Looking for a great way to kickstart 2019?!

The 9th annual NYE Run (December 31) being held at Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre is the perfect way to get a head start on reaching your fitness goals while giving back to a great cause.

Despite the frigid cold temperature of -48C in 2018, 68 people still showed up. With this year's anticipated temperature to hover around -5C, Martin Parnell, run organizer,  is hoping for a good showing. "I think this will be a record and I am willing to say that on record. I am looking at about 150 and other than the first year when we had 300 out for the final run of the Marathon Quest 250, it would be a new record."

Supporting the initiative, 'Free to Run,' Parnell is hoping to raise $6500 to help empower women and girls in Iraq through sport. "We hit $6000 last year, and this year we are shooting for $6500; this is for a new program that only started in the last quarter."

With the program being so successful in Afghanistan, Free to Run has now expanded its borders. "They have taken on a program of empowering women and girls through sport in Iraq, so there is a group of twenty girls and women who in the last quarter ran a couple of races and are just getting into the running scene. With being a very conservative country (Iraq), running has its challenges; especially, when convincing men or fathers that their daughters should be running."

Martin Parnell

With a distance of runs varying from a full marathon to 2.5 kilometres in length, Parnell, says there is a something for everyone. "This is a terrific family event and a great way to support women and girls in Iraq through sport. It will definitely be warmer than last year, and everyone is guaranteed a great time. Come on out, kids bring your parents, get some exercise and support women and girls in Iraq who are running for freedom and equality.” 

Run times are as follows; and although everyone starts at different times, everyone will wrap up their runs by 3 pm.

  • Marathon at 9:00 am
  • Half marathon at noon
  • 10 km at 1:30 pm
  • 5 km at 2:15 pm
  • 2.5 km at 2:40 pm

Registration takes place, on the day of beginning at 8:00 am running through to 2.30 pm and runners can bring cash, cheque or donate online by going HERE.

Hot chocolate, coffee, and cookies will be available at the aid station courtesy of Patsy's Place to help keep everyone motivated. The support the run has received over the years is excatly what our community is all about, Parnell proudly states. "I have been here for 15 years now and this is the ninth annual; the people of Cochrane just have such a giving spirit and that is why we like to help locally and internationally."

To learn more about Parnell and his quest, you can visit his website at http://www.martinparnell.com, donations will be gratefully accepted until the end of January 2019.