A new type of race is coming to Castlegar — a race that will see participants trek up and down Mount Sentinel but with an emphasis on eliminating the usual waste that accompanies such events.
The Green Race will be run on Aug. 6, it is organized by Martin Cai — a former Castlegar boy who is excited to be bringing an event he has been developing in Asia back to his home town.
Cai has been working on The Green Race for the last few years. In 2016, he organized four races in Hong Kong and one in Singapore. In 2017, there have already been three races in Hong Kong with more races in Singapore and the one here in Castlegar still to come.
The races are becoming more and more popular with 550 running the last Hong Kong race and 1,000 expected for the Singapore race.
Cai says that the sport of trail running is growing in popularity.
“It has opened up the world to a new kind of tourism — a new excuse for people to get away and enjoy other parts of the world and their own back yard,” he said. “There is a large following of road runners who are looking for something different, a new challenge.”
Cai himself has travelled all over to participate in trail challenge type events. He remembers running his first 5K race up by the Castlegar Golf Club when he was a teenager and that the race was mostly on trails. After studying forestry and resource management, Cai ended up in Northern B.C. where he also participated in trail runs, beginning a pastime that would eventually become a passion.
The idea to start the race company came when after spending 10 years in resource management in Canada followed by 10 years of banking in Asia, Cai decided he was ready for a change of lifestyle.
“I decided it was time for something new for myself and for my family,” he said. “I feel like this business and these events are sort of a combination of everything I have learned and experienced in my life.”
“It feels great to be outside again not sitting at a desk — to be out planning and creating these events in the outdoors,” said Cai.
Cai ultimately plans to move his family back to the area. He and his family appreciate the green space, the clean air and the clean water. “We like to see ourselves back enjoying small town Canada and everything it has to offer.”
The race offers several options: 8K, 16K, 25K Solo, 25K Paired, 50K Relay and a short children’s course. Each event takes you up to a viewpoint at the halfway point and then back down the mountain to finish.
The course for the Mount Sentinel race has a 10 per cent grade, 1,000 metre gain in elevation and is mostly on trails that are currently used by quads and motorbikes. Cai says that with a few months of training, almost anyone who is physically fit and has some experience running off-road could likely run the race. Hikers are also welcome to participate.
“It is runnable, but it is very technical — you need to watch every single step all the way up the mountain,” explained Cai.
As the name suggests — green initiatives are foundational to the event. Cai began to notice that runners collect so much stuff from the races they run like T-shirts and water bottles that eventually end up being tossed out. His goal is to create a zero waste event.
The Green Race features biodegradable fibre race bibs and a reusable timing system. Racepacks come in a reusable jute bag and racers can choose to skip some of the items and divert some of their entry fees to charity. The energy bars that are offered are even packaged in a biodegradable packaging of dried leaves. The Green Race has said no to metal awards, disposable vouchers, safety pins, disposable packaging, disposable course markings, disposable cups and disposable water bottles.
More details on the race including course description, registration, regulations and required gear can be found out thegreenrace.ca.