Archive for year: 2023
You can now purchase series-branded commemorative arm warmers or polar fleece gloves, or both for a discount.
We ordered limited numbers, so get them while they last.
The 2024 Vancouver Island Race Series single-race registration is now open. Each race’s early bird fee is $30.00. The price goes up to $35, within 30 days of each respective event.
Click here to register for the series or any individual race within the series.
The series begins Sunday, January 14 with the Pioneer 8K and ends Sunday, April 14 with the Synergy Health Bazan Bay 5K.
There are six other races in Colwood, Sooke, Sydney, Nanaimo, Port Alberni, and the Comox Valley in Courtenay. Race distances include 5K, 8K, 10K, 12K, and the 21.1K half marathon.
Christopher Kelsall gives a basic overview of how the points work in the two teams competitions of the Vancouver Island Race Series.
The Vancouver Island Runners’ Association (VIRA) was seeking a new treasurer during the spring of 2023 to replace Bob Reid. Bob held the position many times, off and on over the 44-year history of the series.
The search came to an end with the election of board members during the VIRA annual general meeting in July 2023. VIRA chose Kathleen Quast of Westcoast Running. The club manages the Westcoast Sooke 10K as part of the Vancouver Island Race Series.
Kathleen comes to the board armed with years of experience working in the non-profit sector in finance and is the co-director of the Westcoast Sooke 10K along with partner Jason Ball.
Bob Reid remains the vice president of VIRA and continues to be involved with the Prairie Inn Harriers 8K, the first event of the Vancouver Island Race Series.
The board would like to thank Bob for his years of service and dedication to the board and his contribution to the role of interim treasurer.
Bob Reid was one of the earliest members to join the Prairie Inn Harriers, a club that started in 1978 and was founded by Bruce Gunner Shaw, Robin Pearson and Alex Marshall. He remains club treasurer, a position he has held for decades.
The race series is a Vancouver Island tradition dating back to the late 1970s.
Founded by John Crouch, president of the Vancouver Island Runners’ Association, the series was patterned after the Lower Mainland Grand Prix Series of five races.
Since its inception, more than 110,000 runners have participated in the series, which has varied between six and 10 races.
Also joining the board is Gary Duncan and Mariah Kelly. Gary is a World Athletics B-certified course measurer and president of the Victoria International Cross Country Association and Prairie Inn Harriers Running Club. Mariah is a partner with The Track Club out of PISE, and is assistant race director of the Royal Victoria Marathon and training manager for the TC10K.
The current board of directors may be viewed here>>
Registration for the 2024 season is now open.
Early bird race fees are just $175 for all eight races including the BC 10K Championships as part of the Cobble Hill 10K.
Schedule
January 14 — Harriers Pioneer 8K
January 28 – Ceevacs Cobble Hill 10K — BC 10K Championships
February 11 – Bastion Cedar 12K
February 25 – Hatley Castle 8K
March 10 – Westcoast Running Sooke 10K
March 24 – Comox Valley RV Half Marathon
April 7 – McLean Mill 10K
April 14 – Synergy Health Centre Bazan Bay 5K
Teams
A full explanation of how our two teams’ competitions work is here.
When registering for the Vancouver Island Race Series season pass you do not have to belong to a team or club, however:
If you do not belong to a club either: join one or if you would rather not, when registering, choose “unattached” as your team. This one extra step is there to remind people who are in a club to indicate so. The team or club competitions are fun and coaches and club admins want to make sure everyone is earning points for their team.
Please remember these are road running races and are open to runners, racewalkers, walkers, and wheelchair athletes only:
- No roller blades/inline skates
- No strollers
- No cycling or other forms of transportation are permitted except for designated official cyclists
- No headphones permitted. If you impede a participant, emergency response vehicle or race officials and cannot hear instructions, and are wearing headphones at the time, you are subject to disqualification
An opportunity has opened up for the right individual to assist the Vancouver Island Runners’ Association (VIRA) with the organizing and management of the 42-year-running Vancouver Island Race Series (VIRS).
VIRA seeks a special someone to fill the treasurer role which will become available starting July 1, 2023.
The start date is flexible.
Key qualities include accounting skills, critical thinking skills, excellent organizational abilities, a clear communication style, and an interest in strategic planning. We welcome both new and experienced accountants to apply. This position offers opportunities to contribute to the governance and financial management of our vibrant and welcoming race series and to collaborate with an engaged community of volunteers, including our Board of Directors.
