Capilano Canyon Night Run - A Midsummer Night's Dream

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What?

A 90-minute run that starts at dusk in a suburban neighborhood, traverses the twilight zone, then stimulates your senses with a trail run in the mist and inky blackness of the Capilano Canyon
A guided Group run at a gentle pace for the socially-inclined and first time night runner
A Competitive category for those more motivated by the clock and the opportunity to rip their buddy's lungs out
A potluck party and celebration of summer

When and Where?

Saturday 24 August 2013 (4th Saturday in August)
Start: 20:00h
Start in front of the yellow beacon on upper Fairmont Road Edgemont Village, North Vancouver, British Columbia, CANADA
See agenda for details on how to get there and course description

Who is registered?

Find out who is registered.

How Much?

Free for Club Fat Ass members (click here for current info on member benefits and fees)
To keep hassles on the morning of the run to a minimum and allow the host to participate as well we ask to please sign up for both, the club membership and the event online and in advance.

Agenda

Saturday 24 August 2013
18:00?	Have dinner. Check the weather. Print off your route instructions and this agenda so you know how to get to the start
19:30	Arrive at the start - 3515 Fairmont Road, North Vancouver. Click here for a map. Mandatory check-in.
19:45	Welcome and final briefing
19:55	Photo
20:00	Start
21:20	First finishers
21:00	Potluck party starts
21:45	Last finishers (hopefully!)
?	End of party

How to get to the Start

The start and finish is on the street in front of 3515 Fairmont Road in North Vancouver.

From Burnaby on highway #1 heading west from the Second Narrows Bridge, take the Westview Drive exit and head north toward the mountains. Turn left at Queens Road (3rd stoplight, tennis court.) You will go down a little hill with the Griffin Recreation Center on your left, then climb a little hill. At the top of the hill, take Thorncliffe Drive right, toward the mountains. You will t-bone into a school yard. Turn right onto Fairmont Road. 3515 is a yellow house at the top of the street on your left.

From West Van on highway #1 heading east, take the Capilano Road exit north toward Grouse Mountain. Past the Chevron station at the top of the hill, turn right onto Ridgewood Drive. Follow Ridgewood to the end (Highlands Boulevard) and continue straight onto Colwood Drive. You will contour around a schoolyard. At the corner of the school, turn left onto Fairmont Road. At the intersection with Thorncliffe, stay left and continue around the schoolyard. 3515 is a yellow house at the top of the street on your left.

From downtown and the the Lions Gate Bridge heading north, turn right into North Vancouver when you reach the north shore. Turn left at the lights onto Capilano Road. Stay on Capilano Road toward the mountains. Pass under the upper levels highway (#1) then continue with directions from West Van, as above.

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What to Bring?

Aid. (Whatever food, water or electrolyte drink you need for a 90-minute run and whatever clothing you need for the weather.) If you expect and are prepared for no external aid, you may be pleasantly surprised... but do not count on it!
Official timing system. (A watch will do, even if the second hand doesn't work.) Please be sure to keep track of your finish time and to give it to the timekeeper.
Change of clothes. (Not sure if contact lenses fit here? Andy Nicol, don't forget yours again if you plan to go for the record.)
Something to guide you through the night. (Flashlight or headlamp.) No, it is not obligatory, but most people find it helps! (Note: Competitive record holder Steve Bazin didn't use a light, but he knows the North Van trails so well he can run them blindfolded. Mike Parks, on the other hand, did it blind and wished he remembered a flashlight)

Pre- and Post-Event

park on the street wherever you find a spot. Please don't block anyone's driveway.
best to not count on a shower, as there is only so much hot water in the tank. The weather is usually pleasant and we hope to be mostly outdoors on the deck. Showers and change facilities are available about 10 blocks away at Harry Jerome Recreation Center at 23rd and Lonsdale (604 987-7529), but only until 10:00 Entry is $4.50
you can use the garden hose in the front yard to clean up. Don't forget to bring warm, dry clothes to change into.

Potluck Party

In past years, the potluck party has been the high point of the evening. We're hoping it continues to reflect the individuality, the creativity and the community side of our running friends and Club Fat Ass members.

While we have a handle on how many people will be running and a rough estimate of friends and volunteers from your registration form, it's tough to estimate the food and drink for everyone who will join in the potluck party. Moreover, each person has their own food and drink preferences and of course, appetite.

What can you count on? Coolers, ice, a stove, a barbeque, microwave and other kitchen stuff, some soft drinks and basic party munchies.

What should you bring? Food to share at the party and enough to drink to quench your thirst. Here are some food thoughts from previous years:

Papadans and coriander chutney, spicy pot stickers, Pad Thai, hot wings, homemade blackberry and cinnamon pie, ice cream, sushi, cheese plate, ginger cookies, spinach dip in a bread bowl, spinach salad, jalapeño cornbread muffins, veggie plate, chocolate covered strawberries, boozy jello, savory salmon egg puffs, pesto tortellini, quesadillas, potatoe salad, grilled vegetables, chili con carne, vegetarian chili; tomato bocconchini salad
stale nacho chips, day old Timbits, burnt pizza (note these items are at the bottom of the list for a reason, you single guys!)

If you believe the world would be a better place without paper plates and plastic utensils, you are most welcome to use our plates and cutlery as long as it lasts. If you bring your own plates and stuff with you, we'll wash them for you before you head home.

Other Notes

please read the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
please, please, please do not drop litter on the trail. (Consider picking it up if you find any)
this event is not sponsored, sanctioned, permitted or anything else that would qualify it as an official event. It's a party!

Registration - Background - Agenda - Course - Thanks - Results - Contact - FAQ

Courses and Categories

We'd like to see everyone who attends this event participate in some way. Since this is as much about the party and the entertainment as it is the run, non-runners are most welcome. Depending on your running experience, fitness level and inclination, there are 3 categories you can choose to participate in:

1) Coureur de Bois - Recreational - Group

appropriate for anyone who can comfortably run 90 minutes, first time night runners, runners who want to make it home in one piece, anyone who is scared of the dark, bears and things that go bump in the night, anyone who prefers the company of someone who allegedly knows the route
a group run on moderately challenging trails at a fairly slow pace. If you can do the Grouse Grind, you will most probably live through this and make it to the buffet
print out a description of the recreational/group route and bring it and a plastic baggie to protect it with you on the evening of the night run. Better yet, train on the course during the day and bring the directions with you on Event night!
We really don't want you to get lost. If you opt for the Group run, please stay with the group. There will be a sweeper running the course in about 1:40min. If you intend to go faster, please form your own group and stick together. Don't leave anybody alone in the dark!
if you have a FRS radio (or two) bring them along

2) Coureur de Bois - Competitive - Individual

appropriate for anyone who can run 90 minutes with their eyes closed, fearless runners with a death wish, anyone who has their will in place, has notified next of kin and is not apprehensive about spending the last hours of their miserable existence alone, cold and and in a world of hurt on an obscure trail in the woods
run as fast as you want on nasty trails on a longer route purposely designed to be difficult to follow and next to impossible to complete within 90 minutes by anyone who has not run the course multiple times during the day as part of their training for a national marathon, ultramarathon or adventure racing team
print out a description of the competitive route and bring it and a plastic baggie to protect it with you on the evening of the night run. Better yet, train on the course during the day and bring the directions with you on Event night!
if you have a FRS radio (or two) bring them along

3) Crew

appropriate for anyone who has a friend or significant other in a Coureur des Bois category, injured runners, trail runners who have lost their mojo or otherwise fear running in the night but don't want to miss the party, journalists, running groupies and other members of your entourage not identified above
help with logistics, serve food/drinks to runners during the run, take photos, help organize the potluck, keep track of runner' s finish times, provide moral support and first aid, as required
pick your role from the list of suggested tasks or invent one

Group Run Course

Please scroll down for a printer friendly version of this course description. CFA events are not marked. If you don't want to get lost, make sure you bring the description in a plastic baggie to the start. You can have a look or purchase a detailed topo a map of the course here.

time	Description	km
~7:30	meet at the yellow beacon – 3515 Fairmont Road, North Vancouver. Please make sure you sign in at the start and check out at the finish. If for some reason you don't check in at the finish, please call us at 604-904-6552 with your time and whereabouts, so we know you are accounted for.
7:55	photo
8:00	start – the street	00.0
	This first fairly flat section is a mix of trail and street that gets you to Capilano Canyon via the direct route.
	- run down Fairmont Road to the first corner. Turn right. (Forest Hills Road.)
	- Go straight on Forest Hills Road and continue 4 blocks to trail where street ends. After about 10m on trail, it veers left. Go right at first intersection and down to pavement. Go along street to first corner and turn right (Emerald Street)
	- take Emerald Street to little footbridge over creek. Cross street (Sunset) and continue on trail immediately opposite. At trail intersection, go straight and contour Eldon Park on the trail
	- at trail end turn right to park entrance, turn right again onto Eldon Street
	- continue on Eldon, cross Capilano Road and continue about 100m straight to trail head (TransCanada Trail)
	This section in Capilano Canyon has a little something for everyone: Paved roads, gravel roads, wide trails and narrow, rooty, muddy ones.
	- turn left onto trail and continue downhill to Capilano Park Road. Turn right and follow road downhill to fish hatchery on LHS facing traffic
	- at hatchery, turn left onto trial. After about 100m, turn right onto footbridge and cross river.
	- on far shore of river, turn right then left after about 200m. Follow the wide gravel trail steeply uphill. Turn right on Giant Fir trail. Pass by 350 year old giant firs. Watch for owls! Turn right at trail end after set of stairs.
	- follow wide gravel road uphill about 50m. Turn left on Capilano Pacific trail
	- stay on Capilano Pacific trail as it meanders downhill along the canyon wall until after you cross under the Upper Levels Highway. Watch for roots and steep drop offs to the left. After bike gate, trail will become wider and more open. Go left. The trail will eventually turn to pavement (Keith Road) and go under the Upper Levels Highway. After about 700m (at intersection of Keith and 3rd Avenue) take the trail to your left.
	- where trail hits the river, turn left. Follow the riverbank trail about 100m then turn left immediately before bridge. Cross bridge on sidewalk (RHS). At far bank, cross road and take tiny trail at the edge of the bridge onto riverbank trail heading up river.
9:00	Aid #1 – Ron and Cathy Adam’s place (the house with the glass fence). If you left beer or margueritas, they will be cool. Otherwise expect water and moral support from Cathy
	This final section is net uphill on wide trails and a few street sections. Be sure to take care when crossing streets
	- about 25m up the trail, turn right on a small trail through a piney woods. At the clearing, stay left and follow narrow trail through the grass. You will reach Capilano Road. Bowser Trail is opposite and about 10m to the right of where you stand. CROSS CAREFULLY!
	- you will now contour the bottom of the cliff on Bowser Trail for about 1500m to Pemberton Street. Pass a playground and a few dead-end streets. At Pemberton go right to Marine Drive then left on Marine approximately 3 blocks to Hamilton Ave.
	- at Hamilton Ave., turn left onto 17th Street. Cross Fell Avenue and enter Mosquito Creek Park. Take trail left up Mosquito Creek Park
	- you will now follow the left bank of Mosquito Creek to the finish. Hopefully, you will meet up with the Individual runners along this section. Go under the Upper Levels Highway. At the junction with the paved trail follow the Trans Canada Trail sign.
	- Stay right at the skateboard park. Cross the street (Queens Road) carefully and take Del Rio Drive to the top of the street. Enter the trail. You will go up a small hill. About 20m on the other side, take the first path to your left up to the street (Forest Hills Road.)
	- At the first intersection (Fairmont Road) turn right and sprint…
9:30	Finish!

