The very first in-person Run Surrey Run event is now set for the morning of Sunday, Sept. 11.
The COVID-delayed 5K/10K road race was supposed to get off the ground in 2020, but was paused until a virtual kickoff was held in the spring of 2021.
Now, the plan is to have runners hit the pavement Sept. 11 on a five-kilometre route through City Centre/Whalley, with the start/finish at Holland Park. Those who want to run 10K will complete the course twice.
Registration for the inaugural in-person event is capped at 500 participants — “just to soft-launch it and keep it manageable,” said Gurjinder Bhurji, event co-ordinator.
”We did the run virtually last year, rather than just cancel everything,” she explained. “We had a good response, almost 400 participants, so that showed us that people are interested in getting involved in this event. The plan is to keep it going in future years.”
The race route is posted to the event website, runsurreyrun.com, along with registration and other details. Fees start at $25 and rise to $45, depending on age, route and other factors.
“It’s the same route as before, the one we had planned in 2020, so we’re working with traffic management to get all that finalized,” Bhurji added.
A virtual Run will also be held this year, from Sept. 1-11.
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In 2018 Bhurji created a survey to gauge public interest in launching a Surrey version of Vancouver’s Sun Run, and she says the response was very positive, especially from those in the local running community.
By 2020, with a June event planned that pandemic year, Run Surrey Run organizers were keen to have a road circuit that showcases Surrey’s downtown area, and the involvement of both walkers and runners.
“It’s all about health promotion, too,” Bhurji said in 2020. “When you see someone out running or walking, it’s motivational – you know, ‘Hey, I can do that too, and want to do that.’ We see it when we’re out running. That’s what this event is about.”
The road race places more emphasis on fun and exercise than it does on competition, notes a post on the event website.
“It is open to novice and experienced walkers and runners and all levels of endurance in between, as well as participants of all ages and athletic ability. It will be a clean and green event and our mandate is to consider how we can promote the event for the greater good of the people of Surrey and the many endeavours of its broad charitable community.”
Bhurji said participants will wear their own T-shirts at this year’s event, as part of the event’s “green” initiative.
“We’ll give them an iron-on badge with the (Run Surrey Run) logo,” she explained. “It’s kind of a cool idea that we hope catches on. It’d be cool to have those badges from all the races I’d done.”
The run will start at 9 a.m. and be done by noon at Holland Park, with post-run festivities to follow.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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