Knee Knacker Pre-Race Update – July 2024

Hello Knee Knacker Runners!

Wow! We are less than 4 days away from Knee Knacker 2024 and I hope everyone is doing well, that tapering is going great and that you’re excited for the day. There’s lots of info in this email, and you can also check out our Runners’ Guide. The 3 most important things are:

(1)    Be kind to volunteers

(2)    Packet pickup is Thursday evening, July 11^th 5:30-7:00 pm at Forerunners. There is NO race morning packet pickup

(3)    Race starts Saturday, July 13^th 6:00 am.

If you’d like more details (it’s a LONG one!), grab your beverage of choice and settle in for all things Knee Knacker…

Volunteers – We love our volunteers!

We are fortunate to have the best volunteers. Really.  Look for the green shirts and please thank them! A lot. As a fully volunteer-run, not-for-profit organization, our Knee Knacker community is truly special. Thank you for this.

Packet Pickup

Packet Pickup is at our store sponsor, Forerunners in North Vancouver on Thursday, July 11^th 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm. There is a limited packet pickup on Friday, July 12^th 5:30 pm-6:30 pm for those who are unable to pick up Thursday – please come Thursday if possible. Note: if needed, you can have a friend pick up your packet for you, but please drop me an email so we can keep track of this. This does add work to check-in Saturday morning – you need to bring your ID to get your wristband, so come Thursday if you can.

IF YOU DO NOT PICK UP YOUR PACKET ON THURSDAY OR FRIDAY, YOU WILL NOT BE IN THE RACE!

If you already know you won’t be able to participate on Saturday, please let me know as soon as possible. You can still pick up your shirt if you’d like to, but this helps us prepare for Saturday morning as we double and triple check who is on the startline. Please note, entries are not able to be deferred or transferred. If you won’t be on the startline, 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).

Race Briefing

Race briefing will be held on Thursday, July 12^th from 7:00 pm – 7:45 pm 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

The course is in great shape. It’s knarly, rocky, rooty, sometimes frustrating, and Knee Knacker ready! Though the forecast is for lower temps than it is right now, please really think through your ‘hot race day prep’ scenario.

There are 5 areas on course to highlight, but before I get to the specifics, know that the course will be VERY well marked and if you have any questions, feel free to ask us (Glenn Pace!) at packet pickup:

(1)    Black Mountain boulder field – as you climb up the second boulder field, there is a worn path that goes straight up (shortcut) and the flagging goes right. This is a potential hazard for rocks falling so follow the flagging and stay right.

(2)    Brother’s creek bridge – is still closed. Our re-route will take the higher trail up and over with minimal difference in elevation and distance on a very nice trail. This is the same as last year, and what we’ve done in training runs.

(3)    Trail Braiding along the Grouse Section – when in doubt, stay high. There will be marshals at key potential off-route spots, but do keep your eye on the flagging as some of the lower trails are well used.

(4)    Skyline drive – there is a short re-route, the same as last year. Just before the Skyline aid station there will be a marshal who will direct you to drop down onto the driveway for a few hundred meters before popping back up to the trail. Follow the flagging and you’ll be good.

(5)    Quarry Rock – as with last year, we’re back to the original finish! Expect lots of hikers on this stretch of trail BUT don’t be surprised if they cheer loudly and holler your name.

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 shuttle bus 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 very 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. I recommend a small soft cooler) 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. Please note, while we will do our best to help, some aid stations are not equipped to transport runners and if you drop you may need to arrange for your own transportation.

Aid Stations

There are plenty… 9 to be precise! We will have lots of water and supplies, however if you need anything in particular, make sure you take advantage of your drop bag that will be transported from the start to Cleveland Dam. A reminder that the stretch from the start to Black Mountain aid station is a long one and it will be hot and likely humid even early in the morning. Black Mountain aid station volunteers need to haul all the supplies in, so we highly recommend starting with at LEAST a 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 ???

Runner Tracking

Runner tracking will be available at the 3 main aid stations (Cypress, Cleveland, LSCR). Note this is point-in-time tracking that will be updated throughout the day as runners cross the timing mat.

Party-in-the-Park

We are very excited to be welcoming Deep Cove Pizza back to our Party-in-the-Park! Every runner will receive tickets for 2 pieces of pizza and additional slices will be available for $8 each. We are also happy to have Bridge Brewing back this year – beer will be available for purchase for $8. Wine and non-alcoholic beverages will also be available.

Awards

Please stay to cheer on the final finishers if you can! We’ll start the awards ceremony as soon as possible 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’ve done in recent years, 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 2024 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 – please help us at the Party-in-the-Park to sort compost, recyclables and garbage, to keep the park clean and to minimize our impact. Thanks to Alivia who will be there to help with all the things! 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 $166,000 to various organizations and we believe so strongly in this that we allocate one GUARANTEED entry to the top fundraiser – this year, we had the most number of fundraisers set up a page with 29 individuals fundraising! Thank you. The overall top fundraiser was again, the one and only Barb Wilkins who raised $3580! Thank you to everyone who raised funds. We will leave the fundraising open through the end of this month incase you still want to donate.

 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. This incredible team manages to balance full time jobs, family, friends, hobbies & all that life entails in addition to really significant time commitments with Knee Knacker. I cherish these friendships and have learned so much from each of you. Thank you. Thank you.

After 20 years, I am passing the Race Director megaphone to Kim Magnus on Saturday. Kim is an exceptional human and Knee Knacker is in great hands. As I look towards race day, I am filled with sentimentality, gratitude and joy. I had no idea what ‘this little run’ would bring into my and Jeff’s lives, and I am forever grateful. Thank you Enzo Federico for believing in me so many years ago.

Happy trails,

Kelsy