Registration - Background - Agenda - Course - Thanks - Results - Contact - FAQ

Competitive Run Course

Please make sure to print out (scroll down for a printer friendly version) this course description and bring it in a plastic baggie to the run. Here is a map, courtesy of Tim Wiens.

Time	Description	km
~7:30	meet at the yellow beacon – 3515 Fairmont Road, North Vancouver. Please make sure you sign in at the start and check out at the finish. If for some reason you don't check in at the finish, please call us at 604-904-6552 with your time and whereabouts, so we know you are accounted for.
7:55	photo
8:00	start – the street	00.0
	This first section gets you to Capilano Canyon via the scenic route
	- go downhill 50m to the first intersection (Forest Hills Road) and go left. Take the trail at the end of the street. Turn immediately right and follow trail onto street (Del Rio Drive) which t-bones into Queens Road and the Griffin Gym. Carefully cross Queens Road
	- on far side of Queens, turn right and suffer through the sneers as you cut through the skateboard park. On the far side of the skateboard park, go left and uphill on trail that cuts along side of ravine
	- where trail meets the street (Colwood Drive), go right to next intersection (Thorncliffe Drive) then left to where street ends at Dudley Place Park. Go right onto Newmarket Drive then almost immediately left onto Crescentview Drive.
	- about 50m after the bend in Crescentview, find unmarked park entrance to left and descend concrete stairway. (If you reach Highland Blvd, you’ve gone 25m too far!) At bottom of ravine, turn right at first trail and go over little bridge. Pass duck pond and cool log cabin. Stay right and up Mackay Creek. After crossing bridge, go straight then follow path right and uphill thru tennis courts.
	Water #1. There’s a fountain on your RHS near the last tennis court. Assume it doesn't work.
	- go right onto Elizabeth Way. Pass playground. Go right at first street (Paisley Road) up short hill and keep straight toward ‘no exit’ sign at intersection (St. Annes Drive.)
	- Street curves left and ends at trail. At clearing, cross Ridgewood Street carefully and head left for intersection with Capilano Road. At blue ‘Capilano Suspension Bridge’ sign, turn right onto Capilano Road and continue uphill on sidewalk.
	- pass Suspension Bridge parking area. Climb hill. Pass Edgemont Blvd. Pass entrance to Capilano River Park. Climb hill. Cross Capilano Road carefully onto Eldon Road at stoplight. Take path marked with a Trans-Canada Trail sign on left at bend in street.
	- you will soon come to a road crossing. Immediately opposite is a yellow gate. At gate, go left onto marked with a Trans-Canada Trail sign. (Chinook Trail.) trail
	This section through the Capilano Canyon is mostly on narrow, rooty trails.
8:15	- Begin a gnarly bit of steep climbs and descents in the deep woods with the river always to your left. Stay left on smaller trail at first 2 intersections. Always follow Chinook/Trans-Canada Trail markings
	- after a nasty descent through rocks and roots, you will pass thru a bike gate and come to a major intersection (Pipeline Trail). Go straight (Coho Loop Trail).
	- stay straight past the Cable Pool lookout and bridge. 5m past the picnic shelter, cross the paved road and rejoin trail immediately opposite. (Small bridge over creek that ends in concrete culvert.) Take the trail about 10m, then turn left and head uphill
	- this steep uphill takes you to the fountain at Cleveland Dam. Hug a Doug Fir as you gasp for breath. At the dirt road, continue straight (toward parking lot) and up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, turn left. (If still under construction, go left at gate)
8:30	Water #2 – Cleveland Dam washrooms and water fountains. Assume the washrooms will be closed and no water pressure in the fountain.
	- cross the dam and take the dirt road downhill to your left. You will now be descending the canyon with the river to your left. At the second intersection after about 100m, stay on the dirt road leading downhill and away from the dam. In about 200m, you will come to Trans Canada Trail / Giant Fir Trail to your left. Take steep stairs down.
	- say “Hi!�? to 500-year old Grandpa Capilano as you pass by the cedar fence. Go right and down a 10m stretch of rooty singletrack then right again onto a wide, very straight gravel trail. Veer left at the first intersection. About 10m before the trail ends at the pipeline bridge, take the trail entrance to your right with the bike gate marked Capilano Pacific Trail
	- at the clearing with 2 rustic seats, stay left. Follow Capilano Pacific trail along canyon wall, over little bridges and over roots about 1500m until you reach a green fence marked ‘private’ on your left (Capilano Suspension Bridge park) and a bike gate.
	- after bike gate, Cap Pacific Trail will become wider and more open. Go left and downhill. The trail will eventually turn to pavement (Keith Road) and go under the Upper Levels Highway. After about 700m (at intersection of Keith and 3rd Street) take the trail with a bike gate to your left.
	- where trail hits the Capilano River, turn left. Follow the riverbank trail about 100m then turn left immediately before bridge. Cross bridge on sidewalk (RHS). At far bank, cross road and take tiny trail at the edge of the bridge onto riverbank trail heading up river.
	- just after the last house, turn right on a small gravel trail through a piney woods. At the clearing, stay left. You will reach Capilano Road. Bowser Trail is opposite and about 10m to the right of where you stand. CROSS CAREFULLY!
	This final section is net uphill. Expect to get your shoes muddy if they’re not already. Be sure to take care when crossing streets
9:00	- you will now contour the bottom of the cliff on Bowser Trail for about 750m to Pemberton Street. Pass a few dead-end streets and a playground. If you are lucky, there may be a water station along here! Be prepared to eat crackers and whistle or perform a similar silly stunt
	- at Pemberton, take the steep rabbit trail through the blackberry bushes and up the side of the cliff. (It starts at about the 6th step of the big staircase.)
	- when you reach the top, turn right onto the paved street (17th Avenue) and go to the end. Turn left on Mackay Street and go one block up the hill to the trail entrance at the white fence on your right opposite Keith Road. When you get to the concrete bridge, turn left! (This is called Liar's Corner, as it is a shortcut around the scenic route.)
	- you will now stay on the left side of Mackay Creek for about 750m until you reach a concrete bridge. You want to be on the trail closest to the creek. Beware of mud, wobbly little bridges, poor trail marking and lousy footing. (If you get to the Upper Levels Highway, you’ve gone too far!) Pray the batteries in your flashlight and cell are still good
	- cross the river at the concrete bridge. Take the path to your right as you climb out of the canyon. At the top, cross the soccer field diagonally and right to the corner of the school and 21st Avenue.
	- turn left on 21st and go to the end. Cross Fell Avenue and regain the trail about 10m to your right. (Mosquito Creek.) Stay left at the confusing intersection at the bottom. There should be fences on either side of the trail.
	- you will now follow the left bank of Mosquito Creek to the finish. Hopefully, you will meet up with the Group runners along this section. Go under the Upper Levels Highway. At the junction with the paved trail follow the Trans Canada Trail sign.
	- Stay right at the skateboard park. Cross the street (Queens Road) carefully and take Del Rio Drive to the top of the street. Enter the trail. You will go up a small hill. About 20m on the other side, take the first path to your left up to the street (Forest Hills Road.)
9:30	- At the first intersection (Fairmont Road) turn right and sprint to the finish!

Crew Tasks

Come and join in the fun even if you don't care to run. This is for anyone who has a friend or significant other in a Coureur des Bois category, injured runners, trail runners who have lost their mojo or otherwise fear running in the night but don't want to miss the party, journalists, running groupies and other members of your entourage not identified above.

help with logistics
serve food/drinks to runners during the run
take photos
help organize the potluck
keep track of runner' s finish times
provide moral support and first aid

Pick your role from the list of suggested tasks or invent one.

Maps and GPS Data

Short Course Map - (GPX file here)

Attachment	Size
2013 Capilano Canyon Night Run - Short Course.gpx	85.7 KB

Results

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.

'Hope to see you out at the mardi-gras version of the Capilano Canyon Night run in February!

Sibylle Tinsel and Ean Jackson
Co-Hosts of the Capilano Canyon Night Run

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:

First Name	Last Name	City	Age	Event	Points	Time
Sam	Chiu	Vancouver	30-39	18km	2	01:49
Patricia	Jensen	North Vancouver	40-49	18km	1	01:49
Hassan	Lotfi-Pour	North Vancouver	40-49	18km	1	01:49
Marc	Schmitz	North Vancouver	30-39	18km	2	01:49
Kathryn	Gaudet	Burnaby	30-39	18km	1	01:57
Katie	Longworth	North Vancouver	30-39	18km	2	01:57
Nick	Constantin	North Vancouver	30-39	18km	1	01:59

Sean	Lavin	Vancouver	40-49	13km	2	01:33
Stefan	Lehmann	Victoria	40-49	13km	2	01:33
Ean	Jackson	North Vancouver	50-59	13km	1+2**	01:33
Sandy	Thompson	Victoria	40-49	13km	1	01:35
des	mott	n.van	50-59	13km	2	01:35
Sibylle	Tinsel	North Vancouver	50-59	13km	2+2**	01:36
Kyndra	Moeller	Burnaby	30-39	13km	1	01:38
Carlos	Castillo	Victoria	60-69	13km	2+1*	01:38

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

2012 - Year 11 - Capilano Midsummer Night Run

18 August 2011 - 8 Starters

The idea of offering a prime during our run came to me in a flash of genius.

I was feeling guilty as we made our way toward the Capilano Canyon in the waning moments of the day. My 3 running companions, you see, were stoked to run the long course, but not quite up to working hard enough to read the detailed course descriptions in the dark. They wanted me to guide them. I figured I wasn't up to 18K in the night given a nagging injury, so ever the compromising host, I figured I'd take them on a bit of a custom route that included some scenic elements of the long course.

A prime is a concept from bicycle racing. Think of a race within a race with a special recognition or prize (prime) going to the winner.

When the idea came to me, it was more intended as a way to address the guilt I felt for robbing my running mates of the additional 5K they'd planned to run in the dark. I'd take them on a short detour and surprise and delight them with something I figured they'd never seen before.

It was getting dark as I took them to the edge of the cliff. "This is the 10-meter jump. My kids huck this. If you prefer something a bit more challenging, the 16-meter launch is off that rock over there. Ready?", I said while my guests wondered if I was serious.

I wasn't. But I did offer a bottle of my award-winning Jackson Stout as the prime to not only the first, but all who took the plunge.

Unknown to us all at the time, James had forgotten to bring a beer for the post-run potluck party. "Will you please hold on to this", James said as he removed his headlamp. Without hesitation, he took a running leap and was gone.

"Ahhhhhh!" An odd-sounding splash. A bit of a whimper echoed from the canyon below.

Open-jawed and wide-eyed, Marc, Eric and I looked at each other with respect and admiration for our comrade. Holy crap... James did it... and he was alive!

