2008 - Year 7 - Capilano Midsummer Night Run

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

* Bonus Point for garbage collection
** Event Host Point