THUNDER BAY -- Last year it looked like the Run for Women might be on its last legs.
Now, it appears to be on stable footing as organizers are determined to ensure its long-term viability.
The 34th annual Thunder Bay Run for Women was held on a blustery and breezy Saturday morning, as close to 100 runners and walkers completed their trek around Boulevard Lake.
When it was first held in 1980 the run was designed as a non-competitive event to encourage fitness and physical activity for women and young girls. Run director Gordie Garriock says the event played a pivotal role in turning running into an accessible activity, rather than just an elite sport. “It was the first non-competitive run that began in Thunder Bay,” Garriock said before the start of the run. “Before then it was just anybody involved in track and field and the 10 Mile Road Race, which was for elite runners. Then this began and it started many other events and now there are two or three runs every weekend.”
The run has long been a staple of Mother’s Day weekend in the city, with many participants being joined by their children or mothers and grandmothers.
As organizers look forward to the 35th anniversary of the run next year, they have turned to community partners to help keep the tradition alive.
RE/MAX was brought on as a sponsor for last year’s race and they were joined this year by the Running Room.
With the event coming so close to having reached an end last year, Garriock is finding that many women are appreciative of the efforts to keep the run going.
It’s more than just a run to those who have it for many years. “A number of women have said thank you for keeping it going,” she said. “There’s so much emotion about this event and it’s always been for a good cause.”
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