Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Boogie down in the Brandywine

Second annual race to boost local causes
sports_upcoming3-1-22157f8d025f7ca4
Fine in the Brandywine The Brandywine Boogie is set for a second year of action this Saturday. Photo submitted

They're in the groove.

The second running of the Brandywine Boogie trail race is slated for this Saturday, Sept. 24 and the Rotary Club of Whistler Millennium is excited to see the event grow in its second year.

"Things are going very, very well. We are really happy," said Thomas Christensen, the head of the club's new generations committee. "We had 46 runners in total last year on race day and so far this year, we've got 56 signed up. I think we're going to be up to about 75."

New for this year, younger runners looking to boogie will be able to, and though Christensen explained it's not expected to significantly boost registration this year, he's hoping it will boom in the races to come.

"It's mainly adults. We've got a couple in the youth category. I think it will take at least a year to start building," he said. "I don't know how many young people run for fun. I think it's more of an adult activity. But if the word gets out and the people who ran this year tell their friends, we'll see more people next year.

"I think many young people, they run in sports whether that be soccer or basketball, but just for fun I don't think there are too many people running."

Christensen fell in love with the trails in the Brandywine in advance of the inaugural race last year and said the 11.5-kilometre course would remain the same, with the route starting in Cheakamus and then traverse south as runners end up in Brandywine Falls Provincial Park.

"(The course) worked really, really well. It's very varied terrain, absolutely beautiful all the way through," he said. "We go over a couple of bridges, run along the river and it's just gorgeous, so we didn't feel there was any need to improve on that."

All proceeds from the race will go back into community projects. Half of the entry fee will go to the club's Youth Exchange program, which will help support Whistler Secondary School's J.J. Deane in Spain and a Belgian student here, as well as other leadership programs for young people. The other half of the entry fee can be directed to Youth Exchange or to WORCA.

"WORCA is a fantastic partner. It makes so much sense. We run on their trails when we're training, so we thought we would try to raise some funds to go back into their trail-building efforts," he said.

In addition to medals and prizes for the champions, Christensen noted everyone onsite would have a reasonable chance of going home with something or another, as several spot prizes such as accommodation for a night at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler and an Araxi dinner voucher have been donated.

Those who want to register online can do so at www.brandywineboogie.ca until 9 p.m. on Sept. 23. In-person registration is also available on race day at $55 for the adult event and $35 for the youth event.