The annual Course des Morts bike race is taking place once again this year on October 31st. As usual, it’s open to anyone who wants to race for a small entrance fee (I did it a couple years ago and I think it cost $20 which included a pretty nice t-shirt). It’s usually a pretty tough race but it’s a lot of fun and a great way to see parts of the city you might not otherwise get to. The race is a mix between a scavenger hunt and a normal working day for a courrier. You’re given a list of clues or specific locations for checkpoints, you make your own route and go from there. When I raced a couple years ago, my route took me from Old Montreal to the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetary to Parc LaFontaine as well as places I had never been such as Redpath Crecent and the Westmount lookout on the Mountain which was great for someone who had only lived in the city for a little over a year. Don’t worry if you don’t finish, most people don’t. Just be prepared to be exhausted at the end.
The meet-up is at 4h00 at 1297 chemin de la Forêt at the entrance to the cemetary. It’s reccommended that you take a bag of some sort and a lock. A pen will also come in very handy. For more information, visit the Belleville Cycle Co-op’s website at bellevillecycle.com.