Against the spectacular back drop of the Canadian Rockies, athletes from across North America will be competing in the sixth annual Subaru Banff Triathlon on Saturday September 12 2015. The setting for the race could not be more scenic, with the swim taking place in Two Jack Lake, the bike race around the stunning Minnewanka Loop and then into the town of Banff, followed by the run along the banks of the Bow River, with the finish on Banff Avenue in the heart of downtown Banff.

Course Distances

The race will include three distances, with the Olympic distance starting with a 1.5km swim, followed by a 38km bike ride and finishing with a 10km run, and the shorter Sprint distance including a 750m swim, 25km bike ride and 5km run. There will also be a Super Sprint distance which includes a 400m swim, 12km bike ride and 5km run. There will also be relay teams competing in all distances.

Course Map

Our interactive Banff Triathlon Map shows an overview of the full course, as well as all start and transition zones and allows you to zoom in to view detailed close ups of any section of the course. To view the Banff triathlon course map, click here.

Start Times

The race starts with the swim at Two Jack Lake with the Sprint Waves starting at 10.00am and 10.03am, the Super Sprint Waves at 10.10am and 10.13am and the Olympic Waves at 10.30am and 10.34am. With the 2012 winner of the Super Sprint completing the course in just over 56 minutes, you can expect the first racers to cross the finish line not long after 10.50am.
Previous winning times for the Olympic distance have been in the 1hr 50mins to 2hr range.

For further information about the race, visit the official race website.

Cycling enthusiasts will be flocking to Banff National Park from June 12-15 for the 2014 Bike Fest road bike racing event. Taking place over 4 exciting days, Bike Fest 2014 will comprise 5 races, 4 of which will be in and around the town of Banff, with one race starting further west in Lake Louise.
Each race course route can be seen on the Banff Bike Fest map, an interactive Google map showing all the courses as well as the start and finish areas for each event.

Cascade Shops Prologue – June 12

This is a 1.5 km steep climb with approx 100m of elevation gain starting from the corner of Buffalo Street and Otter Street, heading up Buffalo Street past Surprise Corner onto Tunnel Mountain Drive and ending at the corner of Tunnel Mountain Drive and St Julien Way, behind the Banff Centre. The race starts at 6pm and riders will start individually every 30 seconds.

Lake Louise Road Race – June 13

Starting and finishing in Lake Louise, the majority of this 64 km race takes place on the Bow Valley Parkway, Highway 1A, heading east from Lake Louise past Castle Junction as far as Johnson Canyon Campground area where racers will turn around and head west back along the Bow Valley Parkway to Lake Louise. The race starts at the Lake Louise Recreation Centre on Village Road at 9.30am for Cat 1/2 Men, 9.45am for Cat 3/4, and 10am for the Open Women category. The race finish is 1km east of the 1A Exit to Lake Louise.

Individual Time Trial (ITT) – June 14

Taking an out and back route along the scenic Vermilion Lakes Road, the Time Trial sees cyclists racing against the clock on an 8 km course starting and ending at the start of Vermilion Lakes Road off Mt Norquay Road on the edge of the town of Banff. The race starts at 8am with riders leaving every 30 seconds.

Criterium – June 14

One of the most exciting races of Bike Fest, and also one of the most popular for spectators, the Criterium involves racing multiple loops of a short 1 km circuit with tight turns and fast moving action in downtown Banff, counterclockwise along Banff Avenue, Wolf St, Beaver St and Moose St. The races kick off with the Cat 5 riders at 4.00pm who will be riding 25 laps of the course, followed at approx 4.45pm by Cat 4 racers riding 26 laps, 5.30pm Cat 3 racers riding 30 laps, 6.15pm the Open Women category riding 30 laps, and culminating in the fastest and longest race of the evening with Cat 1/2 Men racing 50 laps of the course, starting at approx 7.10pm.*
*Start times are estimated.

