View of Reesor Lake

SEASAR Medicine Hat Massacre is a 9-hour, dark start adventure race!

Starting in the dark at 0400 hours, you and your race partner will hit a series checkpoints spread around beautiful Cypress Hills, Alberta. Hike, bike, kayak, and bushwhack your way to each checkpoint with only a map and compass to guide you.

New for 2022 – Teams must provide their own watercraft – Kayak, Canoe, SUP.

Massacre Lite
This shorter event (4.5 hours) is designed for newcomers, families, and anyone wanting to get a taste of adventure racing. Afraid of the dark? The race starts at 0830 hours. Afraid of getting lost? Use your GPS in addition to a map and compass! Hike, bike, paddle, and just have fun! 

SEASAR – South Eastern Alberta Search And Rescue
Owned and operated by SEASAR, the Medicine Hat Massacre Adventure Race is non-profit! All of the race proceeds go to SAR efforts in Southern Alberta! And because the race is operated by trained SAR volunteers, you’ll be in good hands if you get a little lost in the Hills! 

COVID Protocols and Public Health
Like everything in 2022, we anticipate that we may have to make some tweaks and changes along the way as Public Health measures come and go. We appreciate your patience with our volunteer team as we navigate this new course! 

Our Name

Having several prominent trading posts nearby, the Medicine Hat area was home to many historical events in the early Northwest Territories.  Some of the more famous were The Cypress Hills Massacre, the Sweetgrass Hills Massacre, and the Seven Persons incident.  The first two were clashes between trappers (traditionally identified as American “Wolfers”) and native groups of various types.  The last was the sudden death (no reliable cause has been established, but violence was suspected) of seven white people at their camp near what is now named Seven Persons.

Although these events figure prominently in the early history of Canada, and galvanized the deployment of law enforcement west, they form no part of our Adventure Race.  Formed in 2008, our race evolved out of a spring training exercise for local Adventure Race teams in preparation for longer competitions (24-36 hour) later in the summer.  The name is just a reference to extreme exertion, and maybe how our legs felt after a long winter off! Any other association is coincidental.

We can’t wait to see you all again in May!