The 35th Annual Half Marathon plus 8, organized by the Rupert Runners, is set to proceed this Sunday, April 10.
The half marathon begins at 1 p.m. and the eight km race goes just after at 2 p.m. at the Lester Centre of the Arts.
A two-person relay is also an option for those not inclined to run the half marathon or the eight km race. Walkers are also welcome for the eight km event.
“A lot of runners use this event as their test run for the Skeena River Relay. It’s a half marathon from the Lester Centre to Galloway Rapids and back,” said organizer Kathy Murphy, who co-managed the event last year.
“You can also do half of it in a relay. Last year we had freezing rain and still had close to 90 people. We are hoping for sunshine this year.”
Many of this race’s participants are in Rupert Runners’ Learn to Run program, a weekly cardio training program that has members run through the city three times a week. The program runs for 13 weeks and culminates on May 7 with the Crest Glory Days race. More information can be found at the Rupert Runners club website.
“Our biggest thank-you goes out to the participants, for coming out and doing the run, it’s about the people who come out and run. It’s a fun run and your only competition is yourself,” said Murphy.
For Sunday’s event no headsets will be allowed due to safety concerns. The permit to run on the road is to run with the traffic, which is a bit different than how people normally run, and no support vehicles will be allowed.
“We don’t encourage the youngest participants in the race because it is on the highway. It’s about caution and safety, as your back is to the traffic,” Murphy commented.
There will be medals for the first three individuals in each category, and the first-place relay team in each category. Prizes are donated generously by local businesses. “I wouldn’t want to single anyone out that donated, so thanks go out to all donors,” said Murphy. Registration takes place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at the civic centre and Sunday from noon to 1:45 p.m. at the Lester Centre. Registration forms can also be emailed or arranged for picked up through Murphy at 250-600-0071 or at kathymurphy98@gmail.com. More information can be found at www.rupertrunners.com
