St. Albert’s annual road race is on pace to surpass last year’s registrations for next Sunday’s 10-miler.
Race director Donald Fairweather estimated 400 runners had signed up for the 27th annual event.
“The numbers are definitely coming up. We’re much better than we were last year, which is good,” Fairweather said Wednesday. “Obviously the bigger the numbers the better.”
Last year 515 runners entered the race, 210 less than in 2010. The course record of 976 was set in 1998.
“We had a poor year regarding numbers. The year before, because it was the 25th anniversary, a lot of people raced that one because it was a special event,” Fairweather said before the snowstorm that hit St. Albert overnight Wednesday. “The weather last year was also awful. People didn’t get the training in. This year the weather has been very good, so we can’t complain. People have had a great chance to get out there and train. It’s been ideal conditions.”
The inaugural Leading Edge RunWild Marathon in St. Albert in May also cut into last year’s registration totals.
“People just said they would run one or the another so it did affect our numbers,” Fairweather said.
This year’s race includes a six-kilometre fun run and about 20 people have entered.
“We’re not expecting big numbers but we’re hoping for between 50 and 100 for the first year,” Fairweather said.
The fun run begins five minutes after the start of the 10-miler from the back of Grandin mall.
“It’s basically the second half of the course so they’re not going to be in the way of the elite runners who are doing the 10-miler. They will be finished by the time the 10-miler is completed,” said Fairweather.
He hopes the shorter distance will encourage more people to run.
“So many people feel the 10-miler is quite elitist and it is. It’s a very competitive race and we do draw a very high calibre of athlete, which is wonderful. But early in the season 10 miles running fast for some of your casual runners is possibly too much. Six kilometres might be right for them,” he said. “We may also get a few more younger people looking at doing this as a fun event.”
Online registrations for the 10-miler and fun run at www.eventsonline.ca ends next Wednesday at 6 p.m. Registrations will also take place in Grandin mall, prior to the 9:30 a.m. start on Grandin Road. Visit www.starrt.com for more information.
Registration forms are also available at the Tech Shop in Edmonton, Kinsmen Sport Centre, Cranky’s Bike Shop, Sturgeon Valley Athletic Club (SVAC), all race sponsors and the Running Room. They can be dropped off with the correct cash or cheque at SVAC only.
Fairweather was waiting for confirmation from last year’s winners, Travis McKay and Sarah Bergeron, if they will defend their titles. McKay repeated as the fastest racer with a time of 52 minutes and 59 seconds. Bergeron was the top female at 61:47 for 21st place overall out of 422 finishers.
This year’s field includes Dennis Colburn, a five-time champion and the first winner in race history, and 2009 winners Brian Torrance and Tara Struyk.
Also entered are four of the top-10 male finishers in 2011 – Pat Kong (fourth), David Brown (sixth), David Corbett (eighth) and Travis Cunnings (tenth) – and Kristin Baker, the second-fastest female last year.
The 10-miler, hosted by the St. Albert Roadrunners and Triathlon Club, is sanctioned by Athletics Alberta and is among the first races on the TIMEX Canadian Road Race Series.
“It really is an excellent race. We get great sponsorship from our local companies and the volunteers always come out in numbers whatever the weather is like and that’s fantastic to have,” Fairweather said.