Little Crits & Cruiser Crit
Preceding the Criterium on June 14 are two fun bike races for anyone to join in. Starting at 2.30pm the Balkan Restaurant Little Crits gives kids up to 11 yrs the chance to race on the Criterium course while raising funds for Banff Elementary School. With the styles of bike as varied as the costumes of the riders, the Cruise for a Cause is a fund raising event which is as comical for the spectators as for the participants, starting at 3.00pm.

Tunnel Mountain Road Race – June 15

The last race of Banff National Park Bike Fest 2014, Tunnel Mountain Road Race starts from the corner of Beaver Street and Wolf Street and takes racers onto Banff Ave as far as Rocky Mountain Resort where a right turn leads uphill onto Tunnel Mountain Road which loops past the Hoodoos Lookout and Tunnel Mountain Campground, left at Buffalo Mountain Lodge onto Tunnel Mountain Drive around the back of the Banff Centre, with an exciting descent past Surprise Corner and back into town. The race is split into 3 different categories with Cat 3/4 starting at 7am, Open Women starting at 7.02am, and Cat 1/2 Men starting at 10.10am. The first 2 groups will be racing 78 km (6 laps) while the race distance for Cat 1/2 Men will be 130 km (10 laps).

To view the start and finish points for the above races as well as the routes the races will take, see the Bike Fest course map.

From January 14 to February 12 2012 Banff SnowDays winter festival will bring a whole host of exciting winter activities and events to the town of Banff and other venues in Banff National Park. Like Jasper in January, a popular annual event in Jasper Alberta, SnowDays is a chance to celebrate everything that is wonderful about winter in the Canadian Rockies. While skiing and snowboarding are already extremely popular activities for winter visitors to Banff, SnowDays introduces some new ways to enjoy and appreciate the winter months, with story telling, outdoor skating, curling, mountain films, wildlife walks, live entertainment and street hockey joining existing events and festivals such as Celebrity Ski and the Ice Magic Festival.

Banff SnowDays Events & Activities

Banff Snow Days kicks off with the Fairmont Banff Springs Celebrity Sports Invitational, otherwise known as Celebrity Ski on Thursday January 12 2012. Taking place until January 15, Celebrity Ski brings together Hollywood stars such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Alec Baldwin at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel with skiing, snowboarding and other fun events at Sunshine Village in aid of the Waterkeeper Alliance.
The same weekend, the Mountain Adventure Festival will take place on January 14 and 15 with ice climbing in downtown Banff, outdoor skating, snow carving, and mountain adventure stories.
January 20-22 sees the first weekend of the Ice Magic Festival in Lake Louise where masterpieces will be carved from huge blocks of ice, while on Jan 21 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel there’s a chance to join a free guided hike with Parks Canada to learn how to identify wildlife tracks. Kids will love meeting sled dogs on the evening of Jan 21, and on Sunday January 22 the famous Lake Louise to Banff Loppet cross country ski race will take place.
On the evening of Friday January 27 the hilarious Cardboard Sled Derby takes place at Mount Norquay and on Janury 28 and 29 the second weekend of the Ice Magic Festival takes place with an emphasis on family fun for the Little Chippers. Also on Jan 28 is a talk about bear safety courtesy of Parks Canada, and that night you’ll have the opportunity to join the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada for an evening of star gazing.
Saturday February 4 sees the Dave Irwin Dash for Cash at Sunshine Village, free snowshoeing lessons at the Fairmont Banff Springs golf course, and fireside stories about Norman Sanson at the Banff Park Museum. On Sunday February 5 visit the Mary Schaffer Story Tent to hear historical stories about early explorations in Banff National Park.
For something completely different, on the final weekend of Banff SnowDays, why not go and see the Victorian Soldier Drumming and Firing Demonstration on the evening of Friday February 10. One of the highlights of Banff Snow Days 2012 has to be the street ball hockey tournament taking place on Banff Avenue throughout the day on February 11 and 12, and for a historical perspective on Canada’s national game there’s also the opportunity to see a Victorian Hockey Demonstration on Feb 11 at the Banff Community High School Outdoor Rink.

