A runner has to be tough to take on Run the Rock Texada Island Marathon. The 7th annual Texada marathon, half-marathon and eight-kilometre run takes place Sunday, August 27.
Former champion Janet Green from Courtenay, who has run approximately 500 marathons, has said Run the Rock is the toughest road marathon in Canada.
Entries are up over last year, according to race director Rob McWilliam, with 17 racers registered for the full marathon and 40 for the half.
McWilliams said the event has never attracted a lot of road runners from Powell River; instead it features people looking for adventure and have turned the event into part of their holiday.
“We get a lot of runners from Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland,” said McWilliam, who has tackled the marathon six of the seven years. “But we've also got runners from as far away as England and Switzerland, a number of American runners, and Alberta and Ontario. It's not the local runners who are coming to this.”
Green will be participating in the half-marathon instead of the full run this year due to injury. Another previous champion, Keith Wakelin from Merville on Vancouver Island, is also returning.
Deadline for entry in the full and half marathon is Wednesday, August 23. Competitors entering the eight-kilometre run can sign up on race day.
On July 28, organizers of Run the Rock donated $500 to the United for BC Wildfire Recovery Fund.
For more information, go to runtexada.ca.