My immediate reaction was to follow him. I looked off the cliff to make sure I didn't land on his head. "Goodness... that's a long way down", I thought to myself. Then I remembered how cold the water was. Then I thought about running in wet gear for the next hour. It was about then that I choked.

James was all smiles when he hauled himself out of the river, but he did get a bit mauled. Not being positive how far the rocks were below the inky surface, James went long and landed in the water on a 45-degree angle rather than 90, so that slapping sound we heard when he hit the water was what amounted to a reverse belly flop. Our pace as we continued down the trails was a bit less aggressive.

It was the perfect evening for a night run. While temperatures at dusk were still in the mid-20's, it was cooler on the canyon trails. Only one skunk sighting, but must have been mating season for black slugs as they were out en masse along the west side of the Capilano Canyon.

Ron and Bryce greeted us with cool water and chocolate chip cookies at the oasis that is Aid Station Adams. As in other world-class races, Ron and Bryce shared trail beta with us about our competition: Wendy is about 30-minutes ahead of you, Pat and Sibylle maybe only 5 minutes, you're in last place. I shared the bear story with my companions as we paused briefly to stuff our faces with juicy blackberries further down the trail.

Earlier this summer, I followed a sketchy trail marked "closed" up Mackay Creek. There was a digger about 100m into the bush and in front of it, some small trees had been cut down suggesting the digger would follow. I soon found myself bushwhacking through prickle bushes, devils club and swamp, but did eventually come to the bridge over the creek that is used by the night run long course. In recognition of its discoverer, I named this trail The Jackson Trail.

Of course, I wanted to share the Jackson Trail with my running companions, so we did another little detour. All of these little detours add up. Marc pointed out as we neared the finish line that we probably ran more than the long-course distance. As we approached the last corner, we noted 2 runners ahead, so there was a sprint to the finish.

If the run wasn't enough fun, we then got down to the serious task of eating and sharing stories about our respective adventures and some of the silly things our friends had done over the summer. It was Sibylle's birthday, so we sang Happy Birthday. James received applause for his act of courage and his second Purple Heart award for incurring injury during the course of a CFA event. Of note: it was a sea of pumpkin orange out there this evening as almost all participants cooincidentially wore their 2012 club colors. Thank you, Norco, Trail Runner and Distance Runwear for the prizes.

'Hope to see you out at the mardi-gras version of the Capilano Canyon Night run in February!
http://www.clubfatass.com/events/mardigras

Sibylle Tinsel and Ean Jackson
Co-Hosts

PS: Some family video of the cliff James jumped:

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

Please add your's to the CFA Flickr group tagged with CapilanoNightrun2012 CapilanoNightRun ClubFatAssEvents2012 ClubFatassEvents. They will automatically be added to the link above.

Results:

First Name	Last Name	City	Age	Event	Time	Points
Ean	Jackson	North Vancouver	50-59	custom -18km	01:55	2+2**
Eric	Rannaud	Burnaby	20-29	custom -18km	01:55	2
Marc	Schmitz	North Vancouver	30-39	custom -18km	01:55	2
James	Clarke	Vancouver	30-39	custom	01:28	2
Killaine	Sharman	North Vancouver	40-49	13km	01:25	2
Wendy	Montgomery	North Vancouver	40-49	13km	01:25	1
Sibylle	Tinsel	North Vancouver	40-49	13km	01:55	2+2**
Pat	Barry	Vancouver	50-59	13km	01:55	2
desmond	mott	n.vancouver	50-59	Party		1
Ron	Adams	North Vancouver		Crew		*1
Bryce	Adams	North Vancouver	under 20	Crew		*1
Penny	Jakobsen	North Vancouver	40-49		DNS	-1
Rob	Kay	Vancouver	50-59		DNS	-1
Bill	Maurer	North Vancouver	50-59		DNS	-1

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

2011 - Year 10 - Capilano Midsummer Night Run

20 August 2011 - 21 participants

For the 10th year in a row, a select group of trail runners got together in suburban North Vancouver to celebrate summer with a night run.

The object of the evening is to complete either a 12K or 18K running route and return to the start in about 90 minutes for a garden party.

While the summer of 2011 may well go down in the record books as one of the most miserable on record, the day of the Capilano Canyon Night Run Midsummer Night Dream edition was a good as it gets. Preparation for the run started early with neighborhood kids spending the afternoon drawing an elegant start line on the street with colored chalk. Tea lamps were set up in the garden and lights hung in the back yard. Des learned why it doesn't pay to arrive too early as he got to help move the BBQ.

Runners were nicely divided between those attempting the short course and long course. It was nice to see several people out for their first night run and reassuring that all brought either headlamps or flashlights.

It was warm and light when Vida counted down to the start. Both courses wind through suburban backyards for about 20 minutes before they reach the Capilano Canyon where, before long, darkness fell and the night lights came on. Our first contact with creatures was a friendly cat. Just after greeting 500-year old Grandpa Capilano, Paul and Killaine were spooked by an owl that swooped down into their path. Soon thereafter, Paul focused a bit too long on a cat that sat contentedly on a tree stump next to the trail and rolled his ankle.

Our group was first to reach aid station Adams at roughly one hour into the run. Ron and his family greeted us with potato chips and chocolate chip cookies. As Killaine sat comfortably at the aid station, Ron warned her to "Beware the chair" so we stopped chatting and made our way on down the trail toward the buffet table.

Things were rolling along quite smoothly on the Bowser Trail when a skunk sauntered out of the bushes a couple of steps in front of us, tail high in the air, and the business-end pointed directly at our little group. We managed to bolt by a short way down the trail, but reports at the finish line from those who followed indicated that this and several other skunks were spotted. Thankfully, nobody was sprayed as that would mean banishment from the party!

After taking in the beer mile earlier in the afternoon, Sean and friends were kind enough to set up a second impromptu aid station at the bottom of Mosquito Creek. Unfortunately, only Pat and Claudia found it!

This year, the finish line potluck featured eggplant and feta appies, spicy potato salad, fresh-baked buns, juicy Okanagan and a blackberry cobbler with ingredients picked fresh from the trail only a handful of hours earlier. The bear that crashed a party in the same back yard 2 days earlier did not return, but you'd think the way Neil jumped, the bear was under the table licking his leg. (Turns out, the offending party was a bug. Shameless waste of fine Kiwi wine, eh Neil?)

Thank to Kintec and TrailRunner magazine, there were some nice recognition prizes. Dario, who finished a 75K run, managed to keep from going to sleep standing-up. Sammy's shirt lit up the whole back yard. Paul earned a rousing applause for his impromptu song that recapped his experiences during the run.

Thank you to all of the runners, crew and friends who made this 10th anniversary edition of the summer night run very special. See you in February for the Mardi Gras version of the Capilano Canyon Night run!

Sibylle Tinsel and Ean Jackson
Hosts of the Capilano Canyon Midsummer Night Dream Night Run

Lost and Found. Please contact us if you left something behind. So far we only found some pakoras, a pie (no need to pick-up, hahaha) and a running dress (Yo, Teagirl!)

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

Please add your's to the CFA Flickr group tagged with CapilanoNightrun2011 CapilanoNightRun ClubFatAssEvents2011 ClubFatassEvents. They will automatically be added to the link above.

Results:

First Name	Last Name	Event	Points	Time
Hassan	Lofti-Pour	18km	1	1:50
desmond	mott	18km	3*	1:50
Allison	Tai	18km	3*	1:50
Katie	Longworth	18km	1+1*	2:00
Doug	Keir	18km	3*	2:05
Baldwin	Lee	18km	1+1*	2:05
Paul	Burns	13km	1	1:30
Ean	Jackson	13km	5* **	1:30
Killaine	Sharman	13km	1	1:30
Vivian	Tai	13km	2	1:30
Patricia	Barry	13km	2	1:51
Claudia	Bullington	13km	3*	1:51
Sibylle	Tinsel	custom	5* **	0:12
Wendy	Montgomery	custom	1
Ron	Adams	Crew	1*
Sean	Lavin	Crew	1*
Meg	Peters	Crew	1*
Dario	Herrera	Party	0
Vida	Morkunas	Party	0
Michael	Parks	Party	0
Neil		Party	0

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

2010 - Year 9 - Capilano Midsummer Night Run

21 August 2010 - 34 participants

Report: My wife and I apparently have quite the reputation in our neighborhood. This point was made clear recently when a friend got lost trying to find our place and stopped to ask someone for directions.

Our street address didn't ring a bell. (Not surprising, as the person was a good 20 blocks away from our home.) Our names were not familiar, either. But when our friend referred to "the crazy runners", he was given directions with pinpoint accuracy.

While running is certainly popular, it's still not uncommon to hear a non-runner refer to anyone who runs as being "crazy." As a beginning runner, I admit I thought anyone who ran the marathon distance had to be a bit nuts. As a marathoner, I thought those who ran on trails were a bit odd but nowadays trail running is almost trendy. That said, even very experienced runners think running in the night is a bit loopy.

Word of the Capilano Canyon Night Run appears to have spread throughout our quiet, suburban neighborhood faster than the latest funny cat video on YouTube. We have clearly been pegged as being members of the lunatic fringe.

The 9th anniversary of the Midsummer Nights Dream version of the night run attracted 34 like-minded runners from the fringe of the running community. Several were new members to the club. Many had never run in the night before. Two particularly whacked participants (Terry, Bradley, you know who you are) decided to toe the line of this night run without the benefit of a headlamp or written course directions.

After starting in our driveway, runners soon split off into 12K and 18K distance groups. Sibylle lead the 12K group,while a pack of fast dudes eying the course record bolted to the lead of the "competitive" group. Here's a brief summary of the adventures over the next 90 minutes:

It was a warm summer evening with a hint of humidity. There was a threat of rain, but none materialized
losts of rustling in the bushes. Much talk of bears and cougars. None were seen by the participants, although neighbor Caroline saw a big, burly black bear on the course at about 10:00. There were two (2) confirmed skunk sighting and someone almost stepped on a mole.
a great aid station at the 2/3 point, complete with cookies, chips and gobs of encouragement. “Thank you!”, Ron and Alaia.
some clowning around on construction equipment reported on the course. (‘Thought that bridge was repaired last year?)
some bushwhackiong and creek crossing in the Mackay Creek canyon. German visitor swears to never trust the locals again.
Our garden hose shower proved popular. Warm water went to those who got there first.
Hundreds of little and our Christmas lights provided a romantic stage for the party in the garden

As always, the potluck garden party was a big hit. This years' buffet selection included: pulled pork sandwiches, veggie gyoza, terriyaki chicken wings, fritatta, cheese platters, cornbread and prawns topped off with so many deserts (garden rhubarb crisp, Tiramisu and Nanaimo bars) we had to find another table to put them all on!

Thanks to Trail Runner magazine, the person with the nastiest-looking wound, the youngest participant, the one who traveled the farthest, the most experienced Cap Canyon Night Runner and the runner with the best story to share all received free subscriptions.

Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this "crazy" celebration of good friends, good food and great fun. Many thanks also to Alaia for checking everybody in and helping at the aidstation and to Ron Adams for sacrificing his run to host Aid Station Adams.

See you in February for the Mardi Gras version!

