Valley Harvest Marathon runs off to Wolfville

BY JOHN DECOSTE

Kings County Register

After 15 years in Kentville, the Valley Harvest Marathon moves to Wolfville this fall.

According to race director Dwayne MacLeod, the decision is not due to any dissatisfaction with Kentville.

“It’s always been a popular event, due mainly to the flat, fast course and the fact that it can be used as a qualifier for the Boston Marathon,” MacLeod says. “The committee is sure it will continue to be just as popular and well-attended on the new course.”

MacLeod explains Steve Moores, the race coordinator since its inception in 1993, had made known last year his intention to step away from the coordinator’s position.

“A lot of the original committee has gone their separate ways, leaving Steve pretty much on his own,” MacLeod says. Moores “will continue to serve on the committee for a transition year.”

Efforts were made to find someone to replace Moores as coordinator, with no success. Finally, MacLeod agreed to take over, “but only if I could move it to Wolfville.

“I live in Wolfville,” he explains, “and I want to promote it as much as I can. I feel the marathon is a good fit for Wolfville, and that it’s a neat project to bring to the town.”

MacLeod said he hasn’t met with a lot of resistance from Kentville over the move.

“I’m not out to create any bad feelings. I feel we’re not only going to continue to run a high-quality event, we’ll be able to increase our economic spinoff through more sponsorship.”

The new course will start on Main Street in front of War Memorial Gymnasium, make a loop of the downtown core, then head out along Highway 1 through Greenwich. From there, it will proceed via Highway 358 to Port Williams and around Starr’s Point. (the half marathon will then return to Wolfville, first by way of Collins Road, then by retracing the route back to Wolfville), along the Wellington Dyke to Canard Street, down Saxon Street and Aboiteau Road to the outskirts of Canning and as far as Kingsport, then will back to Wolfville.

The race will be run Oct. 12, scheduled to coincide with Clocktoberfest, Wolfville’s contribution to the Valley Pumpkin Festival. Given it is the Sunday morning of the Thanksgiving weekend, MacLeod doesn’t anticipate any major traffic tie-ups or disruptions.

MacLeod notes, “the other thing that made perfect sense was the opportunity to partner with Acadia.” The finish of both the half and full marathon “will be a lap of the running track at Raymond Field, with the finish line right in front of the bleachers.”

He acknowledges there will need to be “significant marshaling” along the route, especially at the intersection of Highway 1 and 358, across the dykes to Port Williams and at other intersections along the course.

“There’s no real easy way in and out of Wolfville,” he says. “We looked at both the Gaspereau Valley and Grand Pre, but this route made more sense. We’ve ‘red-flagged’ the areas where we will need to concentrate extra hard on safety.”

One thing runners liked about the Kentville course was it was both fast and flat – not to mention the fall scenery along Brooklyn Street.

The new half marathon runs over gently rolling terrain, and should still be a fairly flat course. The full course includes a couple of small hills, which should make it a bit more challenging, and, as for scenery, “it will still all be there, and with more variety.” In fact, he predicts the new course might be even more attractive to participants.

“We just might be the most scenic marathon course in Atlantic Canada.”

In addition, the Valley Harvest Marathon “will still be a Boston Marathon qualifier. We’re working on the certification for that as we speak.”

It will also serve as the provincial championship for the Run Nova Scotia Timex Road Race series.

WEBLINKS

www.valleyharvestmarathon.com