Capilano Canyon Night Run - Mardigras

There were several firsts at the 6th annual Mardi Gras version of the Capilano Canyon Night Run. First first, it was an absolutely gorgeous evening. While there were a few rain drops as we assembled at the start, they soon gave way to clear skies, stars and perfect running temperatures. Second, try as I might I could not find anyone to claim a Purple Heart award. I don't think we've ever had no boo-boos in this run. Third, a new game was invented during the pool party segment of this event. Not sure if it should be called Aussie Rules Monkey Bars or Ultimate Fighting above the Pool?

As always, several runners created their own custom routes through the dark trails of North Vancouver. Ryan C and his trusty hound Shazam did a long loop of the Cap Canyon. I suspect Danielle and Ryan M ducked into the woods for some belated Valentine's Day action, as I sure didn't see them out along the course. Kristie and Marie did an out-and back before the canyon, but at least they checked in with me.

It was very foggy in the Capilano Canyon itself... so foggy some runners had to turn their headlamps off to see. (Hint from an experienced night runner: take your lamp off your head and hold it near your waist just like the low beams on your car.)

From our perspective at Aid Station Adams, it was very cool to see the approaching headlamps bobbing like fireflies in the clear night. Young Erik tried to scare the crap out of everyone who approached the comfort stop. Everyone who ran the full route was greeted with decadent chocolate chip cookies, chips and pretzels... at least until 7:45 when we had to shut it down to make the finish line on time.

The hot tub was working and so was the water slide for the pool party this year. Ran started a game of murder ball and was also the first to take a direct hit. Csaba won the game of WWE wrestling on the ropes high above the pool and I was the poor loser. (My neck is still sore, dude!) Pitty the poor teenagers who had to deal with endorphin-charged adults in the hot tub and water slide!

By 10:00 pm, appetites were in the red zone and a fabulous pot luck feast was waiting. So much great food! Ellie, Jessica and Bill told us running adventure stories and won some nice prizes for sharing thanks to Kintec Footlabs and Trail Runner Magazine.

Preliminary results are posted below. Please email us your missing times, mispelled names etc. Photos of the event can be uploaded to Flickr, added to the CFA Flickr group and tagged with CapilanoCanyonNightRunMardigras, CapilanoCanyonNightRunMardigras2008 CapilanoCanyonNightRun and ClubFatAssEvents. They will automatically be added to this slideshow.

Sibylle and Ean
Hosts of the Capilano Canyon Night Run

PS Yes, there were more finishers than starters. Bryce Adams worked the aid station and ran in to the finish with his sister!

Points	First Name	Last Name	City	Event	Time
2	Ellie	Greenwood	Vancouver	18km	1:34
2	Ran	Katzman	Vancouver	18km	1:34
2	Bill	Dagg	Vancouver	18km	1:35
2	Doug	MacKay	North Vancouver	18km	1:37
1	Ryan	Conroy	Vancouver	18km	1:47
2	Penny	Jakobsen	North Vancouver	18km	1:47
1	Al	Harman	North Vancouver	18km	1:47
	Shazam	The Dog	Vancouver	18km	1:47
2	Baldwin	Lee	Burnaby	18km	2:00
2	Jessica	Bassil	Vancouver	18km	2:04
2	Monty	Watts	North Vancouver	18km	2:04
2	John	Machray	North Vancouver	18km	?
2	Chris	Atkins	Vancouver	13km	1:28
2	Susan	Blackwood	Vancouver	13km	1:28
2	Katherine	Thomas	North Vancouver	13km	1:28
1	Kyla	Adams	Victoria	13km	1:33
1	Doug	Keir	North Vancouver	13km	1:34
2	David	Crumpton	North Vancouver	13km	1:37
2	Craig	Moore	North Vancouver	13km	1:37
1	Claudia	Bullington	Richmond	13km	1:38
2	Sukhbir	Pawa	Vancouver	13km	1:28
2	Lara	Taylor	North Vancouver	13km	1:37
1	Danielle	Macleod	North Vancouver	custom	0:40
2	Rune	Melcher	North Vancouver	custom	0:40
2	Kristie	Congram	Vancouver	custom	0:45
2	Marie	Rivard	Vancouver	custom	0:45
2	Bryce	Adams	North vancouver	custom	0:45
1	Mike	Parks	North Vancouver	custom	1:33
1	Ron	Adams	North Vancouver	crew
2	Ean	Jackson	North Vancouver	crew
3	Sibylle	Tinsel	North Vancouver	crew
-1	john	mcgrath	north vancouver	0	DNS

2007 - Year 5

The weather forecast was for 100% probability of heavy rain.  The trails were still a mess from the wind and rain storms in December and early January.  It didn't look good for the Mardi Gras version of the Capilano Night Run!  Frantic plans were made to come up with an alternative course cutting out the mudslides but still providing a challenge.

