More than any other day this year, May 11 felt like spring, making it a perfectly appropriate day for the 30th annual Spring Run Off. Lake Annette sparkled in the sunlight as runners paced themselves through a 10-kilometre run around the lake and through the surrounding forests.
For most runners in town, the race鈥攈osted by Totem Ski Shop and Jasper Source for Sports鈥攎arks the beginning of the season, and offers the perfect opportunity to see where their fitness stands after the winter.
鈥淓veryone can get off the couch and run this one,鈥� said fourth place finisher Joe Urie, explaining that the relatively short run is the perfect distance for fierce competitors and hobbyists alike.
Watching finishers trickle in last Sunday鈥攖wo middle-aged women holding hands as they crossed together, or young kids running alongside their parents鈥攊t was easy to get a sense of the scope of participants.
It ranged from first place finisher Jean-Yves Doucet, who blasted through the course and finished with a time of 37:46, to young Magnus Stenlund who finished in 50:49 to municipal councillor Helen Kelleher-Empey, who clocked in at 123:21.
In the spirit of Mother鈥檚 Day, a mom even ran the whole course pushing her two kids in a stroller.
Victor Vassallo is one of the race鈥檚 organizers. He said that over the past few years he鈥檚 noticed a big jump in participation, which he attributes to an increased interest in running, as well as the fact that race organizers have started giving out running t-shirts as part of the $25 entry fee.
鈥淭here will be 20 people who are racing, and then there will be another 140 people that are running with their buddy that they run with every Sunday, or their kids will be riding their bike beside them.
I think it鈥檚 just a reason to get outside and enjoy some fresh air on a Sunday, so it鈥檚 really neat to see the demographics of people that come for the race,鈥� he said.
And although the race has been gaining popularity over the years, Vassallo admits it hasn鈥檛 always been smooth sailing. In the 17 years he鈥檚 been part of the race, there have been many hiccups鈥攕now, wind storms and even wolves have caused delays.
Not too long ago, he said, someone missed their posting at a critical traffic point and everyone ran off into the woods the wrong way. Even at last Sunday鈥檚 race a bear showed up near the course, causing temporary panic amongst the organizers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not without its bumps, so to speak,鈥� Vassallo said.
Karl Peetoom has been running the race for years, and May 11 said that despite鈥攐r maybe even because of鈥攖he occasional hiccups, the race has become a favourite tradition amongst Jasper鈥檚 runners, and now acts like a 鈥渞ight of passage for spring.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of fun; I love it,鈥� he said.
For a complete list of race participants and their results, visit Totem Ski Shop鈥檚 Facebook page.
Trevor Nichols
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