The Melfort Multi-K is getting ready to celebrate their 15th Anniversary on Saturday Sept. 19.
The race has become a September tradition in Melfort and brings in people from around the province. Race Director Allison Rogers said reaching the 15th year was an amazing feat.
“A lot of times it’s hard to keep community things going,” Rogers said. “(We need) volunteers and the time and stuff like that. The fact that we have had the support of volunteers and the community as well as the participants for 15 years has been pretty amazing.”
This would have been technically the 16th year except for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rogers said that she could still remember the first one and doubted anyone at the time thought they would reach 15 years.
“I just remember that first year the registrations near the end there just kept coming in and we had 400 and some people it was just it was kind of crazy so and it’s never really lost that excitement so pretty cool,” she explained.
Rogers said the event, which is always well attended, is close to a sell out again. She said that event, which includes a 1K, 5K, 10K and 21.1K half marathon had already sold out the kids 1K run and 10K. She said that there are not many slots left for the 5K.
“This is the first year I think we’ve ever sold out of the 1K before the end of July, so that’s awesome to see. So yeah, I’m sure that five (km) will fill up. It usually does.”
The Melfort Multi K is on Sept. 19. Rogers said they have found a spot going forward in the week following the Queen City Marathon. The race in Regina is on Sept. 11-13, because of where Labour Day lands.
“Our timing company is the same as Queen City Marathon in Regina,” she explained. “They’re out of BC, they just like that they can do Queen City Marathon and then they come and do us the next weekend. It just logistically works well.”
The event begins with the 21K participants at about 8:30 a.m., then the 1K kids’ fun run.
Logistically better. Rogers said that they are technically a week later than the usual schedule.
The Melfort Multi-K was conceived by Dr. Richard van der Ross as a goal for his patients to work toward.
Organizers held a medal design contest this year. They received submissions from around 150 students in Melfort. Amy Madraga’s design was selected for the 15th anniversary event, and the medals have already been picked up.
“She was pretty excited when I told her,” Rogers said. “She got to see the medal and we’ll do a little presentation to her on race day and maybe some sneak peeks here of the medal coming up.”
Rogers said there was nothing else extra special planned for the anniversary. She said that they will recognize 15 years in some way but try to keep the format how people like it.
“I think that’s why it’s successful, right,” Rogers said. “You’re not changing too much so people know where they’re going when they head out on the course and those sorts of things.
“There is a special gift for everybody in the 5, 10 and 21 to sort of commemorate it and then the 1Ks are getting their own special 15 year gift kind of thing too, but otherwise it’ll be kind of pretty much the same as usual.”
Rogers has been the Race Director for all of the races since 2010. She said that when she was asked to join the committee at the time she was home with her two sons.
“It was a good avenue to be out and contributing to the community and then just sort of slowly morphed into this race director position. But with my kids getting older and one of them (Cole Rogers) is just about to start playing (USask) Husky football, we’re just sort of starting to think forward and making sure that we’ve got time to be there for those types of things.”
Rogers said that the committee is ready for a great day on Sept.19.
“Even if you’re not participating, come down and be part of the celebration. It’s only a month away, which is kind of nuts,” Rogers said.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