32 hardy runners weren't deterred by the obstacles and toed the line for the 5th annual Mardigras Capilano Canyon Night Run.  Nobody took me up on the offer of a safer, alternative route.

Ean took of with the competitive, long course group.  The group run folks were stuck with me and a very gentle pace.  Amazingly, everybody stayed together until we reached the canyon.  The rain that briefly pounded down on us at the start stopped and the temperatures were mild.  Mist in the air reflected the beams of our headlamps and made for a spooky atmosphere. 

My group split into two pace groups, the faster ones doing their own creative interpretation of the course descriptions once they were out of the canyon...they did miss aid station Adams and made us wonder if the bears had eaten them.  The slower folks kept trusting my directions and the assurance that the nasty parts were almost over.  We navigated over washed out trail and under fallen trees.  I pointed out that they didn't take me up on the easy route.

Once refuelled and refreshed at aidstation Adams, the pace picked up and followed Bowser Trail back to the last 2km climb along Mosquito Creek. Perfect timing, as the slower competitive runners trickled in shortly after us. 

At Club Fat Ass events we don't recognize the fastest runners, rather we acknowledge those who come from the furthest away, those who get lost, injured or who pick up the most trash along the trails.  Carlos showed off his war wounds from a tumble he took.  (Luckily, he is close to the ground to begin with ;-)  Word leaked that Troy was the other contender of the Purple Heart Award (the best injury), but when we learned that he fell when trying to take a leak, nobody at the roaring potluck party had sympathy with him... but all had a good chuckle.  Maybe it was good that Troy had to leave the party early?

I missed the hot tub (aka sauna) and dodge ball party at Harry Jerome Rec Centre, where everybody cleaned of the mud and had some fun.  Pat, Michele and I headed to my house to prepare for the potluck.  Thanks guys for keeping me company and helping to set everything up.  And what a spread it was! 

The potluck was in full swing at 10:00pm (I usually leave parties around that time) and the potluck table featured savoury food from chilie, soup, sushi, empanadas, pakoras, quinoa salad, chicken, green salads, sprout/cabbage/nut salad, spicy green beans and a yummy noodle dish.  The deserts ranged from pies, homemade ginger snaps, poppy seed squares, fruits and cheese, nut- and banana breads to croissants filled with apricots and much more.

Thanks to NSA, Kinesys and Trailrunner we had a few prizes to give away.  Farthest travelled went to Victoria's Carolyn Goluzza, although Craig was a close contender living around the corner but having driven to the airport and back (and missing the start) only to find out that his parents are arriving the next day...The Alberta boys didn't show...would have been a sweep for them.  Pat won the prize for most Night Runs under her belt (4). We threw the last guest out around 1:30am and tucked the out-of-towner's into their sleeping bags in the guest room.

Thanks everybody for making this yet again a successful run and great party. Please add your own memories and comments below.  If you have photos of the event, upload them to http://www.flickr.com, add them to the Club Fat Ass group and tag them with  "CapilanoCanyonNightRunMardigras2007".  They will automatically be added to the revolving photos below.

www.flickr.com

Please email corrections to the results to your Event Host:

First Name	Last Name	Event	P	Time
Bill	Dagg	18km	2	1:34
Ran	Katzman	18km	2	1:34
Gary	Robbins	18km	3*	1:34
Ryan	Conroy	18km	2	1:50
Carolyn	Goluza	18km	2	1:50
Ellie	Greenwood	18km	2	1:50
Ean	Jackson	18km	2*	1:50
Mike	Rhodes	18km	1	1:50
susan	seager	18km	2	1:50
Eric	Stacey	18km	2	1:50
carlos	castillo	18km	2	1:51
Doug	MacKay	18km	2	1:51
John	Machray	18km	2	1:52
Troy	Angrignon	13km	1	1:30
Kathy	Banks	13km	2	1:30
Philippa	May	13km	2	1:30
Craig	Moore	13km	2	1:30
Steven	Lamothe	13km	2	1:31
Karine	Lavoie	13km	2	1:31
Donna	MacIntosh	13km	2	1:31
Mikel	Segal	13km	2	1:31
Arlene	MacAulay	13km	2	1:37
Carl	May	13km	2	1:42
Kathy	Nomura	13km	2	1:42
Michele	Sherstan	13km	2	1:42
Lara	Taylor	13km	2	1:42
Patricia	Barry	13km	2	1:43
Sibylle	Tinsel	13km	3**	1:43
Baldwin	Lee	Custom	2	1:30
Carl	May Jr	custom	2	1:42
Ron	Adams	Crew	1
Luke	Cooper		-1	DNS
Daniel	Probst		-1	DNS
Andy	Nicol		-1	DNS
David	Crerar		-1	DNS
Michelle	Fredette		-1	DNS
Andrew	Hooker		-1	DNS
Tammy	Lang		-1	DNS
Shona	Miko Musgrave		-1	DNS
Kevin	Rostek		-1	DNS
Rhonda	Schuller		0	DNS
Theresa	Snow		-1	DNS
Christy	Tisdale		-1	DNS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*   bonus point for garbage pick-up on the trails

