What is old is new again: A new race venue and route for 2026
The aphorism “what is old is new again” applies to the Harriers Pioneer 8K for 2026. The club will return to the Saanich Fairgrounds venue on Sunday, January 11th, for the first race of the Vancouver Island Race Series.
The Harriers Pioneer 8K race will feature a new course starting and ending at the previously used venue on Stelly’s Cross Road in Saanichton.
From 2018 to 2025, the race was run in North Saanich at the Patricia Bay Tourist Information rest stop near John Road. The race venue was located across Highway #1 at North Saanich Middle School.
For 38 years prior, the event spent most of that time at Saanich Fairgrounds with a route that included Wallace Drive, West Saanich Road, and Stelly’s Cross Road.
The new course will be different, but it will start and finish at Saanich Fairgrounds and will be fast.
“North Saanich Middle School gymnasium was not available, so the space that was made available at the school just was not large enough for the race,” shared Christopher Kelsall, president and GM of the series. “Saanich Fairgrounds main room has a capacity for 400 and other amenities, while the parking is abundant.”
The parking at the Saanich Fairgrounds can accommodate hundreds of cars. In fact, the record number is 5000.
“While the Run Van Isle promotes carpooling and finding alternative forms of transportation when competing in series races, there is plenty of parking,” added Kelsall.
Saanich Fairgrounds is located 12 kilometres south of the previous venue at the Patricia Bay Information Centre.
The race was created in 1978, two years before the series started.
Some years, the Harriers Pioneer 8K acts as the provincial championships.
Event records are 22:58 by Carey Nelson and 25:28 by Natasha Wodak, which is the national best-known time.
Other race changes
The Cobble Hill 10K will have an adjustment to the layout of the course. Where the start and finish have previously (most years) started and finished at the Mill Bay Nature School on Cobble Hill Road at Sheppard Road, the race start will now be next to George Bonner School.
The race will start on the road and finish within the George Bonner Elementary School’s parking lot.
In recent years, parts of the course have been at capacity, especially on Wilkinson Rd. This will likely clear up some of the congestion.
Also, the previously proposed Bastion 12K route in Lantzville will have a reduced number of 180-degree turnarounds. Now there will be just two in total.