Actif Epica is an outdoor winter race that starts in St. Malo, Emerson or Ridgeville, and ends at The Forks in Winnipeg.

Participants follow the Crow Wing Trail, which is part of the TransCanada Trail.

Lynn Estes from Minneapolis, MinnesotaThe 7th annual marathon is said to be a celebration of human resilience for cyclists and runners while tackling Manitoba's frozen winter landscape.

Marathon runners can start Friday night from Ridgeville, or from Emerson early Saturday morning.

Lynn Estes, a 60-year-old man from Minnesota, will start his cycling trip from St. Malo on Saturday.

He said it will take him 14 to 18 hours to arrive at The Forks, noting he will stop at checkstops and rest periodically.  

"There are checkpoints that we stop at to refuel a bit, to make sure that everything is all warm enough to continue," said Estes.

The route Estes has chosen is a 120 km long, but outdoor cycling marathons are nothing new for him. He's taken part in Actif Epica before, as well as other winter races including Arrowhead 135, Tuscobia Winter Ultra, and Iditarod Trail Invitational.

Estes competed in a winter race earlier this year

Estes has a problematic shoulder but isn't letting it get in the way. He hopes to stay active as long as possible.

"I don't want to think about being too old to do it, but every time I do I'm so drained at the end, it's like, 'Boy I don't know how I made it through that."

He said if he ever feels too old to race, he will likely volunteer. But, for now, Estes is looking forward to racing and sounds optimistic about the weather.

"I think that it's a great event and I really like the people who put it on," he said. "Canadians in general just seem to be so nice."

People do the event for various reasons, said Scott Wiebe of Winnipeg, who is a committee member of Actif Epica.

"Some people are racing. Other people, the objective is just to finish and to learn how much they can achieve personally in our harsh winter environment," Wiebe explained.

He said some people rest at checkpoints longer than others. The stops are located in curling clubs or town halls of communities along the way.

"A part of our intention is to celebrate the communities in Southern Manitoba," said Wiebe.

Committee Member Scott Wiebe of Winnipeg. Scott has family ties to the Altona area, as well as Morden.