Personal Peak MTU™ Showdown

About:  The MTU™ Showdown is a FREE event that begins on January 1st, 2022, and racers will have 6 months to complete the footrace that follows one of three virtual routes through Canada’s Rocky Mountains.

How the Showdown works: Racers will track their daily activity and then be matched to one of the three different virtual routes. As they hit virtual distance milestones that correspond with real waypoints on our course map, they will be sent a video from one of our Tour Guides! These videos will either give them a tour of the place that they have virtually arrived at, or provide them with some tips, or information to help them on their journey!

Learn more about the MTU™ Showdown.

MTU™ Showdown Tour Guides

Are you a local Runner, Race, or Business? Volunteer to become a tour guide!

We believe that the Tour Guides will be the best part of this challenge! They will truly bring the experience to life and allow us to draw attention to the amazing humans in our Alberta Running community (you).

How does it work? Submit an application for one of the available waypoints below. Once approved, record a short video, and that’s it! We will do all the editing, and when each racer passes your waypoint, they will be sent your video to bring the course to life!

Do you live, work, or know all about one of the waypoints? Awesome! Take the racers on a tour, and show off what makes that place so special! Check out Travel and Community guides below.

Can’t physically get to a waypoint? No problem! Be an adventure guide, and teach the racers something that will help them on their journey! Check out Adventure Guides below.

Example Tour Guide Videos

Adventure Guide

(help|teach) The adventure guide is there to help you on your journey. They have looked at where you are headed next on your route, and they are going to teach you some important information or skill that will help you get to your next destination safely.

Travel Guide

(interest|inform) A travel guide is your standard tourist attraction guide. They may take you on a tour of a specific attraction or a site of interest. They provide interesting information or take you on a tour so you can learn more about that particular destination and or interesting fact about it’s history.

Community Guide

(connect|belong) A community guide acts like a host or hostess. If you imagine you just arrived in a new town, the community guide is there to help by showing you around, giving you the inside scoop on all the best places to run, where all the runners like to hang out, where’s the best place to grab a beer, where should you go if you want to find a group to run with?
The community guide has all the answers!

ABOUT TOUR GUIDES

What do we need from you?

Pick up to four Waypoints you would like to be the official tour guide for
Choose whether you’d like to be an Adventure Guide, a Travel Guide, or a Community Guide
Fill out the application form. Applications are approved on a first come first serve basis.

Once approved, make a short 3-10 minute video
Submit your video and information

That’s it!

Deadline: October 1, 2021

What we will do

We will add the intro, music, and the end card with your logo and links on it
We will then upload your video unlisted to the Personal Peak YouTube channel
Your video along with the information you provided will then be embedded onto the Personal Peak website on a unique waypoint page for your destination
We will send participants the link to the unique waypoint page when they pass your waypoint

As the challenge is 26 weeks long, and there are 26 waypoints per route, at the end of each week, we will share one new waypoint page, so that anyone who is unable to participate physically, may still take part in the virtual travel experience.

Applications will be accepted on a first-come first-served basis. Please expect 2 business days for review.
Once approved, you will have until October 1, 2021 to record and submit your video.

Available Waypoints

Dates and Deadlines

Tour Guide Applications: Open Now

Video Submission Deadline: October 1, 2021

Race Start: January 1, 2022

Frequently Asked Questions

I don't have any fancy camera gear, can I still participate?

Absolutely! Even the example videos were just filmed on an iPhone!
That’s all you need to participate!

I don't know how to edit videos, can I still participate?

Absolutely! If you don’t know how to edit any video clips together, you can always record your video in one single take.

Alternatively, there are tons of free phone, web, or desktop based video editing apps you can try out!

What is the selection criteria?

Tour Guide applications will be reviewed on a first-come first-served basis within 2 business days. We have no restrictions on who can apply to be a Tour Guide, but if greater than one applicant applies for the same waypoint within the same time frame, we do have priorities on how we will offer approval. Our priorities are a combination of racer experience and the following selection criteria:

  1. Stakeholders 
    • Stakeholders are organizations that have a stake in how people conduct themselves in these spaces. Virtual or not, drawing attention to these spaces can also draw real humans as well, and if we have the potential to increase the attention of these places, we need to ensure that those affected have every opportunity to participate
  2. Races that are directly located on one of the routes
  3. Running businesses
    • Includes races that are close to but not located directly on one of the routes
  4. Other local businesses that are related to or support our running industry
  5. Runners!

Does it cost anything to become a Tour Guide?

No. Participating as a Tour Guide is absolutely free.

Can I be a Tour Guide for multiple waypoints?

Yes! You can be a Tour Guide for up to four waypoints.

Apply to be an Official Tour Guide!

Meet Some of Our Tour Guides!