December 2024 newsletter: Awards changes, kick-off event and season pass sales are on record pace

Vancouver Island Race Series

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Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. It is very long, yes. We promise shorter editions in the future. This newsletter contains valuable information right down to the bottom.

Exciting news!

We are enjoying our third consecutive record year for registrations.

Season Pass sales surpassed 2024 on Friday, December 13. 

A total of 371 season passes were purchased for the 2024 season. We hit 376 at 7:00 PM (Sunday) and expect over 400. Single-race entries are going well too. All races are likely to experience record years. Stay tuned. 

We are capping the Cobble Hill 10K and BC 10K Championships at 800 registrations.  

The legendary, official commemorative souvenir technical racing socks are back

Get them before they sell out.
They are priced at $22 each or three for $55.

*Price displayed in shopping cart includes taxes (by law).

A portion of the proceeds go to our new charity of choice KidSport BC.
The socks are base white with two logos and are the trendy 7″ height. 
One-size fits most.

They will be in your hands and on your feet by the end of January.

2025 Season kick-off event at Frontrunners

You are invited to the series kick-off at Frontrunners Footwear at Yates and Vancouver on Friday, January 10. 

Pick up your series race bib (2), or Harriers Pioneer 8K bib, draw prizes, mingle, and enjoy beverages and finger foods. Meet our eight ambassadors. The store will be open for your business only.

We are seeking your help. Run Van Isle board members Maurice Wilson and Chris Callendar have been busy finding old, sometimes coffee-stained and faded Island Series results and digitizing them. You may view them dating back to 1985 on the website now.

Maurice and Chris have also been correcting misspelled or alternate name uses. Our display of results is unique to the series. Check them out. 

From Maurice: 
“Run Van Isle has an ongoing project to upload all Vancouver Island Race Series race results into the online database. We currently have the results from over 300 of the 340 races since the series began in 1983, accessible through the series website. And we’re searching the Island for the remaining results. Specifically, we’re looking for any of the following:

1991 – Comox Valley 20K
1988 and 1987 – all results
1986 – Cherry Point 10K
1985 – Comox Valley 20K, Port Alberni Paper Chase 10K, Nanaimo 10 Miler, and Victoria Half Marathon
1984 – Nanaimo 10 Miler and Parksville Pacers 10K
1983 – all resultsIf you should have any of the above, or know of someone who may, we’d very much like to know. Any help is appreciated.”

New sponsors


Check out our sponsor page. New to the series are Moreau Real Estate Team, Smart Dolphins IT Solutions, Virgin Radio 107.3, and Athletic Brewing Co. 

Frequent their businesses if you can as well as our long-standing sponsors: 
Frontrunners Footwear, Brooks, Quality Foods, Athletics Illustrated Magazine, Black Press, Andrew Smith IG Wealth Management, PISE, Old Victoria Water and Dairyland/Saputo. Each of the eight races also has local-to-them sponsors to consider. See each within the pages of the series’ site.

Thank you to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation

We would like to thank the Victoria Hospitals Foundation (VHF) for all that they do to support the Jubilee, Victoria General and Gorge Road Hospitals. The VHF was the series’ charity of choice for several years. The partnership was wonderful, but it is time to move on.

The Run Van Isle board decided that the charity that best fits the series’ profile and one we can make the most impact with is KidSport BC. 

So, welcome to KidSport BC! 

We will collect your donations in the shopping cart, and then KidSport BC will disperse your donations directly to the community branch serving your area. The organization has locations in Greater Victoria, Cowichan, Comox, Port Alberni and Nanaimo regions. 

Before you read about the very important Beta Test that will have big changes for the series this year, look at the Qualify Foods, right there, from 2024 season kick-off.

Before you read about the very important Beta Test that will have big changes for the series this year, look at the Qualify Foods, right there, from the 2024 season kick-off.

BETA TEST ALERT

After reviewing our post-season survey results, we have found that there is only one, single, solitary, recurring complaint. But it is a big one centred around our post-race awards — they are too long! 

We need your assistance, here. 

For the 2025 season, we will place several tables in our indoor facilities and have volunteers on hand to help. Your medals and ribbons will be picked up by you at those tables. If this works well, we will continue, if not, we will return to the long awards presentations as we have done since the 1980s. 

However, we will formally recognize the top three overall, top three juniors U20 and top three masters 40-plus male and female. We will also recognize special achievements like provincial, national or world records, and the 1000-Mile Club among others. 

We will display a big selfy banner where you may take photos: selfies, pose for the cell phone paparazzi or with official event photographers. 

Draw prizes will be pre-drawn at all events ad on display for all to read. Except for the grand prize. The grand prize will be announced at the end. Athletes must collect their draw prizes and awards at the event. There will be no other way to pick up your awards or prizes after the fact. Should you need to leave early, have a friend or family member stay at the post-race awards presentation to pick up on your behalf. 

