The Interior Running Association (IRA) is putting on the Summerland Sweets Cross-Country race for adults and kids Oct. 5.
Starting near the Summerland Rodeo Grounds and the Kettle Valley Steam Railway station at 10 a.m., adults face a 7.4 kilometre distance, while kids, 3.2-km.
The adult runners make their way along the relatively flat Trans-Canada Trail towards Summerland, then at the 3.5-km mark, they will head back towards the Rodeo Grounds along a higher trail, which includes a few hills before a generally flat and downhill 1.5-km to the finish line. This race is suitable for casual and more competitive runners.
Last year saw the addition of a 3.2-km kids race at the same time that attracted 33 runners. They ran along the Trans-Canada Trail towards Summerland and then looped back to the start via a 350 metre hill. Adults not up to running the 7.4-km can enter the shorter distance.
The races will have washroom facilities available at the start, spotters along the route, and draw prizes. There will also be prizes for the first three finishers in each of the five-year age categories for the adults race, including a bottle of Sleeping Giant Fruit Winery wine for adult age group winners. There will also be prizes for the top three in the under-12 as well as the 13 to 15 categories. To register for either race, go to www.zone4.ca. The entry fee for the 7.4-km race is $12 and for the 3.2-km race it is $8.
For more information or if people would like to volunteer, email Bill Head at theheadband@live.com. For information on the kids race, contact Mike Braid at jamibraid@shaw.ca.
The adults’ race will be the second of five cross-country races by the IRA and sponsored by the Vernon running and outdoor store, The Starting Block.