Sibylle and Ean
Co-Hosts of the Capilano Canyon Night Run

Lost and Found. Please contact us if you left something behind. So far we found a red CFA shirt from 2004 (rare specimen and we might auction off ;-) - Craig, you listening?), a shirt and several socks, a glass pie dish, plastic pot, metal laddle, several plastic containers as well as a camping chair.

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

Please add your's to the CFA Flickr group tagged with CapilanoNightrun2010 CapilanoNightRun ClubFatAssEvents2010 ClubFatassEvents. They will automatically be added to the link above.

Results

First Name	Last Name	Event	Points	Time
Bradley	Jones	13km	2	01:19
Craig	Moore	13km	2	01:19
linda	wong	13km	2	01:19
Lishe	O'kiely	13km	2	01:41
Reagan	White	13km	2+1*	01:42
Maureen	Wiens	13km	2	01:42
Jan	Snow	13km	2	01:42
kelly	Corday	13km	2+1*	01:43
Jess	Dagg	13km	2+1*	01:43
Claudia	Bullington	13km	2	01:45
Liza	Flemming	13km	2+1	01:45
Patricia	Barry	13km	2	01:47
Sibylle	Tinsel	13km	2+2**	01:47
Kathryn	Webb	13km	1	01:48
Baldwin	Lee	13km	1	?
terry	lewis	13km	1****	?
Elizabeth	Tod	13km	-1	DNS

Dario	Herrera	18km	2	01:27
Hassan	Lotfi-Pour	18km	1	01:27
Ryne	Melcher	18km	1	01:27
Navid	Rahemtulla	18km	1****	01:27
Ryan	Conroy	18km	2	01:31
Bill	Dagg	18km	2	01:37
Tim	Wiens	18km	2	01:40
Carolyn	Goluza	18km	1	01:45
Suzanne	Johnson	18km	1****	01:46
desmond	mott	18km	2+1*	01:47
Penny	Jakobsen	18km	1	01:49
patricia	jensen	18km	2	01:49
Paul	Tinsel	18km	1	01:49
Kerry	Ward	18km	1	01:49
Julie	Flynn	18km	2	01:54
Clive	Boness	18km	2	01:55
Ean	Jackson	18km	2+1+2*	01:55

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

**** Club membership needs to be updated!

2009 - Year 8 - Capilano Midsummer Night Run

Club Fat Ass Event - Start of the Capilano Canyon Night Run Midsummer Dream 2009

15 August 2009 - 32 participants

It's a lazy Sunday morning in August. The 8th annual Capilano Night Run ended a few hours ago. The co-host of the event tasked me with summarizing the evening before I can play, so here I sit in the hammock eating some delicious brownies left over from the party trying to think what to write...

Since this event is intended to focus on the party, I'll start there.

It was 10:15 pm on a beautiful summer evening. I was the last person to finish the run. It was really nice to be welcomed by a crowd as I crossed the chalk finish line in front of my driveway. There were many "Congrats!" and high-5s as I made my way to the showers: our garden hose. I was starving and ready for that cool beer I'd been visualizing for the second half of the run.

Happy runners, crew members and other friends were packed shoulder to shoulder inside the house. To me, the highlight of the evening is the potluck party. So much food! You never know what to expect at a potluck party, but what I've noted over the years is that Club members and friends put a lot of love into this one. Many of the dishes are home-baked. Others emphasized seasonal goodies from local farms or were creative ethnic finger foods. A sample from this year's buffet: fresh Chilliwack corn, homemade spicy samosas, vegetarian pot stickers, fresh fruit crumble, rich chocolate pavlova... the table groaned under all of the goodies.

It was nice to see a good number of non-running friends and significant others at the "finisher party". Maybe they were curious about the freak show? (What do you mean, normal folks don't run for a couple of hours on trails in the dark before a garden party?) Maybe they wanted to see some newly-minted STORMY 100-mile finisher buckles?

With many thanks to Kintec and Trail Runner Magazine, I was able to pass along a few recognition awards. At 14 years old, Bryce was recognized as the youngest person to have completed the course. "Homeless" Heather (Montreal) and Reg (Chilliwack) were recognized for having traveled the farthest to participate in the event, while honorable mention went to Carlos the Jackal (Victoria), who traveled all that way but missed the start. Fortunately, a Purple Heart was not awarded as no blood was drawn on the course, however, Baldwin gets mention for getting scrambled after hitting the ground hard a few times. "Creampuff" Doug, who loves his pale ales, came away with a nice set of beer glasses for participating in almost all of the 15 Capilano Canyon Night runs to date. Finally, Ryan and Patricia were recognized for being the most lost, though I should point out that my sweep group of 3 grew to about 10 by the time we finished!

Jess and Bill shared their video of the 135K Canadian Death Race in the living room as other guests dissected their results at STORMY, discussed the Bagger Challenge or strategized about the Cascade Crest 100-miler next to the food. Thankfully, John was tired so the chili-eating contest was postponed till another day.

Getting back to the run, there was a healthy mix of 12K and 18K runners. The evening was cloudless and fresh: perfect for running. While the summer event has always been held on the 3rd Saturday of August, it seemed as though nightfall came later as my sweep group didn't have to spark up the headlamps until we reached Grandpa Capilano. The usual percentage of competitive runners got lost, but the coyote who almost ate my neighbor's dog the previous evening didn't pick off any stragglers before I found them. There was one raccoon sighting and one moment of sheer terror on Bowser trail when the mob I was running with startled a skunk.

Club Fat Ass Event - Capilano Canyon Night Run Midsummer Dream - Aidstation Adam Many thanks to Ron Adams for sacrificing his run to host Aid Station Adams and a big, fat "Thank you!" to each of you who contributed to making the event a truly memorable one.

Your Co-Hosts
Sibylle and Ean

PS 'Hope to see you out for the winter version of this run. Note: Given the Olympics are in town on the 3rd Saturday of February and it might be hard to get around, we're going to postpone to the 3rd Saturday of March.

Lost and Found. Please contact me if you are the owner of a linen bag from Marketplace or if you left your red cooler and freezer bag behind

Photos. Photos of the evening are posted here. Please add your's to the CFA Flickr group tagged with CapilanoNightrun2009 CapilanoNightRun and ClubFatassEvents. They will automatically be added to the link above.

Results

First Name	Last Name	Event	Points	Time
Andy	Nicol	18km	2	1:29
David	Papineau	18km	2	1:29
Ellie	Greenwood	18km	2+1*	1:30
Ran	Katzman	18km	2+1***	1:30
Mike	Palichuk	18km	2	1:30
Tim	Wiens	18km	2	1:30
Desmond	Mott	18km	2+1*	1:32
Bill	Dagg	18km	2+1	1:37
Patricia	Jensen	18km	1	1:47
Ryan	Conroy	18km	1	1:57
Baldwin	Lee	18km	2	2:12
Ray	Levasseur	18km	2+1*	2:12
Sukhi	Pawa	18km	2	2:12
Monty	Watts	18km	2	2:12
Jess	Bassil	18km	2	2:13
Claudia	Bullington	18km	2	2:13
Reg	Hornsby	18km	1	2:13
Doug	Keir	18km	2	2:13
Ean	Jackson	18km	2+1*	2:13

Bryce	Adams	13km	1	1:20
Rob	Jones	13km	1+1*	1:21
Wendy	Montgomery	13km	2	1:21
Heather	Urquhart	13km	1	1:21
Craig	Moore	13km	2+1*	1:23
Patricia	Barry	13km		1:47
Sibylle	Tinsel	13km	4**	1:47
Kat	Web	13km	1	1:47
Maureen	Wiens	13km	2	1:47
John	Machray	13km	2	1:50

Chulita	Barbeau	custom	1	42:25:00
Gilles	Barbeau	custom	2	42.23
Carlos	Castillo	custom	2	?

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

2008 - Year 7 - Capilano Midsummer Night Run

16 August 2008 - 27 participants

Report

The 7th edition of the Capilano Canyon Midsummer Night Run will go into the history books as the hot night of the skunks under the full moon.

Among a core group of veteran Fat Asses were a handful of timid looking first timers toeing the chalk start line in front of the Yellow Beacon. After making sure everybody had a partner to hang on to and to blame if getting lost, In-and-Out-Of-Action-Jackson sent the giddy runners on their way.

Maybe it was the heat, maybe just general laziness...but Gary (who finished and won his first 100 mile race at Stormy last weekend), Ryan, Doug K. and Jackie got lost within the first km of the run and devised their custom course on the Baden-Powell Trail.

The rest of us tackled either the 12km or 18km courses, crossing a suburban neighborhood in the pink light of dusk before dipping down into Capilano Canyon. Temperatures were still soaring in the high twenties - unusual for Vancouver - and this was by far the hottest Night Run in our 7 year history. Amazingly, some of the Capilano Pacific Trail was still wet and muddy.

Photo left: Aidstation Adam with Ron and Cathy

By the time most runners arrived at aid-station Adams a huge, yellow full moon hung low above Capilano River. Aid-station Adams is a tradition closely tied to the Night Run. Every year, the Adams family puts out cookies and chips and comes up with devious party games that leave runners dizzy and stumbling...(ever tried to run around a baseball bat with your head bend down resting on the bat?). Just as the last runners passed through, a little skunk joined in the fun and tried out the hopscotch parcour. Sibylle, Pat and Claudia tried to dodge and outrun the skunk, but finally gave up and took a detour through the front yard.

Another skunk sighting at Rogers Video made sure every body was alert before heading up Mosquito Creek for the final 2km.

After rinsing off the dust, sweat and mud of the run at the garden hose shower in the T/J front yard, everybody settled in for a well deserved potluck and some cool ones. As first time Fat Ass Bret acknowledged, we replaced the burned off calories and then some. Potluck highlights were filled eggs, spinach salad, carrot and cabbage salad, clam tempura, chicken wings, couscous salad, huge shrimps, special pita slices with fresh herbs, peach cobbler, fruit pies, sweet buns and fittingly, Full Moon cookies.

Thanks to our sponsors, Kintec Footlabs, TrailRunner Magazine and Kinesys for the great draw prizes. Bryce Adams won a handheld water bottle pack as youngest participant and aid-station crew. Shannon from Kelowna missed her price for the farthest travelled (you have to be there to win) and the prize went to Claudia of Richmond instead.

Photo left: Sibylle and Pat trying the bat swirl...

Photo right: Des and Bryce at the garden hose shower

Photos

Photos of the evening a posted here. Please add your's to the CFA Flickr group tagged with CapilanoNightrun2008 CapilanoNightRun and ClubFatassEvents. They will automatically be added to the link above.

