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Rubble Creek Classic postponed

Heavy rain, alpine snow, expected for south coast

Organizers of the Rubble Creek Classic have decided to put safety first and postpone the 28th annual alpine running event. The event is now set for Sunday, Oct. 6.

Larry Falcon with the Escape Route in Whistler said the forecast is calling for cloudy and snowy conditions so the decision was made to move the event one week. Falcon said it would be too risky to send runners onto the course in the weather conditions expected for the original race day.

Falcon also said full refunds will be given to anyone who can't participate because of the change in date.

-updated by John French

Original report:

Weather watchers are warning of high winds, big waves and heavy rains for B.C.'s south coast over the next few days. Vancouver is calling for 80 to 120mm of rain and an Environment Canada rainfall warning was issued Friday afternoon. No warning has been extended to Whistler yet, but some 30 to 40mm is expected on Saturday, along with snow in the alpine.

Whistler Blackcomb's alpine forecast is calling for a mix of snow and rain in high elevations, with wind gusting up to 90km/h in the alpine on Saturday. As well, roughly 4cm of snow is expected on Saturday, further cooling overnight with an estimated 30cm falling for Sunday at the Roundhouse/Pig Alley elevation.

In other words, if you're planning a hike or camping trip into the alpine, you picked the wrong weekend.

This Sunday, Sept. 29, is also the Rubble Creek Classic trail run, a 24km route that includes a section of high alpine behind Black Tusk. It wouldn't be the first year that runners have had snow to contend with, but it could make for a far more challenging day for the roughly 80 athletes taking part. As a result, organizers at Escape Route were discussing on Friday afternoon whether it should be cancelled for the first time in its 28-year history. We will update when we have more information.

Whistler Blackcomb has already cancelled an enduro race in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, which included a climb up to the peak and a descent on the high alpine Top of the World trail.

The annual Whistler Spirit Run at Whistler Olympic Park on Sunday, Sept. 29, has not been affected.

While heavy rains and high winds are nothing new at this time of year, and October is typically one of the rainiest months for the resort, some weather forecasters suggest that the remnants of Typhoon Pabuk, which struck Japan last week, are adding some moisture to the Alaskan airflow moving in. Longer-term forecasts are calling for warmer temperatures and maybe some sun later in the week as the system moves on.