RBC GranFondo Whistler: routes and how to prepare
- Distance
- 123 km
- Climbing
- 2,238 m
- Highest point
- 679 m
- Categorised climbs
- 15 · up to 14 %
- Shape
- Point to point
Measured on the course you ride in Cycloscape. The organiser's own figures are below.
Elevation profile
5–679 m · 15 categorised climbsThe 6 biggest of 15 categorised climbs, in the order you ride them.
The RBC GranFondo Whistler is a point-to-point ride from Vancouver to Whistler on a traffic-free lane of the Sea to Sky Highway, held on the first Saturday after Labour Day in September. The Fondo is 122 km, the Forte 146 km and the Medio 55 km, starting and finishing in Whistler. The 2027 date has not been published yet.
RBC GranFondo Whistler at a glance
- Where
- Vancouver – Whistler, Canada
- Official website
- rbcgranfondo.com ↗
- Next edition
- Date to be confirmed by the organiser
- Routes
- Forte: 146 km · Fondo: 122 km · Medio (Whistler): 55 km
- Terrain
- Mountain — long climbs
- Facts checked
- 4 November 2026, against the sources below
Full preparation and course training require Event Coach Pro.
Ride the real course on your trainer. The route of RBC GranFondo Whistler, 123 km, as a 3D world, with your trainer following its gradients — any day, and as part of your Event Coach plan. Part of Cycloscape Pro.
The routes
The RBC GranFondo Whistler offers 3 routes.
| Route | Distance | Climbing |
|---|---|---|
| Forte | 146 km | — |
| Fondo | 122 km | — |
| Medio (Whistler) | 55 km | — |
What the course asks of you
The Sea to Sky Highway climbs from sea level in Vancouver to Whistler in the Coast Mountains, along Howe Sound and up through Squamish. The climbing is gradual and long rather than steep, with the longest drags in the second half, after Squamish.
A point-to-point ride that gains height all day rewards an even effort: ride the first, flatter hour steadily and save your best for the long climbs towards Whistler.
How to prepare
The general shape of a good preparation, which Event Coach turns into a plan for your fitness, time and date:
- Train long climbs: steady efforts of 30 to 60 minutes just below your threshold match the cols of the RBC GranFondo Whistler far better than short intervals.
- Build the long day: rides of five to seven hours in the final two months, towards the 146 km of the route you choose.
- Practise eating and drinking on a schedule, and descending: a mountain day is as much going down as going up.
Pacing mistakes to avoid
The mistakes that cost riders the most on a day like this:
- Treating the first climb of the RBC GranFondo Whistler as a race: a long col ridden above the pace you can hold for hours costs you the rest of the day.
- Saving nothing for the last climb, where the most kilometres are already in your legs.
- Skipping food on the descents: the next climb starts with what you ate on the way down.
Prepare the RBC GranFondo Whistler with Cycloscape
Tell Event Coach you are doing the RBC GranFondo Whistler, your route and what you want from the day, and it builds your preparation: structured workouts held by your trainer in ERG, Race Pacing for how to spend your effort, and Performance Lab to see whether the work is landing. Full preparation and course training require Event Coach Pro.
Frequently asked
When is the RBC GranFondo Whistler?
The organiser has not announced the next edition's date yet. Event Coach lets you set your own target date until it does.
How long are the routes of the RBC GranFondo Whistler?
Forte: 146 km; Fondo: 122 km; Medio (Whistler): 55 km. The routes as the organiser lists them.
How many riders take part?
5,100 riders in 2024, according to the organiser.
Can I ride the course of the RBC GranFondo Whistler in Cycloscape?
Yes, inside Event Coach with Cycloscape Pro: once you start your preparation, the course is ridden on your trainer as part of the plan.