Knee Knacker update – June 28, 2022
Hello Knee Knacker Runners!
Wow! We are 11 days away from our return to all things Knee Knacker! I hope everyone is doing well, that training is going great and that you’re excited for the day. I know there is lots of anticipation to be back and I also want to acknowledge that the last few years have been hard for a lot of people. So… if your training isn’t quite where you want it to be, or your motivation is low, be gentle on yourself. The trees and mountains will be there to welcome you.
There’s important info below so grab your beverage of choice and settle in.
Volunteers – We love our volunteers!
We are fortunate to have the best volunteers. Really. Though our spots usually fill up quickly, this year has been slower than in past years and we still have some key roles we need to fill. Do you have family or friends that can help? We have spots available in Deep Cove at our Party-in-the-Park, a few key marshal spots, coveted aid station opportunities and a need for someone with a truck. We also have a special early morning opportunity for a small team to carry water to Black Mountain Aid station (from a drive-in spot up Cypress – it’s hard, but rewarding!) Please send your friends and family to our volunteer sign up page and Dennis will reach out. Thank you.
Packet Pickup
Packet Pickup is at our new store sponsor, Forerunners in North Vancouver on Thursday, July 7th 5:30pm – 7:00pm. There is a limited packet pickup on Friday, July 8th5:30pm-6:30pm for those who are unable to pick up Thursday – please come Thursday if possible.
IF YOU DO NOT PICK UP YOUR PACKET ON THURSDAY OR FRIDAY, YOU WILL NOT BE IN THE RACE!
If you aren’t going to be able to participate in the race, please email me or if you pick up your race package, let the crew know then. This does NOT open up a spot for anyone else (we draw 272 names in the lottery for just over 200 people on the start line). Please also note entries can not be transferred or sold.
Race Briefing
Race briefing will be held on Thursday, July 7thfrom 7:00pm – 7:45pm at Forerunners. This is optional, but highly recommended for first timers and those who want to hear the latest and greatest updates. It’s also fun to see everyone and share in the excitement!
Course Conditions and Updates
We know there’s lots of conversation these days about the snow conditions and the route into the finish line. We have been working very hard with our DNV and Provincial partners to come to a solution that respects the current trail closures and stays true to the Knee Knacker experience. We will be able to leverage local trails, mostly paralleling the BP with similar distance and elevation to the original route. A full update will be provided at the race briefing on Thursday.
This is a good time to thank all our partners and permitting bodies that we work with to put on our run. It’s no small feat to ensure we have all 16 permits in place each year.
Shuttle Bus and Start
We provide a free bus shuttle service from Panorama Park in Deep Cove to the start line and have secured parking at Cove Cliff School. Any parking option other than this will be tricky, so please plan accordingly. Buses depart at 4:45, 4:50 and 4:55am. IF you have someone drop you off at the start, please ensure they do not try to park there. We need the very few parking spots available for North Shore Rescue and our race morning volunteers so please respect this.
Note, thanks to Panorama Park’s caretaker, Jose, the bathrooms at the park will be open at 4:00am. If you see Jose, please thank him! It’s worth taking advantage of these as the porta potties at the start line get busy quickly.
Race Morning Check In
When you arrive at the start, you must check in with our start-line crew. Safety is our #1 concern, and we need to know if you’re on course.
If you don’t check in on race morning, you are not an official starter.
Drop Bags
After you check in, put your drop bag (any ‘reasonable’ sized bag labeled with your number) in the truck right behind the check-in tables. These will be transported to Cleveland Dam for you to use at the halfway point and then they’ll be transported to the finish line for pick up.
Cutoff Times
There are cutoff times at each of the major aid stations – Cypress, Cleveland, LSCR and the Finish. If you are concerned about these times, Greg White will be your best ally on race day and though he will be enforcing the cutoffs, he will also do his utmost to help you make good decisions along the way.
Aid Stations
There are plenty… 9 to be precise! Please note that we’ve made 2 changes this year – we have removed Lillooet aid station (thank you to Jacquie and Don who were there for many years and will now be at Skyline), and Hollyburn will be water only. The stretch from the start up to Black Mountain is a long one and we highly recommend you carry at least 1 bottle (most people will have 1+ litres). As you fly through the aid stations, do take a moment to notice the special efforts the Captains and teams put in… you may find live music, costumes, home-baked goodies, water guns, Disney themes, freezies, cold bandanas or ???
Party-in-the-Park
We are very excited to be welcoming Whistler Wood Fired Pizza to our Party-in-the-Park this year! Every runner will receive tickets for 2 pieces of pizza and additional slices will be available for purchase at the park. We are also happy to have Bridge Brewing back as our beer sponsor.
Awards
If you stay to cheer on the final finishers, you’ll be able to join for the awards ceremony. We’ll start this as soon as possible ~4:30pm after the final cutoff. In addition to age group and overall winners, it’s important to us that we acknowledge every finisher, regardless of time. As we did in 2019, we won’t be calling up all runners individually, but we will welcome all newbies to the Knee Knacker family by taking a ‘Cohort of 2022 Photo’.
Reducing Our Impact on the Environment
Each year we look carefully at how we can reduce our impact on the environment and ask for your help in this too. Following are some improvements:
- Cups– we are cup free. Please plan on using your handheld bottle, pack or a re-usable cup
- Drop Bags– if you’d like to use a drop bag, please bring your own (reusable) bag on race morning. Label it clearly with your number (and name if you wish) and use the guideline of a shoe box as a ‘reasonable’ size
- Garbage and Recycling– we’ve partnered with Green Coast Rubbish to allow us to have compost, recyclables and garbage sorted, to keep the park clean and to minimize our impact. Please help us with this! Please feel free to bring a cup and utensils to the party in the park
Sponsors
Please support them! Without our sponsors’ generous donations, our run wouldn’t be possible. THANK YOU, Sponsors!
North Shore Rescue
Is again partnering with us to lead our race day safety efforts. I can’t begin to tell you what these amazing folks do behind the scenes to keep us safe! There will be ~15 NSR volunteers for us on race day alone. If you get the urge, please consider donating. At a minimum, please thank them profusely when you see them!
Fundraising – It’s On!
We are grateful for the fundraising efforts that our community does in support of North Shore Rescue (NSR). Over the years, the Knee Knacker has raised/donated over $130,000 to various organizations and we believe so strongly in this that we allocate one GUARANTEED entry to the top fundraiser – wouldn’t that be a great feeling to skip the lottery! We will tally the funds at 8pm on June 30th.
On this note, I want to call out our top 2 fundraisers so far this year. Barb Wilkins and Jessica Thompson are in a sprint finish to see who will come out on top. Combined, the 2 of them alone have raised almost $7000 for North Shore Rescue. THANK YOU TWO – you are amazing!
Volunteer Hours
If you haven’t already submitted your volunteer hours, please do this ASAP. The intention is to give back to our community in any way that resonates for you. This does not need to be trail or Knee Knacker related. Thank you for this!
Committee Thanks
I want to share my heartfelt thanks to our Committee members who do cartwheels and handstands behind the scenes to make the Knee Knacker what it is. We have had to dust off the cobwebs this year, organize all too many Zoom calls and remind ourselves of the many details that need to happen quietly behind the scenes. I am so grateful for this team who manages to balance full time jobs, family, friends, hobbies & all that life entails in addition to really significant time commitments with Knee Knacker. My continued & sincere thanks.
Please reach out to me anytime – I love hearing how training is going & sharing the anticipation of the day.
Happy Tapering,
Kelsy.
