SOUTHWEST 7’S AMAZING RACE: Brutal climbs, jagged rocks … and bears

Posted on July 31, 2026 by Ryan Dahlman

By Marcus Day

Maple Creek News

Colleen encountered a growling black bear, Becky ran 31.7 kilometres through the night and saw the sun rise in the mountains, Bernie sprained an ankle, but wouldn’t quit, and Theresa pushed through the pain of an injured knee after taking a tumble.

Rayna proved the worth of KLR gym training by completing a gruelling 16.7 kilometres, and Mike and Shaun ran through the dark, covering distances of 25 and 25.9km.

Seven local adventurists, some might term them the “Magnificent Seven”, formed a relay team to take on one of the greatest challenges of their lives – the Sinister 7 Ultra in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains – and returned with tales of shared excitement, pain and drama.

They experienced Canada’s most rugged, remote and beautiful terrain while feeling the thrill of going to the limit.

“Most of all it was a lot of fun,” said Theresa Reesor Drapeau.

About 2,100 runners took part in the largest cross-country race in Western Canada, which was held over the July 11-12 weekend in Crowsnest Pass and involved more than 6,600 metres of elevation gain over a 100-mile course.

There were five categories: 100 miles, 50 miles, 50k, half marathon, and relay.

Sinister 7 is open to solo runners or teams of up to seven who have 30 hours to complete the course, which is split into seven stages, each featuring a geographic and historic highlight of the area.

The race’s name is inspired by the treacherous Seven Sisters Mountain that looms over much of the course.

Theresa was part of the Southwest 7 relay team, whose sweaters were sponsored by Crystalex.

The other members, all from around the area, were: Mike and Rayna Corbin, Bernie Schultz, Colleen Cloutier, Becky Ross, and Shaun McDougald.

Most will be familiar names in the community. Theresa is co-owner of the Historic Reesor Ranch Cypress Hills; Bernie works for B & A Petroleum; Shaun comes from a ranching family; and Mike and Rayna are Emergency Medical Service first responders. Rayna also runs KLR Fitness on Pacific Avenue with Kim Eng and Lacey Fryer.

Becky, meanwhile, comes from Medicine Hat and is known for her prowess as a cuisine artist, as well as a runner. She has also now added nursing to her resumé.

To prepare for Sinister 7, Theresa did a lot of winter training at KLR gym, working on a treadmill. Naturally, Mike and Rayna were also there.

Another big test of endurance was the May 15-17 Reesor 50 Ultraranch Festival that featured racing beginning and ending at the ranch, taking runners across rolling meadows, winding trails, and beneath the conglomerate cliffs.

Although challenging, Theresa would discover that the Cypress Hills terrain was very different from what lay ahead in the Rockies nearly two months later.

The 411-kilometre drive from Maple Creek to Crowsnest Pass took more than four hours. On arrival, Southwest 7 settled into a cabin in Blairmore, one of the major commercial centres of the Crowsnest Pass and situated near the Crowsnest Formation –  a unique geological configuration with unusual minerals.

After checking in on Friday, July 10 at the Coleman Sports Complex, the participants had a pre-race and racer meeting. Racing began on Saturday, starting with the 100-miler at Stone’s Throw Café, Blairmore, at 7am. Southwest 7 found themselves competing in a field of 180 relay teams.

Night running was to be a big part of the challenge.

Becky had the hardest run, said Theresa, but also experienced one of the most uplifting sights in the mountains – the sun rising.

Theresa’s distance was 10.9km over an unforgiving surface, punishing on her feet.

“The ground is full of rocks that are very jagged compared to the Cypress Hills,” she said. “You have got to really watch your feet.”

At one point, Theresa fell and hurt a knee, but managed to push on.

Bernie’s injury was more severe – X-rays later showed a sprained ankle, sustained two kilometres from the end of her 19.8km run.

“She wouldn’t quit,” said Theresa.

The course took runners up hill, along ground level, and through bush and a valley.

“You hike up the hills and run along ground level,” said Theresa.

One of the rewards of the physical toil was the beautiful surroundings.

“The landscape was absolutely stunning.”

Colleen experienced the biggest scare when she came across a growling black bear.

It was an encounter that all the runners knew was a possibility.

“We all had bear spray on us,” said Theresa.

Despite the obstacles, Southwest 7 beat the cutoff time by three hours, finishing 140th and bringing kudos to Maple Creek and Medicine Hat. Team members were presented with medals.

“Everyone ran their best,” said Theresa. “It was an amazing experience.”

So amazing that Southwest 7 members are already thinking about running again next year.