense of how hard a surface is to run on. I can say that the surface of the road in Country Lane Estates is pretty much ideal.

Typical view looking south from Township Rd 632

The entire circuit around Country Lane Estates is extremely flat! There is minimal motorized traffic and the speed limit is mostly 50 kph. Motorists are very courteous.

Looking north on Range Rd 423

It is extremely beneficial to have a friend on a bicycle who can pace you. I recommend that the cyclist have a bright white blinking light in front and a blinking red light in the back. The cyclist will also block the wind for you too. It is much easier to maintain a fast pace with a cyclist setting the pace rather than running completely by yourself.

Matt and Emily training together

Advice: I would not recommend running here during rush hour traffic but it is really nice to run here on the weekends. Wear a bright colour of shirt like fluorescent orange or fluorescent yellow. This allows motorists to see you. Remember, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".

Stay tuned for Matt's Favourite Run #5!