The above SnowDays activities are just a small selection of what’s on offer throughout this exciting winter festival, and you will find a full schedule of events by visiting www.banfflakelouise.com.

Find a Banff Hotel

In general, Banff hotels do not offer special packages or deals specifically for SnowDays, however if you need accommodations during this winter festival you can simply click here and enter your dates to see rates and availability for a selection of hotels in Banff.

If you are planning to celebrate New Years in the Canadian Rockies, Lake Louise is well worth having on your shortlist of potential destinations. With attractive hotel packages, awe inspiring scenery, and world class skiing on your doorstep, New Years in Lake Louise is sure to provide an experience to remember.
If you are looking for a New Year package at a Lake Louise hotel, we have listed some interesting options below:

New Years at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

Surrounded by magnificent views on the shore of Lake Louise, the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise boasts an idyllic location for any occasion, and will indeed be a memorable place to celebrate New Year’s Eve 2012. Throughout the Christmas and New Year period the hotel is offering a special Holiday Package which includes your hotel accommodation, one sleigh ride per stay, daily breakfast, and self parking. The package is valid from December 1 2012 to January 17 2013 with rates starting at $329 per room per night.

In true Fairmont style, the Chateau Lake Louise has a wide variety of fun activities and events taking place during the holiday period, with several options for both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day:

New Year’s Eve Dinner Buffet – December 31
In the Victoria Ballroom, a family friendly New Year’s Eve dinner buffet will be offered on December 31 2012.
5.30-6.30pm first seating (recommended for families)
8.00-9.00pm second seating
Adults $89, Children 6-12 yrs $44.50

New Year’s Eve Family Fair – December 31
A special party for the children in the Mount Temple Wing with face painting, balloon artist, bouncy castle and other exciting kids’ entertainment. Kids must be accompanied by parents.
7.30-10.30pm

Fairview Dining Room – December 31
An adult only New Years celebration featuring a four course New Year’s Eve menu.
5.30-10.00pm
Adults $99

Glacier Saloon – December 31
See in 2013 in a fun pub style atmosphere in the Glacier Saloon, including a live DJ. (not recommended for children)
10pm-2am

Lakeview Lounge – December 31
A sophisticated venue for enjoying your favorite drink and celebrating New Year’s Eve.
9pm-12.30am

New Year’s Day Brunch – January 1
For your first meal of 2013, the famous New Year brunch at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is sure to please the whole family, with an impressive buffet including children’s specialties, taking place in the Victoria Dining Room.
1st Seating 10.00-11.00am
2nd Seating 12.30-1.30pm
Adults $59, Children 6-12 yrs $29.50

As well as the dining options above, there is a whole host of festive activities taking place at the Chateau Lake Louise on December 31 and January 1 including Ice Walks, Snowshoeing, Cross Country Skiing, Mitten Making, and a Children’s Pool Party.

New Year at the Lake Louise Inn

At the time of writing, the Lake Louise Inn still has rooms available over the New Year period. To check current availability and rates, click here.
If you are interested in a special package, the Lake Louise Inn also has a 1 night deal for New Years, which includes accommodation for one night, plus a New Year’s Eve dinner buffet for 2 adults. This package is valid for arrivals on December 31 only and rates start at $219.

Deer Lodge New Year’s Eve

Deer Lodge is offering a one night special package for New Year’s Eve. The New Year’s Eve Extravaganza Package includes accommodations for one night, plus a gala dinner with a glass of sparkling wine and DJ entertainment on December 31 and a buffet breakfast on New Year’s Day, with rooms starting at $394.
To check room only availability at Deer Lodge click here.

*The above rates are generally based on double occupancy, are subject to applicable taxes, subject to availability, and subject to change without notice. To check current rates and availability please use the links provided.