Harvest Run 2017 (Supplied)

By Sheldon Spackman

Active Living

Red Deer’s Harvest Run returns for 2021

Jun 23, 2021 | 10:28 AM

After being cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Harvest Run in Red Deer is back for 2021.

What started off in 1991 as a community fun run promoting active living in central Alberta, the Harvest Run, now in its 29^th year hosted by the Red Deer Runners, has grown into a major event with between 350-400 participants annually.

The announcement on June 18 that Alberta was lifting nearly all public health restrictions as of July 1 gave organizers the green light they needed to go ahead with this year’s run.

Harvest Run chair, Otto Stepanik, says the event will take place Sept. 12 and offers a 3 km walk/run and an 8 km run through Red Deer’s beautiful trail system.

“It’s a nice family run, especially the three kilometre distance. The eight kilometre also attracts young runners or veteran runners who want to run that distance and compete in that distance,” says Stepanik.

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Both runs start at Gateway Christian School (4210 59 St.), with the 3K run heading north towards McKenzie Trails, and the 8K heading west towards Bower Ponds and Heritage Ranch.

Stepanik also notes local sponsors that step up each year to help keep registration costs low for participants.

“The extra income from this event, we present for the young runners as bursaries for their travels or competing. Some of them even at a national level, so we help them out with their expenses,” he points out.

If the run is unable to go ahead due to COVID-19 restrictions, Stepanik says all registrations will automatically be rolled over to their Virtual Race and registrants will still receive their race swag (dependent on race registration date).

“People who do this, they love it because it’s a run which brings them together with family and friends,” shares Stepanik.

Registrations will be accepted up to and including race day.

Visit harvestrun.org for details.