Outdoor enthusiasts will kick-off spring in west-coast style with an adventure along a section of the Sunshine Coast Trail.
The 31st running of the qathet region's Marathon Shuffle is scheduled to start at 9 am on Sunday, April 28. Registration for this year’s event opens on February 1. The field will be limited to 225 and is expected to fill early.
“Here’s your opportunity to put those 2024 fitness resolutions to the test,” stated Ean Jackson, one of the organizers of this year’s Marathon Shuffle, in a media release. “We’re aiming to welcome more than 200 hikers and runners this year in what could be the largest field in the 31-year history of the shuffle.”
Volunteers on the organizing team have been working evenings and weekends to make the event something that will bring together the community and showcase the Sunshine Coast Trail.
The 27-kilometre event will start at Malaspina Road and follow the Sunshine Coast Trail through Tla’amin territory to the Shinglemill Pub and Bistro.
The tradition of the Marathon Shuffle dates back to 1993, when pioneering trail builders Eagle Walz, Scott Glaspey and other qathet Parks And Wilderness Society (qPAWS) co-founders invited fellow hikers and their families to get out and enjoy the trail on the last Sunday of April. The event has grown in popularity with participants coming from Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland of BC, and beyond.
“It’s a challenge to put on a world-class event for free, and the Marathon Shuffle is world-class,” added Jackson. “People pay $200 or more to participate in events like this. However, we want to keep the event accessible so especially local people of all ages and abilities can enjoy the shuffle.
"That wouldn’t be possible without the amazing support of the qathet community. The City of Powell River is helping us with buses. Local businesses like Anytime Fitness, 460 Realty and the Shinglemill sponsor aid stations along the route. Our online registration system makes it easy to sign up.”
For more information or to register, go to sunshinecoasttrail.com/events/marathon-shuffle.
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