Runners and walkers headed out to Destination Battlefords early Saturday morning to take part in the eighth annual Fin Island Trail Run. Registrants for the free run were given the choice between five kilometres, 10km and 19km distances and there was also a one kilometre kids’ race.
This outing marks Fin Island Trail Run's largest showing to date with around 180 registrants in total participating in the multiple distance designations. This is an increase from averages from the past five years where turnout numbers have been around 100 to 150 runners and walkers, says one of the race's organizers Jes Kohut.
Kohut says the philosophy behind the race is "no matter where you are in life financially, socially or physically you can participate in the Fin Island Trail Run for free and enjoy exercise in the great outdoors with other people."
When Kohut and fellow organizers Sandra Favel Rewerts, Erin Koblesky, Kate Hildebrand and Lynn Brightwell started the Fin Island Trail Run in 2009, it was as part of a celebration following the completion of Always in Motion a program that helped motivate people to include physical activity in their daily lives. Now Kohut says, they want to show the community what the Battlefords have to offer.
"Even people in our community don't know about our trail system here and (the race) is a great way for them to get to know it so they don't feel lost," she says. "We have beautiful trails along Finlayson Island and the north shore that are maintained for us."
While the past Fin Island Trail Runs have focused on introducing people to the area's natural landscape, "this year," Kohut says, "we decided to do some fundraising, so we had the Boys and Girls Club fundraising for two days, the race package pickup day on Friday and the race on Saturday.
"It's something to think about for next year because the race is free, but this can be a way to give back to the community."
This year may be the highest turnout for the Fin Island Run to date, but Kohut and her fellow organizers are already planning ways to continue to improve the event, beginning with sponsorship partnerships.
"We were slow on the advertising (at the beginning) but now that we have some good partners we are becoming more known." Kohut says. "Definitely we want to get bigger for next year."
Since partnering with Destination Battlefords last year, Kohut says advertising and getting the word out on the Fin Island run has picked up.
"(Destination Battlefords) made a video for us just for Facebook and I believe it got something like 30,000 views, so that got out there pretty quickly and we're getting more known," Kohut says.
She's also noticed an increase of awareness about the run in the community.
"People who don't even want to go in the run are talking about it, so it is getting bigger in that way as well," she says.
For many people, the words "run" and "five kilometres," let alone 10km and 19km, can be daunting, but Kohut says "the trails for the most part are pretty flat" and people can "walk, run, it doesn't matter. It's really about the spirit of the race and having fun."
And it's not just people participating in the race who can come out to have fun. Volunteer Karen Highton dressed up as a clown to cheer racers on as they climbed the last hill of the route just before the finish line at Destination Battlefords.
Kohut says everyone is welcome, be that participating, volunteering or even spectating, and can find out more information about next year's race at www.finislandtrailrun.com.