** event host point

2006 - Year 4

Run Report:

Over the past 4 years, the Capilano Canyon Night Run has developed a bit of a reputation. Is it a reputation for being a competitive hammerfest? Is it as a good first time night run? Is it a social run? Is it a great opportunity to get lost in the dark, mangled... or simply a good excuse for a party?

It was cold and clear when we assembled next to the soccer field at the Griffin Gym. Runners jumped up and down to stay warm, or waited in their cars for the 6:30 start. A nearly-full moon cast long shadows over the parking lot as runners exchanged greetings, sparked up their headlamps and made last minute decisions to run the short (13K) or long (18K) routes.

The first topic of conversation as we set off onto the dark trails was night running. The Mick family drove in from Coquitlam to try night running for the first time. Something a bit different for a Saturday night, eh? Carlos Castillo ran from Victoria to North Vancouver for the event... quite a feat considering that a large body of water also separates the 2 cities! Carlos shared that he wanted to improve his familiarity with running trails in the dark as training for an attempt at running a 100-mile trail run under 24-hours. Katheryne and Tara were out with Tie the wonder dog who was dressed for the occasion with a stylish running jacket. It was an anniversary outing for Jan Riddell and Terry Lewis. They met 4 years earlier in the hot tub after the inaugural winter version of this run.

The smell of wood smoke was thick in the air as we weaved our way toward Capilano Canyon through the trails and parks of suburban North Vancouver. "Normal" people were cosy in their homes, perhaps enjoying a firelight dinner or watching the Olympics. Someone pointed to a shooting star as we dropped into the total darkness of Capilano Canyon.

Not long into the more technical canyon section of the run, elite runners Tom Skinner and Paul Purin came blazing by in what would surely be a record time for the long course. It's amazing to see a pro hammer over roots, rocks and through mud in the dark. The guys skipped from rock to rock in perfect synchronization. It didn't look like they were even breathing hard. In seconds, however, they were swallowed by the inky darkness as they passed the range of a headlamp beam. ('Turns out they got lost, so the record stands!)

One of the more experienced ultrarunners in British Columbia, Ron Adams, lives on the banks of the Capilano River at about the one hour point on the course. Ron and his son Bryce were on teh course handing out food and fluids and checking for lost lambs as we left the canyon. Newbie night runners Erin and Nicole especially appreciated Ron's salty potato chips.

Billed as a night run, this event is actually a triathlon. At the conclusion on the run, most participants head over the local community center to warm up in the hot tub. Many then see who can stay up the latest at the potluck finisher party.

The folks at Harry Jerome Rec center turned on the slippery slide when the muddy, endorphin-charged runners showed up. Hot tub. Pool. Sauna. Repeat until starved. Hit the buffet table. Have a beer and spin some yarns.

Thanks to Ethelyn, Ron and Bryce for helping out, North Shore Athletics and Trail Runner magazine for the prizes and everyone who contributed to the great meal and helped with cleanup afterwards.

The Capilano Canyon Night run is held twice a year in February and August. If you're interested in giving night running a try, setting the course record or just having a fun run, mark your calendar for the summer Midsummer Night Dream version on Saturday 19 August!

Sibylle Tinsel and Ean Jackson
Co-Hosts

Please click on the photos for a larger view.

