(Supplied/Snaphappy Photographer)

By Alessia Proietti

31st anniversary

Red Deer’s Harvest Run nominated for community-based award

Mar 29, 2023 | 4:53 PM

Red Deer’s 31^st Harvest Run was nominated by residents in a community-based award.

The award, given by the CommunityVotes, allows communities to recognize each year a business or service by nominating and voting for them online for a specific category. The Harvest Run was nominated in the Community Organization category.

Since 1991, the 3km and 8km run, hosted by the Red Deer Runners group, is held every second Sunday of September, around harvest season, to promote active living in central Alberta.

“It feels great and it feels like we’re doing the right thing for our community to help people move and be active. Sometimes, it’s just a little thing that can make somebody start living more actively. Somebody might think, ‘my goal is to run the 3km Harvest Run and maybe next year the 8km’. It’s local, it’s right here, within reach; you don’t have to travel anywhere,” said Otto Stepanik, Chairman of the run. He believes the achievement is also a result of their long term dedication in the community.

“We’re proud we keep doing this and we have a bunch of people participating that prove it’s liked. We try to reach out to people if there are any changes they would like but its seems they like running on the trails.”

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This year’s family-friendly run is on September 10 and will once again begin at Capstone (5589 47 Ave) at 9 a.m. with the course along the city’s trail system.

While the pandemic and competing events held during the same weekend have caused a slight downturn in participants, Stepanik says the event has maintained around 200 runners over the past two years.

Not only did last year’s run have great weather but Stepanik says he was also thankful to the sponsors for helping them acquire a surplus in funds which was then distributed to all four applicants of the Red Deer Runners Athletic Bursary. The bursary aims to help youth runners to support them in their competitions, travel expenses and other costs associated to their athletic development.

Stepanik also gave credit to the sponsors for allowing the run to be affordable for participants, with the current price of roughly $38 for the 3km run and $55 for the 8km run, both including a blue long sleeve t-shirt. Runners will receive a shirt with a ticket purchase until July 31.

Finisher medals will be available alongside cash prizes for the first three male and female winners of the 8km run.

“We want to give back to our community because we know the good effects that physical activity, running for us, has on our lives and wellbeing. We’d like to make more people feel this effect and for it to improve their lives,” he said.

Sponsorship and door prize opportunities are still available for businesses.

Interested participants can register and purchase their tickets on Eventbrite.

For CommunityVotes, residents can make nominations until June 25. The top nominees move to the voting phase beginning June 28 and winners will be announced on August 2.

(Supplied)