Post Event Survey

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

Results

Points	First Name	Last Name	Event	Time

2*	Paul	Cubbon	18km	1:38:40
3*	desmond	mott	18km	1:38:40
2	Ran	Katzman	18km	1:40:40
2	Ellie	Greenwood	18km	1:40:40
1	Shannon	Thomas	18km	1:40:49
2	Jessica	Glowacki	18km	1:54:00

1	Suzanne	Johnson	13km	1:21:23
2	Suzanne	Rushton	13km	1:21:23
2	Baldwin	Lee	13km	1:21:25
2	Doug	MacKay	13km	1:22:10
1	Randy	Savoie	13km	1:33:00
2	Kim	Taylor	13km	1:33:00
1	Bret	Conkin	13km	1:41:00
2	John	Machray	13km	1:41:00
2	Patricia	Barry	13km	1:50:58
2	Claudia	Bullington	13km	1:51:00
3**	Sibylle	Tinsel	13km	1:52:00
1	Dave	Smith	13km	1:54:00

1	Ron	Adams	5km	0:31:00
1	Bryce	Adams	5km	0:31:00

1	Doug	Keir	custom - lost	2:00:00
1	Ryan	Conroy	custom - lost	2:00
1	Jackie	Muir	custom - lost	2:00
1	Gary	Robbins	custom - lost	2:00

1	Ean	Jackson	crew	n/a
1	Craig	Moore	rescued stranded crew ;-)	n/a
1	Ethelyn	David	stranded crew	n/a

	michael	spagnut	DNS	DNS

* Bonus Point for garbage collection
** Event Host Point

2007 - Year 6 - Capilano Midsummer Night Run

18 August 2007 - 37 Starters

What a wonderful evening it was: The rains held off, nobody got lost, no injuries that drew blood and the party lasted until 5:00am.!

The event started early when a faint voice from the backyard drifted to our dinner table questioning "is there a run here tonight?" I almost said, "yes, but you are 2 hours early!" 'Turns out the two early birds from London, Ontario arrived in Seattle the day before and hoped to squeeze in a race before heading to Ironman Canada. A quick web search got them to the Club Fat Ass website and Google maps guided them non-stop from Seattle to the yellow house on Fairmont Road and start line of the Capilano Canyon night run.

After loading up on cheese, bread, olives and shrimps for the apres-run potluck at the local market, Kathy and Scott returned to the start to join the group of 37 runners setting out to enjoy a night trail run through the Capilano Canyon, MacKay and Mosquito Creek trails. We assured Scott that the trail was tame with no major hill to climb. (Scott later confessed to a chorus of guffaws from the locals that this was the toughest 18km he's ever done!)

No bears, skunks or raccoons were seen on the course this year. Fortunately, there were no nominations for the Most Lost or Purple Heart (most injured) runner categories. (Where was Doug Mackay?) Sharon wins the prize for forgetting her flashlight the second year in a row. (Thank you to the kind runner who lent her a headlamp.) Other prizes went to Chris Mager, who won a Northface hydration pack - kindly donated by Gilles Barbeau - for the worst singing performance of the evening. Penny Jabobsen and the Ontario runners won TrailRunner magazine subscriptions and Vanessa Fors went home with pair of socks for inadvertently being led on the long course. A Montrail cap was snatched up by Bryce Adams and a special edition Club Fat Ass cap went to Ron Adams out of recognition for maintaining the Adams family aid station for 11 summer and winter night runs.

The potluck party after the run is the social highlight of the year for your Event Hosts. Thank you to everyone for delicious contributions. Tasty morsels included spicy stuffed eggs, homemade sushi, potato, orzo and pasta salads, pakoras, samosas, bbq'ed chicken, lots of cheeses, chips and dips and more deserts than you can shake a stick at. Those of you who stuck around long enough finished off the eating spree with a home baked Black Forest Cake to celebrate Sibylle's birthday.

Lots of photos are posted here. Please add your photos of the evening to your free Flickr account, then add them to the CFA photo pool and tag them with CapilanoCanyonNightRunMidsummer2007 and CapilanoCanyonNightRun. They will magically appear in the link above.

Thanks to Tim Wiens who provided this GPS generated map of the competitive course. Offical length according to Tims GPS is 16.5km. Take that, Scott... and you thought it was the toughest 18km in your life.

Here are results and points. Please let me know if you have any corrections.

First Name	Last Name	Event	Points	Time
chris	mager	18km - Competitive	1	1:33
Andy	Nicol	18km - competitive	1	1:33
Ran	Katzman	18km - Competitive	2	1:34
desmond	mott	18km - Competitive	2	1:34
Tim	Wiens	18km - Competitive	1	1:34
David	Crerar	18km - competitive	1	1:34
Paul	Markey	18km - Competitive	1	1:36
Geoff	Palmer	18km - Competitive	2	1:54
Scott	Calver	18km - Competitive	1	1:55
Ean	Jackson	18km - Competitive	2	1:55
rob	ruff	18km - Competitive	2	1:55
Doug	Keir	18km - Competitive	2	1:56
Kathy	Calver	18km - Competitive	1	1:58
john	mcgrath	18km - Competitive	1	2:10

Penny	Jakobsen	13km - Group	2*	1:22
Baldwin	Lee	13km - Group	2	1:23
Amy	MacArthur	13km - Group	1	1:31
Randy	Savoie	13km - Group	2	1:31
Kim	Taylor	13km - Group	2	1:31
Kyla	Adams	13km - Group	1	1:38
Marla	Allen	13km - Group	2	1:38
Neil	Ambrose	13km - Group	1	1:38
Gilles	Barbeau	13km - Group	2	1:38
Carolyn	King	13km - Group	1	1:38
John	Machray	13km - Group	2	1:38
Craig	Moore	13km - Group	2* + 1 for KK photo	1:38
Daniel	Probst	13km - Group	2	1:38
Marie	Rivard	13km - Group	2	1:38
David	Crumpton	13km - Group	2	1:38
Lorraine	Suomi	13km - Group	2	1:38
Sibylle	Tinsel	13km - Group	3**	1:52
Maureen	Wiens	13km - Group	1	1:52
Patricia	Barry	13km - Group	2	1:53
Sharon	Bryson	13km - Group	1	1:53
Vanessa	Fors	13km - Group	1	2:10

Kristie	Congram	custom	2	0:33
Ron	Adams	custom and crew	2	0:43
Karl	Jensen	13km - Group	2	1:00

Bryce	Adams	crew	1
Brett	Adams	crew	1
Cathy	Adams	crew	1
Ethelyn	David	crew	1
Lucinda	Iglesias	crew	1
Andrew	MacArthur	crew	1
Linda	Macray	crew	1

* extra point for garbage pick-up on the trails

** EH point

2006 - Year 5 - Capilano Midsummer Night Run

Starter Photo
32 Starter - 32 Finishers

Only one person forgot her flashlight, nobody got lost, no attacking bears, skunks or raccoons, no weirdos hiding in bushes and no injuries to report. Just a relaxing, midsummer run through a beautiful night time canyon followed by an amazing potluck spread (with illumination this year) at the yellow beacon. Not a bag of chips to be seen. What a healthy bunch we all are.

Thanks for all to come out and contribute. Thanks to the loonies who supplied enough crazy talk to last a life time (do I need to mention FFR) and thanks to the runners who tackled 3 CFA events within a 24hour time frame and still had enough humph left to party.

You can add your own impressions by using the comment tab below or through your personal CFA blog.

More photos are posted here.

First Name	Last Name	Event	Points	Time
Daniel	Probst	18km	2	1:31
David	Smith	18km	2	1:31
Bill	Dagg	18km	2	1:40
Ran	Katzman	18km	2	1:42
Wendy	Montgomery	18km	1	1:47
Desmond	Mott	18km	2*	1:47
Doug	MacKay	18km	2	2:03

Kim	Taylor	13km	2	1:26
Elke	Bauer	13km	2	1:27
Michele	Sherstan	13km	1	1:27
cynnimon	rain	13km	1	1:27
chris	tomkinson	13km	1	1:27
Doug	Keir	13km	2	1:30
Angus	Mclellan	13km	1	1:34
Craig	Moore	13km	2	1:35
Shay	Wilson	13km	2	1:35
Claudia	Bullington	13km	1	1:36
Baldwin	Lee	13km	2	1:38
John	Machray	13km	2	1:38
Sharon	Bryson	13km	1	1:39
Lora-Lynn	Oxenbury	13km	2	1:39
Patricia	Barry	13km	2	1:42
Karl	Jensen	13km	2	1:42
Geoffrey	Palmer	13km	2	1:42
Lorraine	Suomi	13km	2	1:42
Sibylle	Tinsel	13km	3**	1:42
Cheryl	Johnson	13km	2	1:48
Arlene	MacAulay	13km	2	1:48
Lori	Moody	13km	2	1:48
Rhonda	Schuller	13km	2	1:48

Michelle	Fredette	custom	2	1:07
Andy	Nicol	custom	2	1:07

Ethelyn	David	crew	1
Ean	Jackson	crew	1
Killaine	Sharman	DNS	-1

* bonus point for picking up garbage
**EH point

2005 - Year 4 - Capilano Midsummer Night Run

2005 Starters - More photos in the photo gallery

A fine summer evening greeted starters as they assembled on a suburban North Vancouver cul-de-sac for the Capilano Canyon Night Run (a Midsummer Nights Dream) this past Saturday. As young Erik raised his cap gun just after 8:00 pm, young Austin shouted, "3-2-1 Go!" and 24 Club Fat Ass members set off into the dusk for a trail run.

Neighbors were out on the street with beers in hand offering encouragement. A large group of Japanese language students also politely applauded this odd Canadian ritual with reserved shouts of "Gambate!"

At the first intersection, the field divided into 2 with the shorter, 12K Group run heading east and the longer, 17K Competitive runners heading west. The objective is for everyone to merge back together a couple of kilometers before the finish and arrive back at the start within roughly 90 minutes...then have a party.

The run has been hosted 7 times over the past 4 years (there's also a Mardi Gras version in February.) About 20 minutes into the summer version, both Group and Competitive courses are into some rocky, rooty trail sections and it gets very, very dark. Amazingly enough, and for the very first time in the history of the run, there were no seriously lost lambs and no trees or rocks were damaged by people hurtling into them. There were no pervert or bear sightings this year, however, many runner's hearts skipped a beat when a skunk decided to pick a fight with a cat on the Bowser Trail section.

For the very first time, there were 2 Club Fat Ass events to choose from on the same day: the Full Monty in Victoria, British Columbia and the Night Run in North Vancouver. Decisions, decisions. Both Geoff Palmer (infamous as the host of the Fluffy Bunny Trail run) and Doug Bodnar made a compromise. Both ran the inaugural Half Monty 25K then hopped into their cars and took a long ferry ride so they could also complete the Capilano Night Run!

A yellow "harvest" full moon illuminated the trail so well that in open areas, our headlamps and flashlights weren't even needed. Pat Berry saw a shooting star. (An omen of good luck, as she won a subscription to Trail Runner magazine later in the evening!) At roughly 1 hour into the run, we were treated to a fine buffet of homemade cookies and other goodies by Cathy and Bryce Adams at Aid Station Adams. Before allowing us back onto the trail, Bryce made all runners put their heads on his baseball bat and run around it 3 times. He also got us to hopscotch as we made our way down the trail. Cruel! (Ten year old Bryce, by the way, ran sweep with his Dad, Ron, and partied to midnight.)

The finish area was bustling with activity by the time I arrived. Seven year old Erik (the official co-starter of the event) offered showers from the garden hose. Candles and tiki lights illuminated the stairs and decks lending a magical feel to the party that kicked off in earnest as the buffet table was spread. It seemed that everyone put in a special effort for the potluck this year. Selections included several home baked blackberry dishes (pies, scones), wild rice salad, quesadillas, spicy marinated vegetables, wraps, sushi, vodka jigglers, fresh figs, homemade mango sorbet and fruit salad.

