2013 - Year 12 - Capilano Midsummer Night Run

24 August 2011 - 15 Starters

Ah, the mystery!  The familiar becomes unfamiliar.  Things go bump in the night.  There are strange sights and smells...

Starters on the 12th annual Midsummer Night Run were greeted with pleasant temperatures and a difference of opinions on the part of the co-hosts:  Should participants be encouraged to jump off a cliff?

Some history... During the particularly warm and sultry evening of the 2011 running of the event, one of the hosts had the bright idea to add a prime (special incentive) to spice-up the event.  This involved a minor detour off the long course and a jump from a 15 meter cliff into the dark, icy waters of the Capilano River.   James took the bait.  His landing was less than perfect and there was much residual discomfort.  His feat was, however, legendary and as such, James's Jump had potential to become an annual feature of this summer nighttime running classic.  With water levels in the river being low and a recent incident of someone having to be taken out of the water in a stretcher after a daytime leap, it was agreed that this particular prime would not be offered in 2013.

Carlos came from Victoria to celebrate his birthday with a night run.  After winning the 120-mile Fat Dog a week before, Sammy challenged the long course.  For the first time in history, Des opted for the shorter 13-K route.  A couple of people out for the first time at a CFA event were likely wondering what they had gotten themselves into!

A bear got into the neighbor's trash, causing the start to be slightly postponed. 

"Hey, it's getting dark!", someone said as we neared the Capilano Canyon.  Thankfully, nobody forgot their headlamp.  Sean, however, forgot to check his batteries before the start and ended-up sharing the light of his running buddies.

One group of runners stopped dead in their tracks when confronted by a pair of glowing eyes.  The poor cat must have wondered why otherwise normal folks would be out running on the trails at night.  An owl swooped down from the trees.  Jackson jumped from behind a tree, scaring the bejezus out of a group focused on conversation and the small circle of light in front of them.  Judging from the smell, we figured the group ahead of us or one of Sean's dogs was sprayed by the skunk.

There are no prizes for fastest male and female or for age group winners, but the person who gets the most lost and best injuries are recognized and awarded with valuable prizes.  Kyndra showed up with blood on her knee and mud on her singlet after a run-in with the ground on a warm-up run to Crown Mountain.  Should her injury count?  Stefan and Sibylle had intimate encounters with roots, but blood was not drawn.  Nick got lost near the finish, but Patricia and Sammy found him before next-of-kin had to be notified.

Many argue the best part of this run is the post-run party.  This year, we enjoyed chips, dips, homemade bread and brownies, chili, Turkish delight, fresh fruits and, of course, a birthday cake for Jackal, the birthday boy.

A big "Thank you!" to everyone who contributed to making this a fun and memorable evening.  We look forward to seeing you in February for the cold, rainy and muddy MardiGras version of the event.  

Photos.  Photos of the evening are posted in the slideshow below:  


 

Please add your's to the CFA Flickr group tagged with CapilanoNightrun2013 CapilanoNightRun ClubFatAssEvents2013 ClubFatassEvents. They will automatically be added to the slideshow above.

Times and Points.  If your time is not correct or if you picked up trash and didn't get credit, please be sure to let me know.

Post Event Survey. Please fill out the brief post event survey here. Your event hosts appreciate your feedback.

Results: 

* Bonus Point for garbage collection or crew
** Event Host Point
*** Bonus Point for good sportsmanship