Before the snow flies and the Kamview Nordic Centre is taken over by cross country skiers and snowshoers, local runners will have one last chance to hit the trails.
The 19th annual Kamview Fresh Air Off Road Half-Marathon will take place on Sunday, Oct. 22, with runners making three laps around a 7-kilometre trail for a 21-kilometre jaunt.
While this marks the last major event for Kamview’s Fresh Air Trail Run series, which takes place from late May until early November, it is also a major fundraising event for the Nordic Centre.
“The money that we raise goes towards keeping everything operational here,” Kamview general manager Dave Suttie said. “That’s really important for us as there’s not a lot of money coming through during the summer.
“For a lot of the runners that come out, its really a wind-up for them and all of the running that they do here during the course of the year. We have a pretty good following that come out here.”
Suttie says this year’s course is a medium challenge one compared to previous runs.
“It’s not going to be up in the Lookout areas where it’s pretty hilly,” Suttie added. “It’s going run down through our Northern Lights trail, the Sunup and down into the Meadows and Aspen trails.
“Most of the leaves are probably going to be gone by that point, but it is a really scenic area where the runners are going to be.”
The meet will also be held in conjunction with Kamview’s annual ski swap, which runs from Oct. 20-21.
“It’s kind of a mix of both worlds really,” Suttie said. “You have people coming in and thinking about the skiing season, then you have people checking out the trails and enjoying the half marathon.
“It’s really a good chance for those that haven’t been here to check everything out if they are interested in coming here when the snow starts.”
Registration information for the run can be found on Kamview’s website. An early bird deadline of $30 expires on Oct. 20, and there will be no registration held on the day of the event.
Bib pickup takes place from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Oct. 22, with the meet itself getting underway with a mass start at 10.