Thanks to Trail Runner magazine, Hammergel and Sibylle Tinsel, who pitched in some homemade blackberry jam, there were prizes. The Glutton for Punishment award, of course, was awarded to both Doug and Geoff for their double-hitter. Youngest runner and best aid station recognition went to Bryce Adams. Pat Barry was the most experienced runner of the evening having completed 6/7 Capilano Canyon night runs while Mike Rhodes got a prize for the top placing "virgin".

The next Capilano Canyon Night Run (Mardi Gras) will be on February 18th. Cold, freezing rain, lots of mud and a grumpy bear or 2 are on order, so I hope to see you at the start!

Ean Jackson
Co-Host

Place	First Name	Last Name	City/Town	Province /State	Age	Time	Point Series
Competitive Run
1	Bill	Dagg	Vancouver	BC	42	1:36:42	2
1	Geoff	Palmer	Coquitlam	BC	23	1:36:42	1
3	Desmon	Mott	North Vancouver	BC	46	1:41	2
3	Paul	Cubbon	North Vancouver	BC	43	1:41:00	2
5	Doug	MacKay	North Vancouver	BC	54	1:53	1
6	Ean	Jackson	North Vancouver	BC	47	1:54	2
6	Mike	Rhodes	North Vancouver	BC	40	1:54	1
8	Eileen	Bistrisky	Vancouver	BC	38	3:00	2
8	Ryan	Russell	Richmond	BC	32	3:00	1

Group Run
1	Robert	Westendorp	Vancouver	BC	40	1:16	2
2	Russ	Chore	Pitt Meadows	BC	31	1:26	2
2	Christine	Rybak	Pitt Meadows	BC	34	1:26	2
4	Baldwin	Lee	Burnaby	BC	32	1:29:30	2
4	John	Machray	North Vancouver	BC	52	1:29:30	2
4	Craig	Moore	North Vancouver	BC	44	1:29:30	2
4	Claudia	Bullington	Richmond	BC	38	1:30:11	1
8	Patricia	Barry	Vancouver	BC	44	1:46	2
8	Sibylle	Tinsel	North Vancouver	BC	42	1:46	2
10	Cheryl	Johnson	Pitt Meadows	BC	56	1:47	2
10	Rhonda	Schuller	Vancouver	BC	55	1:47	1
12	Doug	Bodnar	Victoria	BC	38	2:00	2

Custom Course
1	Ron	Adams	North Vancouver	BC		0:28:54	1
2	Bryce	Adams	North Vancouver	BC	10	0:28:54	1
3	Donna	Rodman	North Vancouver	BC	55	1:15	1

Crew
	Bryce	Adams	North Vancouver	BC	10		2
	Cathy	Adams	North Vancouver	BC			2
	Troy	Angrignon	Vancouver	BC			2
	Ethelyn	David	Surrey	BC			2
	Austin	David	Surrey	BC	9		3*
	Johanna	Jackson	North Vancouver	BC	8		2
	Erik	Jackson	North Vancouver	BC	7		2
	Sascha	Westendorp	Vancouver	BC			2

* earned 1 extra point for picking up garbage

24 Starters
24 Finisher
7 Crew

Registration - Background - Agenda - Course - Thanks - Results - Contact - FAQ

You said it...

Thanks to everybody who answered the Capilano Night Run Post Event survey. Below is a collection of your feedback and my response to it:

Date (day of week, time of year, conflicts with other events...)

Only because I didn't do RTN, or Whistler 5 Peaks, or Gearjammer that day, so was perfect for me.
Excellent race, awesome fullmoon! Great people. I usually do the 5peaks runs, but it conflicts with most of CFAs events. July would also be a good option for a night run.. maybe the club could have another night run. Just an idea.
Just perfect

(It's hard to find a "free weekend". We try to schedule most of our events to avoid conflict with the local trail/ultra races. The Midsummer Night Run date is strategically chosen to fall between "Stormy" and "Ironman Canada". We figure if you do Stormy or Ironman, there is no way that you can also particpate in the Night Run that same weekend. On the other hand, folks have been known to do Five Peaks and the Night Run on the same day ;-)

Time (start time...)

Night events rock!

Start/finish area (location, parking, washrooms, shelter...)

Can't beat someone's house.
very good organization
good parking, washrooms and location. Couldn't be better

(Nobody mentioned the outdoor shower...)

The course itself (terrain, difficulty...)

I found it fun, easy, non-technical, and predominantly flat. Perfect for a Saturday
evening stroll.
It was a challenging terrain. I love it! some trails, streets, gravel roads. It balances well permitting for some relaxing run and tmore technical terrain.
great course - very inventive and creative use of greenways! well done! i liked it - especially for a night run... but would have wished to do it in daytime first. its probably just me, but i find trails are easier on the creaky ol' knees.

The course description (accuracy, complexity, measurement...)

90% of it was perfect and very easy/idiot proof to follow. A couple spots had us looking for things prematurely (rabbit trail after playground for example).
I ran with a group all the time, so no need to read instructions... I know this is not the usual way, but being my first time, it helped.
Hey, I finished in 1:29, so it was pretty close to estimated completion.
like the map

(I'll check that Rabbit Trail reference...and try to make it clearer for next year)

Level of competition (too little, too much...)

Not in it for the competition. Didn't find it too competitive.
Just perfect. I could run at my pace

Post-event activities

Too bad people left so early, but I had fun.
The pot-luck and social side was excellent. Very good variety of dishes, salad, dessert, sushi and even wine!
Wanted to see what I was eating a bit better ;)
Needed more lighting at the food tables -- hard to see what was there.
WOW! nice potluck and gathering . thank you!
Great spread, I wished I could've spent more time at the buffet table than in the toilet.
nice party!
Very gracious of you to offer your home & patio

(it was a pleasure to have you all. Glad the weather cooperated. In terms of food...it was gourmet heaven. There was not a single bag of chips to be seen. Oh...we are fixing the lighting for next year!)

Results (were they accurate, distributed promptly...)

Results were posted sooner than I expected, usually even the big races (I mean sponsored races) take few days to post final results.
Haven't seen them yet.
haven't seen them
Didn't spend much time analysing them. Don't really care about results.

Event website (was it easy to find information, complete...)

Your website is very well organized and user friendly. Easy to get all info about the event, registration, agenda, etc. Lots of websites including trail ultra runs, link to CFA events. I'm happy I ran into one of those links and had the chance to do my first run with the Club.
Not sure I'm registering properly. Just tried to register for Go Deep or Go home. Not sure if that went through.
Couldn't enter "0" for number of previous times doing this event.

(The problem mentioned above is fixed now, thanks for pointing it out)

Overall event (value, challenge, course, atmosphere...)

I think the award for doing multiple CFA events that occur on the same day should be called The Twin Cheeks Award.
Great introduction to night running for me

(I love the Twin Cheeks Award idea!)

2004 - Year 3 - Capilano Midsummer Night Run

	Name	Event	Home town	Finish Time
1	Shannon Wilkinson	group	North Vancouver	1:38
	Cheryl Picot	group	Vancouver	1:38
	Kate Dugas	group	Vancouver	1:38
	Doug Ko	group	Burnaby	1:38
	Louisa Lorimer	group	White Rock	1:38
	Allan McMordie	group	North Vancouver	1:38
	Ken Hardinge-Rooney	group	New Westminster	1:38
8	Gabi Kwan	group	North Vancouver	1:47:55
	Sibylle Tinsel	group	North Vancouver	1:47:55

1	Tom Skinner	comp	North Vancouver	1:41
	Desmond Mott	comp	North Vancouver	1:41
	Doug Kier	comp	North Vancouver	1:41
	Al Harman	comp	West Vancouver	1:41
	Patricia Jensen	comp	North Vancouver	1:41
6	Dom Repta	comp	Vancouver	1:54
	Wade Repta	comp	Vancouver	1:54
	John McGrath	comp	Vancouver	1:54
	Angus McLellan	comp	Vancouver	1:54
	Doug MacKay	comp	North Vancouver	1:54
	Ean Jackson	comp	North Vancouver	1:54

	Cathy Adams	crew	North Vancouver
	Bryce Adams	crew	North Vancouver
	Andy Nicol	crew	Vancouver
	Michelle Fredette	crew	Vancouver
	Mary Leliveld	crew	North Vancouver

20 starters, 20 finishers, 5 crew

Race Report

A few firsts for the Capilano Canyon Night Run this year: There were no major wipeouts or cases of getting lost. Several virgins became veterans. It was rainy. We were competing with the Olympics. There were no bear sightings.

Six year old Erik entertained early arrivals with his world record attempt at running laps around the house. The Guinness Foundation has been notified that he completed 196 laps in his underwear, though there is some controversy around allegations that he was counting by twos.

This year, the field was fairly evenly split between Group and Competitive categories. Several trail and night running virgins threw caution to the wind and toed the line. Several fast runners spoke of setting a new course record. Most participants were out for a fun run with old friends and new.

In the Competitive division, Tom Skinner made a last minute call to add the Event to his evening trail run. While possibly faster than the others in the lead group, Tom found himself referring frequently to the written course directions thereby allowing the competition the opportunity to catch up. The Group runners started fast and soon broke into two with Allan McMordie of the North Shore Search and Rescue leading the keeners.

While the rain held off during the run, it was warm and humid throughout. Headlamps were sparked-up before most runners made it to Cap Canyon. Fog and mist in the Canyon created a magical atmosphere, but made for tricky footing and frequent pauses for folks like Doug MacKay who wore eyeglasses.

Six year old Bryce was still up greeting runners a they approached Aid Station Adams on the east side of the Capilano Canyon. On the return leg of the trail, several runners were overheard saying, "Here kitty. Nice kitty" to a skunk. Lucky for them, they realized the error before trying to pet the critter.

At the finish, hot and sweaty runners spoke of pool hopping but were instead drawn to the buffet table. Thanks to our event supporters, we are happy to note that everyone was able to come away from this free event with some sort of gift or special recognition award. Here are the highlights:

Best Aid Station - Cathy and Bryce Adams, Michelle Fredette and Andy Nicol who hosted Aid Station Adams
Most Lost - Tom Skinner was awarded the prize in absentia, as nobody else admitted to getting lost!
Best Wipeouts - 2 prizes in this category were not awarded because nobody admitted to a wipeout!
Most Creative Potluck Idea - a critical panel of judges awarded the Gold medal to the Motts for the fresh blackberry and blueberry crumble. Desmond admitted he didn't lift a finger, so credit was awarded to Liselotte
Fastest Woman and Best Tattoo - hardware to Patricia Jensen for winning both categories
Farthest Traveled - Louisa Lorimer from White Rock was the technical winner, and Ken Hardinge-Rooney from New West the runner-up, but Doug Ko from Burnaby took home the prize 'cause you had to be present to win
Closest to the Sweep - Gabi Kwan dug deep to complete her first trail run and first night run
Most Cap Canyon Night Runs - "Creampuff" Kier, who has completed 4 (2 Midsummer Night's Dream and 2 MardiGras)

Many thanks to you all for making this another successful Capilano Canyon night run! We look forward to celebrating Mardi Gras on the dark trails with you on Saturday 18 February 2006!

