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Month of Pain kicks in

Although it only existed officially for one September, local residents and event organizers have grown attached to the idea of the Month of Pain — doing as many local endurance events in the month of September as possible before the weather cha

Although it only existed officially for one September, local residents and event organizers have grown attached to the idea of the Month of Pain — doing as many local endurance events in the month of September as possible before the weather changes.

There are seven events in the Month of Pain — the West Side Wheel Up on Sept. 6, the Squamish Loop the Lakes trail run on Sept. 7, the Soo Valley Rumble on Sept. 13, the Terry Fox Run on Sept. 14, the Cheakamus Challenge Fall Classic bike race on Sept. 20, the Whistler Spirit Run on Sept. 27 and 28, the Rubble Creek Classic on Sept. 28. Downhill mountain bikers also have the Harvest Huckfest Sept. 20-21, with a pro-am slopestyle on Saturday and the Double Vision Giant Slalom on Sunday. Most of the events are fundraisers for non-profits and various charities, so you can rest assured that your entry fees are going to good causes.

 

West Side Wheel Up — Sept. 6

This is the 15 th anniversary for this event, which was held originally to celebrate the end of summer and the lesser-ridden west side trails. It’s a fun mountain bike ride and fundraiser for the B.C. Disabled Ski Team, starting in Function Junction before following Lower Sproatt, Beaver Lake, Upper and Lower Beaver Pass, Bob’s ReBob and the full length of A River Runs Through It to finish at Rainbow Park. Registration starts at the entrance to Function Junction at 10 a.m., and the race starts at noon. Cost is $25, including food, refreshments, and a raffle ticket to a draw that includes a season pass.

 

Loop the Lakes — Sept. 7

This run takes place around Alice Lake Provincial Park trails in Squamish, with eight and 15 km courses available. This is the fourth year for the event, which raises money for the Squamish Emergency Program, Squamish Off Road Cycing Association, and Squamish Trails Society. The shorter race takes place mainly on park roads and wider trails, while the long course includes some singletrack mountain bike trails and is more technical. Registration is $25 ($20 before Aug. 29) or $30 for the long course. More information and registration is available online at www.loopthelakes.com. It’s also the fourth event in the Sea to Sky Trail Running Series (www.s2srun.com).

 

Soo Valley Rumble — Sept. 13

Hosted by the Whistler Off Road Cycling Association to fill the gap left by the Samurai of Singletrack, this is the second year for this event. Details are still coming together, but participants can count on a challenging point-to-point mountain bike race. Registratoin is at 9 a.m. in the Soo Valley, and the race gets underway at 10 a.m. The cost is $20, including food and refreshments. The course will be different than last year’s, and will be posted a week before the race. For more information, visit www.worca.com.

 

Terry Fox Run — Sept. 14

The Whistler edition of the 2008 Terry Fox Run will be similar to last year, with the race starting and finishing at Meadow Park. Registration is by donation, and all proceeds will go to the Terry Fox Foundation to fund cancer research and support people with cancer. There are 5 km and 10 km courses, and participants can run, walk and ride along the Valley Trail. Registration is at 9 a.m. and the race starts at 10 a.m.

 

Cheakamus Challenge — Sept. 20

The 24 th annual Cheakamus Challenge is an epic bike ride from the Squamish Airport in Brackendale to Whistler, following backroads through the Cheakamus Canyon and as much singletrack as possible. The main event is roughly 71 km, although a shorter course measuring 40 km is available. Most of the singletrack is in Whistler, including Trash, Tunnel Vision and Big Timber. The new section of the Sea to Sky Trail in the Brandywine area may also be added if it’s completed, similar to the section that was added to last year’s Cheakamus Challenge. Registration and more information is online at www.cheakamuschallenge.com. If you register before September the fee is $70, which includes food and draw prizes. The short course is $50. After Sept. 1 the price goes up another $5, and on race day it’s another $10.

 

Whistler Spirit Run — Sept. 27-28

This is a new event, and is being organized by the Callaghan Valley Sport and Cultural Society, a non-profit group that is committed to staging sporting and cultural events at Whistler Olympic Park. There are two parts of the run, a competitive cross-country running event with courses from one to eight kilometres, depending on age groups and grades in elementary and high school. Sunday’s event is a fun 10 km trail run open to everyone, and that can be run as a relay team of four. Events will be on everything from gravel to bark. For more information, visit www.whistlerspiritrun.com.

 

Rubble Creek Classic — Sept. 28

This is one of the most scenic long-distance trail runs in Sea to Sky, if not the west coast. Competitors start at the entrance to the Cheakamus Lake trail and run up to the Helm Creek Flats, behind Black Tusk on the cinder flats, and down about 12 km on the Rubble Creek trail to the Garibaldi Lake parking lot about 15 km south of Whistler. The distance is about 24 km, and includes close to 1,000 metres of sometimes technical climbing followed by a knee-clobbering 1,300 metres of descending.

Registration for this event is limited to just 80 runners, so early registration is recommended. The cost is $39, plus a $3 entry fee. Online entry closes at midnight on Sept. 18. All participants get a technical running shirt, and proceeds go to Big Brothers and Big Sisters. Visit www.rubblecreekclassic.com for registration and more details.