MELFORT — The Melfort Multi-K is planning their 10th official race and will be undertaking an initiative with the city to install permanent kilometer markers across the regular race route.
The markers were initially planned to be placed in June, but Alison Rogers, the Multi-K’s race director, said this changed once the announcement on the lifting of pandemic restrictions was made and they could go ahead holding the 2021 Multi-K.
“We’re planning to do it, but it’s going to be a bit of a project now that we opened the race back up,” Rogers said. “This year we added some more numbers to the event to allow people to participate, and we traditionally sold out. So we just need to carry on and get bigger every year.”
The races this year includes the 1K, for 10 years and under, which is upped by 50 spots to a 200 participant limit; the 5K, for all ages, which is upped by 25 spots for a 275 participant limit; the 10K, for all ages, which remains a 75 participant limit; and the 21.1K, for 14 years and older, which remains a 50 person limit.
Another change this year is the prizes. For the 10th anniversary every participant in the 5K, 10K, and 21.1K will be receiving a limited edition bust.
“The busts are typically just something the winners in each event get, so this is something different,” Rogers said.
“We just decided to make it a little more special this year. We all feel like we survived this crazy year and a half, two year period and we just want to get back to it. We just thought it would be a great way to celebrate the 10 years and hopefully an end to this COVID stuff.”
Rogers said the permanent markers are planned to be formatted as a plaque on a wooden post, indicating what kilometer the runner is on. The first part will be the 5K markers, which they hope to have ready by the next Multi-K.
“We’re very thankful that the city allows us to hold this event, the City of Melfort is a big help for us. We wanted to give back to the community in a way that’s non-intrusive,” she said. “When they’re training this should help them if they’re trying to go a certain distance between the kilometers and get a certain time.”
The deadline to register is Sept. 15, with the event taking place on 8:30 a.m., Sept. 18 at the Kerry Vickar Centre.
Traditionally, the race has had separate early bird, regular and late registration but due to the deadline all registrations will cost the early bird amount of $25. The 1K remains free.
“We just figured because it’s such a short period and because of the COVID year we had we thought we would make it super accessible for everybody and make it that one rate right through to the end of August.”
The signage was selected through consultation with the City of Melfort, which will be installing the finished markers when ready.