Event Hosts - Sibylle and Jackson

2003 - Year 2 - Caplilano Midsummer Night Run

	Name	Event	Home town	Finish Time
1	Eunice Walaska	group	Mission	1:20
2	Caroline Brandson	group	North Vancouver	1:20
3	Cheryl Picot	group	Vancouver	1:31
4	Doug MacKay	group	North Vancouver	1:31
5	Sibylle Tinsel	group	North Vancouver	1:35
6	James Carlson	group	Coquitlam	1:35
7	Rhonda Schuler	group	Vancouver	1:49
8	Pat Barry	group	Vancouver	1:49

1	Andy Nicol	comp	Vancouver	1:35
2	Dom Repta	comp	Vancouver	1:35
3	Patricia Jensen	comp	North Vancouver	1:35
4	Rich Rawling	comp	West Vancouver	1:35
5	Kevin Harrison	comp	Vancouver	1:36
6	Wendy Montgomery	comp	North Vancouver	1:36
7	Brian Bjornson	comp	North Vancouver	1:36
8	Al Harman	group	West Vancouver	1:36
9	Chris Mager	comp	Vancouver	1:41
10	Bob Taylor	group	North Vancouver	1:52
11	Rob MacDonald	comp	Vancouver	1:52
12	Michelle Fredette	comp	Vancouver	1:52
13	Paul Cubbon	comp	Squamish	1:52
14	Ean Jackson	comp	North Vancouver	1:52
15	Rick Arikado	comp	Vancouver	1:58
16	Catherine Yoell	comp	Vancouver	1:59
17	Doug Kier	comp	Vancouver	1:59
18	Mary Leliveld	comp	North Vancouver	1:59

	Ron Adams	crew	North Vancouver
	Brett Adams	crew	North Vancouver
	Bill Walaska	crew	Maple Ridge
	Todd Richardson	crew	North Vancouver
	Toshimi Kobayashi	crew	Vancouver
	Eagle Walz	crew	Powell River
	Tom Mills	crew	Richmond

26 starters, 26 finishers, 7 crew

Comments and Feedback

This first-timer had a fantastic time in the figurative not literal sense. My run was terrific primarily because of Pat's pacing and keen sense of directions. Many thanks. I didn't wear a watch, so again count on Pat to know when we finished....Pat? Rhonda

Thank you for organizing such a great evening. Had lots of fun as usual. That darn cement bridge just before you bush whacking of Mackay Creek once again got a group of us..... Again, thank you Patricia

I love the color of the t shirt....Good choice Sibylle!

Rhonda and my time was 1:49. There was a lot of great food but I thought the cheesecake with the blackberries was outstanding. Adios, Pat

Hello and thank you for the wonderful night and all your hospitality. Love the T-shirts! Worth more than the price of admission I'm sure. As far as the food went (and it did), there was so much yummy food that it would be hard to pinpoint the best but the sushi, cheesecake, dip with bread and Catherine's famous cookies (as usual) were all delightful to my taste buds. look forward to the next event. ciao Kevin

Special recognition to:

Best Aid Station - thank you Ron Adams and everyone who helped at Aid Station Adams
Worst Sweep - Jackson. 4 people somehow got behind the last guy!
Most Lost - tie between Catherine, Mary (I think?)
Best Wipeouts - Doug MacKay, who went down hard and rolled over twice
Running on all 4s - to Seven the wonder dog
Best potluck idea - tough call. Rich for the Iranian flat bread and chick pea curry? Wendy for the blackberry cheesecake? Toshimi for the authentic Japanese sushi? Patricia for an amazing arrangement of fresh fruit? Ann for her famous pot stickers? ? For the "hand hewn salsa"?
Best volunteer - Tie between Bill, Toshimi, Todd, Brett, Eagle...who came from Powell River.

Many thanks to you all for making this another successful nite run!

Event Hosts - Sibylle and Jackson

2002 - Year 1 - Capilano Midsummer Night Run

	Name	Event	Home town	Finish Time
1	Bob Taylor	group	North Vancouver	1:29
2	Jay Watson	group	North Vancouver	1:29
3	Elena Grant	group	North Vancouver	1:33
4	Patrick Grant	group	North Vancouver	1:33
5	Sibylle Tinsel	group	North Vancouver	1:38
6	Cheryl Webb	group	North Vancouver	1:38
7	Pat Barry	group	Vancouver	1:38
8	Todd Carter	group	North Vancouver	1:29
9	Kim Parmetier & Tucker	group	North Vancouver	2:21

1	Steve Bazin	comp	North Vancouver	1:25
2	Patricia Jensen	comp	North Vancouver	1:34
3	Darren Lauscher	comp	Vancouver	1:34
4	Rich Rawling	comp	West Vancouver	1:34
5	Curb Ivanic	comp	Vancouver	1:34
6	Alex Watson	comp	North Vancouver	1:34
7	Jim Swadling	comp	North Vancouver	1:34
8	Ean Jackson	comp	North Vancouver	1:36
9	Mario Parmetier	comp	North Vancouver	1:36
10	Andy Nicol	comp	Vancouver	1:45
11	Ann Taylor	comp	North Vancouver	2:19
12	Michelle Fredette	comp	Vancouver	2:19
13	Matt Sessions	comp	Coquitlam	2:19
14	Paul Cubbon	comp	Squamish	2:19
15	Ron Adams	comp	North Vancouver	2:21

1	Cathy Adams	crew	North Vancouver
2	Zohar	crew	Vancouver
3	Donna Rodman	crew	North Vancouver
4	Akiko	crew	Japan
5	Michelle Medland	crew	North Vancouver
6	Mike Medland	crew	North Vancouver
7	Richard Moore	crew	Vancouver
9	Eva	crew	West Vancouver

24 starters, 24 finishers, 9 crew

Race Report

It was the perfect summer evening. Temperatures in the low 20's. Clear skies. An almost full moon. In all, 25 runners toed the line and 8 athletic supporters invested their Saturday evening helping make the inaugural run and festivities a success.

Sibylle led 9 runners on a civilized 90-minute group run. Jackson loosely directed the remaining 16 on a longer, more aggressive 90-minute competitive circuit. About 85% of the field completed the run of their choice within 10 minutes of the 90 minute objective.

Congratulations to Steve Bazin of North Vancouver for being the first to complete the competitive course. Steve, a long-time resident of Vancouver's north shore, leveraged his intimate knowledge of the trails and outstanding leg speed to beat out a strong field that included several former members of Canada's 100k run team as well as many of the leaders in the BC Ultra running series. Hoping to keep weight to a minimum, Steve didn't carry a flashlight until Aid Station Adams...a strategy that looked a bit iffy in the inky darkness of the Capilano Pacific Trail.

Congrats, as well, to the more balanced individuals who nonetheless stretched themselves beyond their comfort zone. For several, the group run was the longest run of their life and the first time they'd ever run with a headlamp or flashlight.

Some highlights of the evening:

Akiko, a visitor from Japan who had arrived in Canada only 6 hours earlier, announced the start, cheered the runners at the second Capilano River crossing, helped at the aid station and joined in the potluck. 'Wonder if she has a balanced view of Canada and Canadians?
Aid Station Adams. Cathy and the kids really outdid themselves. There was cheering. There were Christmas lights. There were secret tasks to complete. There were heaps of cookies, potato chips and special needs (cold beer)
Andy Nichol, BC's top ultrarunner of 2001 and current leader in the BC Ultra series, forgot his contact lenses and flashlight. Andy had a couple of bad falls, got lost and was lucky to make it home alive. He has vowed to make Jackson pay at the Walk in the Park 50K
Kim Parmeteer, whose husband roped her into the run at the last minute, got a bit lost between the fish hatchery and Aid Station Adams. She was home safe before the munchies and booze ran out
Some of the competitive runners got disoriented and skipped the MacKay Creek jungle section. Rumor has it that a woman was navigating. (You know who you are! =;-)
Ron Adams and his monster flashlight. Ron ran sweep and brought a couple of lost lambs home safely
our heros the crew members. Thanks Cathy, Donna, Akiko and Eva for all of your help
the post-race banquet. What a spread! There was sushi, spicy pot stickers, an amazing selection of dips, papadams and chutney, hot wraps, fresh blackberry pie. Thanks to everyone for going way overboard to insure a truly outstanding party. Too bad there weren't more leftovers.

Many thanks to everyone who participated for making this an enjoyable evening for all.

Sibylle and Jackson

Comments and Feedback

Lots of fun Saturday night. Thank you for the invite. A great group of people. Loved the trails and activities. I have never done something like that before. I am not very good with going around in circles with a bat! Patricia

- a truly great Saturday evening! i enjoyed surviving the run with only the minutest bit of cheating. eva enjoyed the chatting and wine. akiko was thrilled to be given starter's honours after only 6 hours on north american soil.
- Ean's shirt allowed him to be spotted even while hiding in blackberry brambles after sundown. Camouflage is recommended for next year
- The surgeon general has determined that mixing pale ale, potato chips, and chocolate chip cookies at an aid station is a health hazard.
- Finding the crux path at McKay Creek is clearly impossible! - rich

Great run Saturday, I felt pretty sore the next day. Michelle came in with the Ann, Ron, Kim, and Matthews group. I guess I am disqualified for running to many roads. I actually lost track of time, but I recall my watch saying 9:36pm either at the end or near the end of my run. Does that sound about right? Anyway, thanks to you and Sibylle for a good time. Andy

Thanks for hosting an unique evening of entertainment. I'm always looking for a reason to exercise and drink, your evening's venue offered the prefect opportunity. I was a little gun shy when I first heard about it, ultra runners, running at night (in the trails) and my lack of training/running over the last month. Still suffering from jetlag and obviously common senses, I thought this run would be a good way of getting back on track. The Capilano River sections were a little iffy only the curator could find his way through these trails. The Mackay Creek section was a challenge, I usually walk it with the kids during the daytime, but at night, I felt like I was going in circles. Nice choice of trails, very tricky The after party was great, cold beer and warm food, every man's dream. The different varieties of food was great everything tasted delicious. Special thanks to the aid station workers, I can still picture those cookies.
Thanks again for hosting a wonderfully unique evening. All the best Steve

Many thanks to you and Sibylle for a great time. How far we ran or where exactly we ran remains a mystery but I sure had fun. It was like being a kid again running around the neighborhood at night! And what a spread afterwards! I didn't realize you were having a "foods from around the world" theme but that's what it turned out. Look forward to your next fun run, but am I hearing you, "Mr. Rain, No Train" correctly? A run in blistery winter conditions?!? That I have to see. cheers curb

Background

The Big Picture

The Capilano Canyon Night Run (A Midsummer Night's Dream) is a social get-together with a twist: Unlike other garden parties you might have attended, there's a 90-minute run in the dark separating you and the potluck buffet table!

Regardless of their fitness level, all guests are expected to participate in the event in one of 3 categories: Group, Competitive or Crew. The highlight of the evening is an outdoor potluck party in celebration of summer and good friends.

Routes

The Capilano Canyon Night Run courses were designed to provide a fun and safe 90 minute night running experience for runners with just about any level of experience. Experienced runners may opt for the longer, more difficult Competitive route. Those who prefer a less aggressive pace and the company of a guide, choose the Group category.

