The annual Candle Creek half-marathon on Aug. 26 — hosted by the Wells Gray Outdoors Club (WGOC) — was a success, according to organizer and club president Juanita Allen.
“With runners and walkers from here in B.C. and out of the province, many said they were coming back next year, not just for the run but for a vacation,” she said. “After the run some went to explore the falls while some got on their bikes to hit the trails again.”
The marathon is a passion for Allen, who — along with WGOC members — devotes many months to planning the event each year, with registration starting in February and closing in August. Candle Creek has more than 30 km of mountain biking and hiking trails, totally maintained by WGOC volunteers and sponsors in the area.
Allen recently told the Clearwater Times that “It was touch and go there for a while this year, due to the local smoke and wildfires in surrounding areas. We kept health and safety in mind for all the participants, volunteers, and spectators. We ended up with a great day for the marathon and clear skies after all.”
Allen described the terrain on the Candle Creek bike trails as “unique”, and there was a run type for everyone. The half-marathon runners had a challenging but scenic 21 km route, and there was a 10 km event, as well as a slightly less challenging 5 km course for those wanting to participate and enjoy the trail route, while kids had fun participating in the 1 km run.
The Wells Gray Outdoors Club is a non-profit organization with a growing membership that enjoy the trails year-round. Summer events include mountain biking, the Candle Creek half-marathon, and horseback riding. There is also the Raft Rim Rec Site, accessed via the western Raft Mountain forest road that connects to the Candle Creek Trail network, which is used for hiking, biking and running. There is also access to a washroom, and a limited number of dry campsites for tenting are available by donation.
In the winter users enjoy excellent cross-country skiing, Nordic skiing, and snowshoeing. Kids aged 4 to 14 participate in the B.C. Rabbits program, which introduces them to cross-country skiing through lessons and allows them to earn badges of proficiency as they progress; there are also races and a fun-day event during the season.
“Visitors are always welcome and donations towards maintenance can be made at various honour boxes located at both trail head kiosks,” said Allen.
She added that the half-marathon was held in partnership with, and with sponsorship from, Runners Sole in Kamloops. “Many businesses in both Clearwater and Kamloops helped to make this possible. We are so thankful to all the volunteers for taking time out of their busy schedules to spend their day hanging out with us during this year’s marathon. Many participants praised the hard work that made their day so memorable.”
Next year’s marathon is scheduled for Aug. 24. In the meantime, the WGOC encourages anyone interested in making use of the trails throughout the year to visit their website for weather and trail updates, and information about future events; go to https://www.wellsgrayoutdoorsclub.ca/.
