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.

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:

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