First Name	Last Name	City/Town	Event	Time	Points
Paul	Purin	North Vancouver	18km	1:29	2
Tom	Skinner	Vancouver	18km	1:29	2
Bill	Dagg	Vancouver	18km	1:31	2
Mark	Pedlow	North Vancouver	18km	1:31	2
John	Foy	North Vancouver	18km	1:33	1
Doug	MacKay	North Vancouver	18km	1:45	2
Dave	Smith	Vancouver	18km	1:45	1
Terry	Lewis	North Vancouver	13km	1:31	1
Jan	Riddell	North Vancouver	13km	1:31	1
John	Machray	North Vancouver	13km	1:34	2
Baldwin	Lee	Burnaby	13km	1:34	2
Michele	Sherstan	North Vancouver	13km	1:34	2
Craig	Moore	North Vancouver	13km	1:34	2
Carlos	Castillo	Victoria	13km	1:38	2
Patricia	Barry	Vancouver	13km	1:40	2
Mike	Diack	North Vancouver	13km	1:40	1
Faith	Wells	Vancouver	13km	1:40	2
Tara	Jackson	West Vancouver	13km	1:44	2
Erin	Mick	Coquitlam	13km	1:44	2
Deb	Mick	Coquitlam	13km	1:44	2
Joe	Mick	Coquitlam	13km	1:44	1
Nichole	Mick	Coquitlam	13km	1:44	2
Sibylle	Tinsel	North Vancouver	13km	1:44	3
Saba	Ekes	Burnaby	13km	1:44	1
Katheryne	Gardiner	Vancouver	13km	1:44	2
Ean	Jackson	North Vancouver	13km	1:44	3
Rhonda	Schuller	Vancouver	13km	1:47	2
Cheryl	Johnson	Pitt Meadows	13km	1:47	1
Scott	Hannam	North Vancouver	13km	1:50	1
Laddie	Hannam	North Vancouver	13km	1:50	1
Ron	Adams	North Vancouver	Crew		1
Bryce	Adams	North Vancouver	Crew		1
Ethelyn	David		Crew		1
Tom	Jarecki	Delta	0	DNS	-1

2005 - Year 3

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A record number of night runners from as far away as California turned out this year to celebrate Mardi Gras on the trails of Capilano Canyon in North Vancouver.

The objective of the evening is to survive a 90 minute run in the dark before hitting the hot tub and kicking back for a celebratory party. Runners chose to race a very challenging 16K route or play it safe and do a slightly less "rustic" 13K circuit as a group. Neither route is marked, so this is not your average fun run.

Temperatures had cooled off a bit from the day, but were spot-on for running as we gathered in the parking lot of the Griffin Rec Center. After weeks of epic sunny weather, the trails were dry and fast.

This year saw a big spike in the number of first time night runners. Crew and well-wishers actually outnumbered those looking to tackle the nasty route, prompting the question, "Is it too tough?" Just about everyone ran with a friend and several with their dogs. Stephanie celebrated her birthday.

The jury is still out on who scared who more...the lone person in black who was out for a stroll, or the group of 10 loud night runners with headlamps barreling down the narrow Cap Pacific Trail? The black bears must have been frightened off, too, as there were no bear sightings this year.

While waiting to greet the runners at Aid Station Adams, a swarm of kids got juiced-up on smarties and had their own mini night run along the Capilano River. As runners made their way down the canyon, the kids blocked the trail and devised cruel challenges including "eat a cracker and say humuhumunukunukuapuahaha three times" and "What's the password to Gryffindor House" before allowing runners to pass.

The moon was almost full. In places, it's glow illuminated the trail well enough that many runners turned off their headlamps. No so Doug Mackay, who had his lamp on when he ran into a low-hanging tree branch and almost scalped himself.

A few folks got a bit lost, including our visitors from California and the extended Lepard family from West Van. Apparently equipped with instructions for both the group and competitive routes, they took the average of the 2 and went on a bonus tour of Pemberton Heights.

After a soak in the hot tub and a little action on the waterslide, the evening wrapped up with a potluck party that lasted till the wee hours of the morning.

Congrats to all!

Sibylle Tinsel and Ean Jackson
North Vancouver, BC

A scrapbook of photos from the Capilano Canyon Night Run - Mardi Gras 2005.

	Name	Home Town	Event	Time
1	Bill Dagg	Vancouver	Competitive	1:32
1	Ellie Greenwood	Vancouver	Competitive	1:32
3	Barry Chilibeck	North Vancouver	Competitive	1:36
4	Liz Decario	Coquitlam	Competitive	1:41
5	Doug MacKay	North Vancouver	Competitive	1:52
5	Sue Nicholson	North Vancouver	Competitive	1:52
7	Kaigo Hwang	Pismo Beach, CA, USA	Competitive	2:13
7	James Lepard	Vancouver	Competitive	2:13
7	Susan Lepard	Vancouver	Competitive	2:13
7	Tim Lepard	West Vancouver	Competitive	2:13
7	Caroline Lepard	North Vancouver	Competitive	2:13
7	Ryan Reilly	North Vancouver	Competitive	2:13
7	Heidi Wolff	Pismo Beach, CA, USA	Competitive	2:13
14	Terry Lewis	North Vancouver	Competitive	?
14	Lee-Ann Lyon	Coquitlam	Competitive	?
1	Darryl Caves	Vancouver	Group	1:18
1	Mary Shaughnessy	North Vancouver	Group	1:18
1	Glenn Cameron	North Vancouver	Group	1:18
1	Alison Grigg	North Vancouver	Group	1:18
1	Bob Hermanutz	Vancouver	Group	1:18
1	David Murray		Group	?
1	Kathy Nomura	Burnaby