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Harvest Run 2017 (Supplied)
Great Family Run

Harvest Run 2021 hits Red Deer’s trail system Sunday

Sep 11, 2021 | 9:00 AM

After months of careful planning and being cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Harvest Run is back in Red Deer this weekend.

The event goes Sept. 12 and offers a 3 km walk/run and 8 km run through Red Deer’s beautiful trail system.

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

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

For this year, organizers are excited to move to a new start and finish location at Canada 150 Square in Capstone, north of 5589 47 Street.

Organizers say this area has direct access to the trail system and runners will enjoy familiar, beautiful trails along the river and around Bower Ponds for both the 3 km and 8 km courses.

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 to the young runners as bursaries for their travels or competing. Some of them are even at a national level, so we help them out with their expenses,” he points out.

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

Registrations will be accepted up to and including race day.

Visit harvestrun.org for details.