Although the treasurer does not have to be a runner or endurance athlete and is not a requirement, the position may be of greater interest to an athlete or former athlete. Additionally, while the series raises funds through our online race registration system for the Victoria Hospitals Foundation, each member club may and often does contribute to local charities.
Responsibilities (may or may not include all):
- Preparing monthly and year-end financial reports and statements;
- Providing financial information and budgets as needed for grant applications;
- Preparing and submitting other forms and reports as required (e.g. HST refund report/tax prep) [Registered Charity Information Return and financial statements]);
- Receiving, banking, and accounting for all funds payable to VIRA;
- Paying all accounts approved by the Board in a timely manner, including paying contractors, and honorariums/expenses as required;
- Keeping financial records, including books of account as necessary to comply with the BC
- Societies Act and Canada Revenue Agency requirements, and preparing and providing financial
statements to the board, the membership, and others when required; - Participating in four to six Board meetings and our Annual General Meeting;
- Providing financial advice to the Board and VIRA Committees as needed;
- Regular email communication regarding VIRA business; and
- Other duties as mutually agreed.
Resources needed: - Handling EFT, e-transfer, and online banking duties
- The outgoing Treasurer will provide support, including background on our mission and programs, as well as Board
orientation.
Time Commitment:
Board meetings are scheduled every other month (approx) from 7-9 pm via Zoom, with occasional additional
meetings as needed;
Ongoing communication via phone, email, or other.
Please email a cover letter with your expression of interest, along with your resume, to BOTH Christopher Kelsall (info@islandseries.org), and current vice-president and treasurer Bob Reid (bobreid04@gmail.com).
Value-add benefits: Satisfaction and joy from giving back to the running community, an honorarium, season pass to the series, and various other benefits ad-hoc.
Note: Applications will be sent to info@islandseries.org.
The Prairie Inn Harriers Running Club recaptured the Vancouver Island Runners’ Association (VIRA) Cup from the 2022 winning Ceevacs Road Runners of the Cowichan Valley. It was the 30th win since records have been kept starting in 1985.
While the Harriers battled hard against the upstart Speedfarm club for the new Island Series Cup throughout the 2023 eight-race season, it was the powerful and growing Speedfarm who prevailed at the 11th hour during the Synergy Health Centre Bazan Bay 5K.
However, the Harriers also had their eyes on the VIRA Cup. The team had strong representation at the Sidney waterfront race and in so doing firmly cemented their victory in the VIRA Cup race. Ceevacs battled hard and finished second. Run to Beer Comox Valley finished third.
A few Prairie Inn Harriers at Cedar Hill Rec Centre, celebrating the win
The final point standings were 3209 to 2802, respectively. Run to Beer collected 1724. Seven teams earned at least 1000 points during the series. Capital City Run Crew (4th), Comox Valley Road Runners (5th), Speedfarm (6th) and Saltspring Sneakers earned 1028 points for seventh position.
It was at the club’s own race, the Harriers Pioneer 8K and the TWC-hosted Bazan Bay 5K where the Harriers gained the most points with 582 and 552, respectively — bookending the season tidily. Ceevacs’ big performances happened at their run, the Cobble Hill 10K, with its superfast new route where they collected 433 points. In the next event, the Cedar 12K the team in yellow collected 380 points for their two best showings. Consistency was key with 300 points or more earned in every race except the Pioneer 8K where they earned 299 — close enough!
Although some teams were not really clubs or teams, a total of 114 are indicated in the results — the biggest year in the series’ history.
The Prairie Inn Harriers have been a BC Athletics-associated and registered athletics club since 1978. BC Athletics is the provincial authority of the sport under the national governing body, Athletics Canada. The Harriers also have the Prairie Inn Harriers Racing Team and the Prairie Inn Harriers Youth Team.
Each time the Harriers were unseated, the club bounced back the following year to win again, except where the Ceevacs won twice in a row in 2020 and 2022. There was no series championship in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Interestingly, each time that a club moved up in the standings to second place, they would then unseat the Harriers, the following year. Bastion Run Club in 1996 won, after finishing second in 1995. Team West Coast won in 2002 after finishing second in 2001. Comox Valley Road Runners did the deed in 2015 and 2016, as did Ceevacs in 2018, then again in 2020.
Frontrunners Westshore, which became Frontrunners Athletic Club emerged as a contender in 2009 and 2010, taking second in both years.
The trophy (shown in both pictures) was donated to VIRA from the Victoria International Cross Country Association (VICCA), which held the Pan Am Cross Country Cup at Bear Mountain in 2020.