The routes have been carefully selected to make the most of the extensive network of trails in and around the Capilano Canyon in North Vancouver, British Columbia. Footing ranges from pavement to crushed gravel to mossy roots, rocks and sections of swamp (competitive route.) If you expect wet feet, you most likely won't be disappointed.

The Differences

The objective of the organizers is to challenge both mind and body of the runner... and to leave minimum impact on the environment.

Most road races and trail events are clearly marked by race officials with fluorescent cones, surveyor tap, lime or glow sticks along the race course. Most races have 'aid' stations, where runners can access food and water provided by the organizers. With the benefit of aid and course marking, competitors can focus on putting their heads down and running.

The philosophy of the Capilano Canyon Night Run is to emphasize the journey rather than the destination. Self-reliance and low impact are key. There is no 'official' aid or trail marking provided by the event organizers, as they want to run, too! Family or friends play an integral support role.

Participants download from the Internet directions based on natural and physical landmarks. As with orienteering, runners who pause frequently to consult the written directions have the opportunity to catch faster runners who go off the trail. Runners who have trained on the course have a distinct competitive advantage. Detailed questions and clarifications are provided in the FAQ. To play it safe we also recommend that everybody bring their FRS radios along to help us in finding you in case you should get lost. Each runner needs to sign in at the start and sign out at the finish.

Past Participants and Results

Results from past events and a scrapbook of photos and comments are archived under Results

Thanks!

Our hope is to make this event totally self-supporting. In other words, do all of the organization beforehand and also participate in it. This would be an impossible dream without a lot of behind the scenes help. Many thanks to:

Ethelyn David: Thanks for taking care of the kids and Ean ;-) Manning the kitchen, lighting all the candles and torches...

Kintec Footlabs Thank you for the awesome recognition prizes.
TrailRunner: Thank you for the 2 gift subscriptions to your popular magazine as draw prize. Also for offering members of Club Fat Ass a special discounted subscription price
KINeSYS: Thanks for the assortment of body and sun care products to keep all participants protected from the elements.

Aid Station Adams - Thanks, Cathy and Bryce Adams for again hosting a welcome oasis in the night. Awesome cookies, Cathy. Great spotting, Bryce... and thanks for organizing the skill-testing games!

Club Fat Ass - The Club helps with web hosting, online registration and coaches us on how to host a safe, fun, environmentally-friendly event.

Please contact us with your thoughts!

FAQ

Q:	Jackson, I do not have a death wish. I do not now, and likely never will have the slightest urge to risk my life and limb on a run with you and your insanely hyperactive buddies. Is there any reason why I would want to participate in this event?
A:	Yes. You can join Sibylle for a slow, sane, evenly-paced, 90-minute group run through some spectacular trails and worry a lot less about getting maimed or lost.

Q:	Sibylle, I do not now, and likely never will have the slightest urge to run with you and your pals for 90 minutes in the dark regardless of how slow you promise to run and how beautiful the scenery might be during the day. Is there any other reason why I would want to participate in this event?
A:	Yes. You can help out with organizing as a member of the event crew.

Q:	It's the weekend. Responsibility or work of any ilk does not appeal to me any more than having a root canal would. Is there any other reason why I would want to participate in this event?
A:	Sure. The whole objective of the evening is to make it to the potluck party. You can always start there.

Q:	If I decide to run, what should I bring?
A:	Whatever you'd normally wear for a 90 minute run given the conditions of the evening. Don't forget to print out the run route directions, directions to the start and to bring a flashlight/headlamp, cell phone and FRS radio. (Andy, don't forget your contact lenses this time! Parks, I know you eat carrots, but trust me...a flashlight would really come in handy!)

Q:	Are there aid stations? Can I have a beer en route?
A:	We recommend you come prepared to run without external aid. There may be aid stations, but only if your family and friends step forward and offer to organize them. Since this is an 'unofficial' event, there are no rules as to what you may or may not eat or drink en route. Best to bring 'special needs' in a plastic bag with your name on it just in case there are aid stations. =;-)

Q:	What if I get caught up in the party spirit and can't drive home?
A:	You are absolutely welcome to spend the night. There are lots of futons and sleeping bags at the start/finish.

Q:	What can I win?
A:	Nothin. Fastest man and woman TO FINISH THE COURSE get bragging rights. (Competitive course only. We hope everyone in the Group run will finish together.) All participants and times go up on the web for posterity sake. Results from previous Capilano Canyon Night Runs at results. There may be prizes for significant accomplishments, so come prepared to be exceptional.

Q:	I've never done a trail run before. Is this a good place to start?
A:	It depends. Can you realistically run for 90 minutes during the day? If so, you should enjoy the Group run. We don't recommend you attempt the competitive course unless you're a strong runner and you can read detailed instructions as you run in the dark.

Q:	How tough is the course?
A:	Tough question to answer! Which course are you running? How fast? How well are you trained? Feedback from those who have run the Group run include: "Magical." "It was like running in a tunnel, but way more fun." From Competitive runners: "I thought you said I wouldn't get lost!" "Tough... but good tough"

Q:	Do I really need to print off the course instructions and bring them with me?
A:	Yes. Without the detailed instructions or an intimate familiarity with the Night Run route, you're almost certain to get lost. (See comment above. The person didn't refer to the written directions!)

Q:	This event is free, but for Club Fat Ass members only. How do I get into the club?
A:	There is no hazing ceremony like the Hash House Harriers! Runners, walkers, hikers, triathletes, adventure racers, mountain bikers and anyone else interested in having fun in the great outdoors is welcome and can register online for a nominal fee.

Q:	Can I wait until the last minute and join at the start?
A:	Yes, but we prefer you don't. Last minute registration makes it very difficult to organize and coordinate the event. Even if you join for a day-of-event membership, we prefer you do it online and ahead of time.

Q:	It's a free world. What's to stop me from just running the course.
A:	Nothing...in fact, we encourage you to run the course often in training! We prefer that you do not 'bandit' the course on event day, however. If you insist, please don't take any of the aid intended for members. You will get special recognition in the results, not be eligible for any draw prizes and you'll have to wear a black patch over one eye at the potluck. Furthermore, you won't be allowed into future events until you come clean with past membership dues.

Q:	What if I get lost?
A:	You shouldn't get lost, but bring a cell phone, just in case. Group runners, stick with the group. If you get separated from the group, refer to the course instructions where you are faced with a choice of direction. Competitive runners, don't assume. The person in front of you may be headed the right way or may be off-course.

Q:	Do I get credit for any time I spend off-course?
A:	Are you kidding? If you do find an obvious mistake in the course directions, point it out to Sibylle (Group) or Jackson (Competitive) at the potluck party for a free beer!

Q:	Couldn't you mark the course like just about every other running race I've ever been in? It's a pain to pause and read instructions.
A:	Our aim is to be different than every other running race you've ever been in! We don't want to put chalk/flour on the ground, hang surveyor tape in the trees, paint rocks, put up signs or glow sticks or do anything that might leave a trace of the race. Besides, it slows down the faster runners.

Q:	What is the 'Rule of the Trail'?
A:	If you pack it in, you can pack it out. (That means don't you dare litter!) Leave nothing but your footprints on the trail. We strongly encourage you to pick up any trash you find along the trail and to present it to Sibylle or Jackson at the potluck. There may be a recognition award for the person who packs out more than they packed in.

Q:	What if I have to heed the call of nature.
A:	There are washrooms Cleveland Dam for Competitive. (Approximately half way.) There are no washrooms on the Group course.

Q:	What should I bring on run evening?
A:	Whatever you figure you will need given the weather, the route you propose to run, your physical fitness on the day and your plans for after the run. Some thoughts are on the event agenda.

Q:	I am supposed to be self-sufficient because there is no aid provided. Can I get a friend to come out and give me food and drink along the route?
A:	Absolutely! In fact, it would be nice if your friend were to help everyone. Please have your friends and family members contact us and we will do all we can to insure that they have fun, as well.

Q:	Can I bring my friends and family to the potluck party even if they didn't run or volunteer? Do they have to be Club Fat Ass members?
A:	Friends and family are absolutely welcome and no, they do not have to be Club Fat Ass members. Please be sure to specify how many guests you will bring with you on your registration form.

Q:	Are there any trophies, prizes or other hardware or freebies?
A:	If you assume there's no aid, no course marking, no t-shirt, no enthusiastic spectators and no prizes or freebies of any sort, you might be pleasantly surprised. Best you plan to show up at the potluck party!

Q:	How accurate is the course marking?
A:	The event has been hosted several times on the same course, so we are quite confident the directions are accurate.

Q:	When will the 'official' results be available?
A:	We hope to have the results up on the Capilano Canyon Night Run website within 24 hours of the finisher banquet. We will also distribute the results to major local and national ultrarunning communities.

Event Registration - Capilano Canyon Midsummer Night Run

Thank you for registering online and in advance.

This is a Club Fat Ass (CFA) event, so we adhere to CFA event management guidelines and privacy policy. Please complete the whole form. Your personal information is needed to make sure I spell your name right in the results and so I can contact you... or your next of kin! The other information helps me to plan any aid or post-event activities. Please help me to host a safer, better event by registering early and by notifying me if you can't make it. I'm constantly looking for ways to improve, so please share your thoughts or questions with me in the Suggestion Box below. After you click on "Yes, I agree" below, your registration details will be confirmed.

Sibylle and Ean - Your Club Fat Ass Event Co-Hosts

Membership: *

I am a member of Club Fat Ass.

Any Club member in good standing may participate in this event at no cost. If you're not currently a member, please choose a membership type

I am prepared: *

I have read the event information and have printed out the course description and maps (if applicable)

Release of all Claims: *

I have read the Release of All Claims and understand and agree to its terms.

See Release of All Claims.

First Name: *

this field will auto populate if you have filled in the corresponding field in your user profile

Last Name: *

City: *

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Email: *

this field autopopulates with your user email if you are logged in

Phone: *

Age: *

Event: *

How many friends including yourself are planning to join us for the post-run get-together?: *

Our official après run get together will be a potluck late night dinner at the Event Host's house. Please bring a potluck dish for sharing and whatever you would like to drink. It's up to you if this turns into an evening of junk food hell or gourmet heaven.

Suggestion Box:

Please let me know if you have any questions that aren't answered on the event web page. If anything isn't clear, there are any problems with the website, you have any suggestions as to how I might improve the event or you have any special needs, please tell me here.

Confirmation Page - Capilano Canyon Night Run - A Midsummer Night's Dream

The following people are registered for this event:

1) Carlos Castillo (13 km slow group)
2) Katie Longworth (18 km)
3) Sibylle Tinsel (13 km slow group)
4) Sam Chiu (18 km)
5) Stefan Lehmann (18 km)
6) Marc Schmitz (18 km)
7) des mott (13 km slow group)
8) Eric Rannaud (18 km)
9) Sean Lavin (13 km slow group)
10) Ean Jackson (13 km)
11) Hassan Lotfi-Pour (18 km)
12) Kathryn Gaudet (18 km)
13) Kathryn Gaudet (18 km)
14) patricia Jensen (18 km)

Contact - Capilano Canyon Midsummer Night Run

I welcome your comments, criticisms, feedback and questions.

Please be sure to read the the Agenda and FAQ section of this website first, as this is where I've tried to answer the most frequently asked questions.

Sibylle and Ean - Your CFA Event Host