 | Home page |  | Text size |  | E-mail this page |
Poised for a midnight run High participation expected for annual event this weekend
Shawn Giilck
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, June 20, 2013
INUVIK
Get set to run into the non-existent sunset like a phoenix this weekend during the Midnight Sun Fun Run.
The Inuvik Midnight Sun Fun Run is coming up this weekend. Recreation co-ordinator Rose Constantineau says it's one of the more anticipated events of the summer. - Shawn Giilck/NNSL photo
|
The annual walk and run is back in town Saturday night and Sunday morning. As always, it's a somewhat unique chance to bask in the endless days of Delta. There aren't many places where runners and walkers can say they did a race at midnight in full daylight, after all.
"Basically the run happens every year on the Saturday closest to the summer solstice (this year that is June 22) as a fun event for people to get out and enjoy a 'bucket list' item, running under the midnight sun," said organizer Rose Constantineau, the town's recreation co-ordinator.
"As well as local people, we usually get a few every year from out of town that come up during this time specifically to be a part of the run. We see elderly, adults, youth, toddlers and even pets have been a part of the run. We usually have approximately 80 runners each year – last year we saw a little less than that due to rain – and have actually seen a rise in our youth numbers over the last year or two, mostly track and field kids, which is really great."
The run begins at Jim Koe Park, then heads down Veterans Way and up Navy Road to just outside of Stanton's, Constantineau said. Runners in the five-km race loop back in that direction while the 10-km runners head out to Marine Bypass Road to Cairn Road and then run past the hospital back into town.
The half-marathon takes participants out to the weigh scale on the Dempster Highway and back.
"We do our best to keep people's times as it's nice for them to be able to look back on the year before to compare the difference," Constantineau said. "We do look for volunteers. They are a huge part of this event and are awesome as sometimes we are out to 1 or 2 a.m. to help out with water stations, registrations tables, T-shirts, time keeping and set up and take down.
"We usually start our racers off in a fashion so that they are either running or just finishing around midnight," she added.
The half-marathon is set to start at 11 p.m., with the 10-km race at 11:30 p.m. and the five-km at midnight.
Registration forms can be found at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex front desk.
| 
