In 1932, Henry Hall wrote the Teddy Bears Picnic. The song’s lyric starts with the famous line that offers a sense of foreboding, “If you go down in the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise.”
The Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District is made up of 6,600 square kilometers of old and second-growth forest. It is bordered by the Beaufort Mountain Range to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The surprise may be in its stunning beauty.
Or it may be in the 15K road race that is offered up.
Slightly hilly, character-building, and heck, how often does one get to race the 15K distance?
It’s race number five of the eight-race Vancouver Island Race Series. The race goes at 11:00 am on Sunday, March 8 – there is an early start of 10:30 am if you need the time.
The race starts and finishes at the Cherry Creek Community Centre, located at 3720 Moore
Road.
The Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce is the event host, as each of the eight races is managed by a local organizing committee or run club.
Online registration is now closed, however, in-person registration is available.
The Alberni Valley Chamber of Commerce has been involved with the Paper Chase
since its early days of 1981. “The race takes runners through the country roads of Cherry
Creek, eventually finding its way into the McLean Mill National Historic site taking our
runners on a fun little detour past a number of heritage buildings left as they were in mid-
1960’s,” says race director Bill Collette. “We are happy to confirm that food this year will
once again be provided by award-winning local business The Starboard Grill. You won’t
be disappointed. We look forward to seeing everyone in Port Alberni on Sunday,” added
Collette.
Leading the club standings is the Prairie Inn Harriers with 1631 points, followed by
Ceevacs Roadrunners with 1524 and Bastion Run Club with 1224.
After the Port Alberni Paper Chase 15K will be the Comox Valley RV Half Marathon on
March 22, TriStars Sooke 10K on April 5 and the Synergy Health Management Bazan
Bay 5K and Series Awards on April 19.
To register for any of the races in the Island Series go to www.islandseries.org
