Not even the threat of inclement weather and greasy trail conditions could put a damper on the 31st running of the Marathon Shuffle.
“It looked like it was going to be a wet one, but the trail gods smiled down on us today,” stated event director Ean Jackson in a media release. “To accommodate hikers and runners of a wide range of abilities, we offered an early start this year.
“Back in February, we accepted 275 entrants. 182 shufflers actually showed up at the start line at Malaspina Road and just about everyone finished the 27 kilometre course.”
While not promoted as a race, the Marathon Shuffle does recognize top finishers. Adam Skinner, a former Powell River resident now living in Squamish, was the top male finisher with a time of 2:38.
“What a beautiful course,” stated Skinner. “Sliammon Lakes and grinding up Scout [Mountain] was tough, but it always is. But the weather was perfect.”
Nanaimo resident Emily Gambling, who is moving to qathet region soon, was the top female finisher at 3:24.
“It’s such a lovely community event,” stated Gambling. “Huge thanks to everyone who works on the trail. I love the mossy, mystical forests and all the people out to help and to share the suffering.“
During the awards ceremony at the Shinglemill Pub, Jackson acknowledged the 16 volunteers who helped at the start, three aid stations and the finish line on race day. Many more volunteers worked getting the event ready, including the trail crew, known as the Dirt Monkeys, and Karin Cummings, who whipped shufflers into shape with Saturday morning training events over the past 12 weeks.
“It really is a team effort,” added Jackson. “Without our volunteers and the awesome sponsors, this event would not be possible, let alone free.
“City of Powell River, Tla’amin Nation, 460 Realty, Rural Septic, Quality Foods, Aaron Services and Anytime Fitness all stepped up to support the event. We also count on Powell River Search and Rescue to be there in the case of an emergency and, thankfully, shufflers this year were well-trained so things went smoothly.”
Complete results for this year’s Marathon Shuffle are available at sunshinecoasttrail.com/events/marathon-shuffle/results.
Next year’s event is scheduled for the last Sunday in April. Registration will open February 1, 2025.
“Resolve to put that date in your calendar on New Year's Day,” stated Jackson. “This year registration opened at midnight and the shuffle filled by noon. You may want to have your finger on the ‘enter’ button at 12:01 am.”
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