What You need to know
General Information
Hotel - Iceman Rates
The Courtyard by Marriott
This year we have an AMAZING meet hotel! The Courtyard by Marriott has generously given us a discounted group rate for our out of town participants! The Courtyard is conveniently located beside the Civic Centre allowing for an easy walk to the banquet, no hassle parking, and you’re already in the building to pick up your race package! If you’re from out of town we highly recommend taking advantage of this beautiful hotel (complete with a pool and hot tub for a little bit of post-race relaxation!) Please click the reservation link below to take advantage of this fabulous offer from our newest SILVER sponsor!
RatePG Iceman 2024
Start Date: Saturday, February 10, 2024
End Date: Monday, February 12, 2024
Last Day to Book: Thursday, January 25, 2024
Cancellation within 96hrs prior to arrival two nights plus tax will be charged to the guaranteed credit card
Hotel offering your special group rate:
– Courtyard Prince George for 129 CAD per night
– Free Underground Parking
See Courtyard Marriott Iceman Reservation
Transportation
Free Shuttle Bus
Available between ski area and pool.
8:20 am to 12:15pm, every 20 minutes.
For participants and spectators!
Parking at the Otway Nordic Centre is VERY limited and we like to minimize traffic on Otway Rd for the safety of our participants and volunteers. We strongly advise that you use the free shuttle bus, which goes between the Aquatic Centre and Otway every 20 minutes. The first bus leaves the Aquatic Centre at 8:20 a.m. and the last bus leaves Otway at 12:15. This is a great option for spectators too!
Parking
Otway Nordic Centre
Parking is ALWAYS TIGHT at Otway! As always the Main parking lot will be blocked off for the Iceman transition, but the upper parking lots and lot 3 will be open this year.
We have an AMAZING shuttle service to help ensure that everyone has transportation between the Aquatic Center and Otway. Diversified will be running a bus shuttle with the first bus leaving the Aquatic Center parking lot at 8:20am heading to Otway. Busses will run every 20 mins, including coming back into town from Otway. **This year the busses will be taking a new route to avoid being stuck in traffic and causing delays in participants and spectators getting to Otway and the Aquatic Centre**
PLEASE use the shuttles to ensure that you are able to make it out to Otway to watch and participate.
OVAL AND POOL PARKING
Green means Go, Red means No!
Participants, spectators and cheering squads. This year we highly advise no one drive to the ice oval via the small road off of 18th ave (where you see a RED X and squiggles). There are tons of other parking options (everywhere highlighted in GREEN) that will also make it easier for you to exit after watching participants finish. Please use caution and crosswalks while crossing 18th Ave to watch the skate or swim portion of the competition, and allow time to walk to your viewing or participation destination! 😀**When walking down the narrow road to the oval SPECTATORS please stay to the LEFT side of the road to keep out of the way of participants coming off of 18th Ave who will be running down the RIGHT side of the road**
We would like to add that this is due to safety concerns on that section of road. Due to it being narrow, we have had a few close calls with runners and vehicles in past years, so we are aiming to be extra cautious!!
Aid Stations
Water & Electrolyte Drinks
Water and electrolyte drinks are available at each venue and twice on 10 km route. No private escort/aid vehicles are allowed on course.
Transition Zones
Competitors only
At each venue, and open to competitors only.
The transition zones are very busy and only our volunteers and competitors are permitted in this area. It is the soloists’ responsibility to have their gear for the next leg at the transition in a bag with their competitor number on it (provided at package pick-up)
There are 4 transition zones.
- Otway: ski to 10km run
- Ice Oval: 10km run to skate
- Ice oval: skate to 5km run
- Pool: 5km run to swim
Solo participants
- Transition zone bags must be delivered to Pool and Skating area by 9 am on race day.
- End of race gear pick-up provided for solo participants only – equipment will arrive at banquet.
Spectators
I’m kind of a big deal and I have a lot of fans. Can they come to cheer me on? – Of course! We love having lots of fans to cheer our participants on!
Ski - Otway Nordic Centre
Be advised that parking at Otway is VERY limited and we advise that you take the free shuttle which goes between the Aquatic Centre and Otway every 20 minutes. The first bus leaves the Aquatic Centre at 8:20 a.m. and the last bus leaves Otway at 1:30. If you are driving, there can be long delays on Otway Road due to trains and at the overpass at Foothills Blvd where our runners have to cross the road.
Skate - Ice Oval
No spectators will be allowed at ice level for safety reasons. There will be a designated spectator area providing good views of the action though.
JUNIORS – Please note that at the Ice Oval, only the skater and 5km runner will be allowed at Ice level with ONE parent/ teacher representative if they are not old enough to be at ice level alone. All other children and adults (siblings, team members, aunts, uncles, etc) are not permitted in the transition zone as this causes undo congestion
Swim - Aquatic Centre
We ask that all spectators they enter through the main/front doors of the pool to avoid congestion at the transition area and for the safety of participants and spectators. There are bleachers on the east side of the pool.
Weather
Skating - What if the weather has caused the ice to melt?
There will be no skate. The 10km runner will hand-over directly to the 5km runner. No refunds will be issued.
What if it’s cold?
Well it is February in Northern BC and this event is called the Iceman for a reason. However, for the safety of our participants and our volunteers we will consider delaying or cancelling the event based on weather conditions ON THE MORNING OF THE EVENT. We will not comment on delays or cancellations prior to 8am on the day of the event, any attempts to request information on this issue before race day will be ignored. No refunds will be given, as our costs are all upfront.
The Prince George Iceman has a policy in place that if weather conditions are poor, we will consider delaying or cancelling the Iceman based on weather conditions ON THE MORNING OF THE EVENT.
The plan for 2024:
- If the temperature at Otway (link here) is minus 22 Celsius, we plan to delay the start of the event.
- If the temperature at Otway is minus 22 Celsius and getting colder, the event will be cancelled.
At 8am on the day of the event, if required, we will announce on Facebook and our website (announcement link here) that we need to delay the start of the event by 1 hour to an 11am start). The weblink for race day announcements can also be accessed by scanning the QR code on the back of your race bib.
This is the maximum that we can delay the start due to traffic control and venue restrictions. If a delay occurs, please pay close attention to the Facebook page and the website for updates. The banquet will go ahead regardless of the weather. Regardless of weather, it is ultimately up to each individual if they feel safe to participate and take cold weather precautions.
Extra Rules and Safety
TRAIN TRACKS
REMEMBER, as always volunteers must be obeyed at the train tracks on Otway Rd. It is for your own safety that we ask runners to stop and wait. Don’t worry about your time – we account for this delay if it happens.
If you do not listen to volunteers you will be DISQUALIFIED.
Mandatory skate Helmet
Helmets are required!!! Any kind of helmet will do: bike helmet, hockey helmet, speed skating helmet. You will not be allowed to skate without one.
If you do not wear a helmet you will be DISQUALIFIED.
HEAD PHONES
Due to safety concerns we have encountered over the past few years participants are NOT PERMITTED to wear headphones during the event.
If you wear head phones you will be DISQUALIFIED.
10KM ROUTE SAFETY
PARENTS OF JUNIOR COMPETITORS!!!
A quick reminder: Please be mindful of runners along the 10km route while you are picking up and dropping off your children at the 5km transition, much like crossing a road please look both ways before crossing along the route as 10km runners will be running through and collisions could happen.
