Hundreds of St. Albert-area athletes will run, jump, crawl, and splash their way through a hilly forest near Calahoo this Sept. 7 in support of Sturgeon County seniors.
Some 200 to 300 athletes and 100 volunteers from across the St. Albert–Sturgeon County region will race through an obstacle course Sept. 7 as part of the eighth annual West Country Hearth Attack. Established in 2014, the race is a fundraiser for the West Country Hearth seniors’ facility in Villeneuve.
This year’s race will once again see competitors run through a six-kilometre course that passes through fields, forests, and muck on an 80-acre property near Calahoo, said co-organizer Shallen Moore.
“What’s really unique about this course is the Calahoo hills,” Moore said, which are both steep and abrupt.
“They kind of sneak up on you.”
Scattered along this course will be about 20 obstacles, most of which were still under construction when the Gazette spoke to Moore. She said this year’s race could see athletes scale ropes, sprint across logs, climb eight foot walls, and slog through mud or water.
Moore said the obstacles are generally pretty doable, as the race is designed for anyone aged 14 and up, and can be completed with the help of teammates. Athletes can also skip an obstacle by making a $5 “Hearth bypass” donation to West Country Hearth or performing 15 burpees (an arduous exercise that combines a squat, push-up, and a jump).
“Our fastest runners can do [the course] in about half an hour,” Moore said, with more relaxed ones finishing after about two hours.
Moore said athletes can expect hordes of guests to cheer them on throughout the course, especially near the finish line, where several obstacles will be clustered around the beer gardens. The fastest runners will take home trophies and other prizes.
Sturgeon Community Hospital emergency physician Madeleine Woods is one of the hundreds of athletes who signed up for this year’s race. She’ll be running with about 20 of her fellow physicians as a member of the Sturgeon ER Shock Jocks — a reference to the defibrillators they sometimes use on patients.
“Our team mascot is a defibrillator that’s flexing,” she said, adding that they have printed it on t-shirts and stickers for the race.
Woods said the team hasn’t done much training to prepare for this year’s race, but planned to get through it with teamwork and team spirit.
“If that involves literally stepping on each other’s backs, we will do that.”
Woods said the race was a fun team-building exercise and encouraged others to run it.
Moore said entry into the Hearth Attack is $80, all of which goes to West Country Hearth. Athletes are encouraged to raise additional funds, with every $50 raised earning them a chance to win prizes. Organizers hope to raise $50,000 for West Country Hearth at this year’s race.
Moore encouraged athletes to register by Sept. 4 if they wanted an official timing chip for the top times competitions. Anyone who wants to register after then should email her at [email protected].
Heats for the Hearth Attack begin at 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and noon Sept. 7. Racers must be at the start line 45 minutes prior to the start of their heat. Visit www.westcountryhearthattack.com for details.