How to: 

  • Have a great time racing. 
  • Once inside the facility, seek results (or on your device) and find out how you did. (paper copies of results should be taped to the wall near the entrance — please be patient as the timer is busy juggling things in the timing van).
  • Should you place in the top 10 in your age group, go to the awards tables and let the volunteers know who you are, for example, “I am Bob Smith, I placed fifth in my 55-59 age group.” 
  • With your medal or ribbon, find the selfie banner and take photos. The hashtags are #IslandRaceSeries and #RunVanIsle. See selfie banner image below (It’s a proof, not the final product).
  • Stick around or leave. 
  • Basque in the glory and afterglow of an effort well run.

Winners of the cutest couple honours at the 2024 kick-off: Jason and Kathleen, co-race directors Westcoast Sooke Running 10K. She is also treasurer and bookkeeper for Run Van Isle and the series.

By the way, our good friends at Frontrunners Westshore who operate the Hatley Castle 8K have booked an auspicious indoor facility for the race. So, no more Hatley Hurricanes. Well, there may be more hurricanes, but you are a tough, gnarly, well-conditioned athlete with an auspicious indoor facility at your beck and call.

 

Below is: the 2024 series’ ambassador, Sean, serving it right. And above is a proof (not the final product) of the selfie banner.

Vancouver Island Race Series adopts KidSport BC as charity of choice

The Vancouver Island Race Series has adopted KidSport BC as its charity of choice as of December 3, 2024. All funds donated will be directed to KidSport BC and then dispersed to each of the island community branches where series races take place.

Series participants can optionally donate when registering for races at the series digital shopping cart located at Race Roster. Visit www.islandseries.org/register/ to register and or donate.

“As a board, we visited our long-standing relationship with the Victoria Hospitals Foundation (VHF). While we value the VHF and its purpose, we decided that the money raised by our paying participants would better represent our purpose by supporting KidSport BC,” said Christopher Kelsall, president of Run Van Isle, the association that owns the Vancouver Island Race Series. 

“The VHF is a wonderful organization, and we wish them all the best in their continued fundraising endeavours. The VHF supports every area of care at Royal Jubilee Hospital, Victoria General Hospital, and the Gorge Road Health Centre.”

“We are incredibly grateful to the Vancouver Island Race Series for choosing to support KidSport through their events. The growing demand from families in need highlights the critical importance of programs like ours to ensure every child has the opportunity to participate in organized sports, but the increasing volume is putting a strain on our funding resources, especially given that the majority of our community chapters are completely volunteer run,” says Angela Crowther, Director of the KidSport program in BC. “Donations to KidSport through the Race Series will help ensure we can keep pace with the demand and continue providing valuable sport experiences for children in need.”

Families facing financial need are encouraged to apply for support through the KidSport chapter in their community. Local chapters provide season-of-sport registration grants for qualifying families, so that financial barriers do not hold any kids back from the chance to participate in a season of organized sport.

“Active children benefit by improved physical health, physical literacy, mental health and builds a foundation of activity that often stays with them throughout their life,” shared Kelsall. “One benefit result in having healthy adults who may rely on hospital care less often due to being active from an early age.” 
The series offers the opportunity for runners and walkers of all abilities to participate in certified accurate, live-timed and well-organized road races from Sooke to Sidney and from Colwood to Courtenay.

The series begins Sunday, Jan. 13, 2025, with the 45th Harriers Pioneer 8K and ends with the Bazan Bay 5K on Sunday, April 13. The Cobble Hill 10K serves as the BC 10K Championships on Sunday, Jan. 27. Other races include the popular Sooke and McLean Mill 10Ks, Hatley Castle 8K and Bastion 12K with a new course and venue.

Elite athlete information for 2025 Cobble Hill 10K and BC 10K Championships

Athletes must email: Kevin O’Connor at BC Athletics, kevin.oconnor@bcathletics.org

High-performance application for the Cobble Hill 10K and BC Athletics 10K provincial championships as part of the 2025 Vancouver Island Race Series. Athletes must email: Kevin O’Connor at BC Athletics, kevin.oconnor@bcathletics.org

See the seed times above. NOTE: Seed times or “qualification times” are for comp entries and seeded bibs (not related to the prize purse).

A maximum of 50 elite registrations will be accepted split between 5 U20 men and women, 10 open men and women (20-34), and 10 (40-plus) master men and women. Race organizers Ceevacs Roadrunners Club and VIRA reserve the right to limit or expand capacity.

Applications will be kept on record in case approved athletes cannot make a race and spots may be filled upon availability.

There are 10 return ferry trips (passenger or walk-on tickets) available on a first-come, first-served basis for pre-approved athletes. The vouchers will be supplied close to race day.

See the standards below.

  • Applicant must supply a link to a performance attained within the past two years.
  • The results should be from a certified course. Points performance equivalent for 5K to the half-marathon (21.1K) distances count.
  • Age grade percentage equivalent for age groups 45+ considered for masters category at 81% according to the USATF age grade calculator.
  • The athlete must be a current member in good standing with BC Athletics.
  • Masters 35-plus could win both prizes if he or she wins the race outright/overall, if they are a masters member in good standing with BC Athletics.

If the athlete has not yet achieved the standard but is close, apply anyway, as the quotas are not always filled.

Qualification standards may be changed at any time.

Athletes must email: Kevin O’Connor at BC Athletics, kevin.oconnor@bcathletics.org