A final word from Ambassador Sander on the 2024 Vancouver Island Race Series
So…that’s it for the race series.
We started the series with below-zero temperatures at the Harriers Pioneer 8K and ended with 17 degrees Celsius at the Bazan Bay 5K. We had cloudy races, one with a massive downpour and puddle jumping (looking at you, Hatley Castle), and beautiful sunny ones like in Comox and this last Sunday.
This edition of the Island Series once again showed how great of a running community Vancouver Island has. At every race, I saw familiar faces, had nice start and finish line chats, and got to know a couple of new people.
I learned that being an ambassador for the series is the easiest thing ever. It takes absolutely no effort to show enthusiasm for these races when the courses are beautiful, the post-race food plentiful, and the cheer squads louder than you could have imagined.
And in this sense, I wasn’t that much of an ambassador. The real ambassadors for the Island Race Series are the race directors, volunteers, and folks cheering along the course. I can’t even begin imagining the work that the organizers and volunteers have put into making the series to the success it was.
The post-race experience at the Island Series truly is one of a kind. So much pizza, chilli, chowder, and sometimes even beer. For those who stuck around long enough, there were awesome draw prizes too, powered by some great sponsors. There is too many to name, but you can check them out on the website.
Finally, I shouldn’t forget to congratulate Speedfarm and the Prairie Inn Harriers Running Club with winning the Island Series and VIRA Cups, respectively. Also a big congratulations to those who managed to run a PB, to those who raced their first race, to those who came back to running after an injury or break, to those who ran their furthest distance ever in the series, to those who broke world records in their age group, and most of all to those who had a ton of fun being part of the series.
Now it’s time to give your carbon-plated shoes some rest and lace up the trail shoes for the summer. I look forward to seeing you all again next year.