One sure indicator that spring has arrived, besides an increase in suffering for those with pollen allergies, is the upcoming Marathon Shuffle.
This is the 22nd year the Sunshine Coast Trail event has been organized. Powell River Parks and Wilderness Society (PRPAWS) created the shuffle back in 1993 to help publicize work that was being done to connect sections of trail to form the 180-kilometre Sunshine Coast Trail.
Eagle Walz, president of PRPAWS, said the event has definitely helped raise the profile of the wilderness group’s trail-building efforts. Last year, he said, about 220 shufflers, both local and out-of-town visitors, participated in either the full 29-kilometre or half 12-kilometre courses. Walz said if the weather is dry in the lead up to the event the group expects to surpass that number with 150 participants already preregistered for the event on the last Sunday of April.
While some experienced trail runners will be gunning to beat Graham Cocksedge’s record time of two hours 22 minutes set last year on the full shuffle, the free event is not a race per se, Walz added. Participants are free to run or hike.
“The trail is in the best condition it has ever been in,” Walz said. “We did not have really bad windstorms this winter, so that allowed us to stay on top of keeping it clear.”
Over the last few weeks volunteers from the wilderness group have been out on the trail, “shufflizing it” in preparation for the event. Work has been done to improve drainage along muddier sections and to trim back the forest from encroaching onto the trail.
“After the heavy rains I knew where the diversions had to be made and we made a little rerouting,” Walz said. “I think that has helped.”
Volunteers are in the process of moving along the trail removing any young growth that has started to come up. “It’s a race for the weed-whackers,” he said. “We’re trying to put our best foot forward because we know you only get the chance to make a first impression once.”
A pre-event pasta dinner takes place the night before, for participants to carb load, from 5 to 8 pm on Saturday April 25 at Magpie’s Diner (6762 Cranberry Street). The whole meal, with gluten-free and vegetarian options, costs $15 per person and $5 for children, cash only.
PRPAWS would also appreciate any donations shufflers could make to help fund the work it does. The wilderness group is currently fundraising to build another hut on the Sunshine Coast Trail to bridge the long gap between huts on Mount Troubridge and Walt Hill, among other maintenance projects.
Anyone interested in helping out on the day of the race can call Emily Walz at 604.414.3665.
The Marathon Shuffle takes place on Sunday, April 26. The full shuffle has sign-in and late registration at 7:30 am at Kinsmen Beach parking lot, just above Shinglemill parking lot. A free bus leaves the lot at 8 am and heads for the start. The 29-kilometre event starts at 9 am from Malaspina Road. The half-shuffle sign-in is at 10:15 am at Wilde Road and starts at 11 am.
For more information about this free event or to register online, readers can visit the sunshine coast trail website.
