BRR: Race Recap Part 2

Read the first part of the recap here:  BRR: Race Recap Part 1

A few of my team mates met me at the finish of my stage, and then I waited with the mixed team stage 3 runner while the others went back to catch our other runner on stage 2 as she neared the finish line.  They had oranges, bananas, cookies and water at the end of the stage.  I grabbed a couple of oranges and chatted with a few other runners that I knew.  It was sunny, but still probably only 12C, so I cooled off quickly in my shorts and t-shirt.  There were showers available in the park where I ended, but I hadn't brought a towel or soap.  I had brought wet wipes and a change of clothes, and felt better as soon as I was out of my sweaty running clothes.

I did not think to bring an extra pair of shoes.  Lesson learned.

As soon as I was changed, we were off to cheer on our runners on stage 3.  Stage 3 is TOUGH.  It is nearly all up hill, and makes my stage look like a breeze.  Both of the runners on this stage were going strong and making it look easy.  The stage 4 runners were both feeling a bit nervous so we got them to the start of their leg with time to spare.  At this point, I was really glad I was done early.  You could feel that the anxiety of other runners was feeding the others and even very experienced runners were starting to feel nervous about their stages later in the day.

The second stage 3 runner had nearly caught up to the first, so our stage 4 runners ran together most of the way.  This made cheering them on easier!  Unfortunately, I think one of them had a bad race, while the other was ready to rock it.  It took awhile to convince her to go on ahead and run her own race over the last 5K.

Because the race goes over 100km, and runners get so spread out, they have a second mass start at the start of stage 5 at noon.  One car went ahead, but I didn't even see the stage 5 runners, and we just jumped ahead to stage 6.

I was riding with our stage 7 runner, so after we stopped a couple of times to cheer on the stage 6 runners, we went ahead again so that she could get ready to run at the start of her leg.

During stage 7, the runners head into Barkerville, and then onto trails, so there's no cheering them on.  We waited at the entrance to Barkerville, chatted with other runners and volunteers and waited.  It was a beautiful, sunny day, perfect for running.  They had a person with a walky talky (no cell service in these parts), calling down to the entrance to let us know when the runners hit the turn around at Summit Rock.

I admit, at this point, the day started to feel very long.  If I'd had my own vehicle, I probably would have snuck away and taken a nap.  It was the opening weekend for Barkerville, so during this time you could go in and walk around the historic site.  Many runners were heading to the bakery or the restaurants for a snack.

Our two runners came out a few minutes apart, so we were off again cheering on the final stage.  Apparently, on this leg (and on stage 6) in previous years, the RCMP have had to position themselves between grizzlies and runners, but we did not see any bears on Sunday.  Soon, we were at the finish line, and both of our teams were done, minutes apart!

The first of the two 100K runners had already crossed the finish line and the second (who ran my marathon running clinic 2 years ago), was approaching.  We waited to cheer her on as she crossed the line (hello, inspirational?), and saw the final runners finish.  Then it was time to eat!

As I mentioned, there were snacks at the end of each leg, but at the end of the race, each runner got a full meal during the awards ceremony, served up in the Wells Community Hall.  We had salads, veggies, lasagne, potatoes, chicken, roast beef, and gravy, plus fruit and squares for dessert.  Yum!  The local ski club was also selling beer, so of course, I had to support them!

The MC introduced the new sponsor from the Running Room, and then called out the awards.  I knew there were 14 teams, plus the solo runners, but didn't know the break down of categories.  It turns out there were two 8-member ladies teams, and ours came in first!  Wells is an artistic community, so mugs made by a local potter replaced the traditional medal.  The other category prizes were awarded, and then the fastest runner on each leg (male and female) all got mugs as well.  There were also door prizes that were bought from local businesses in Quesnel, mostly on a running theme.  There was at least one for every team.  To end the night, they had a door prize for a gold nugget! (Barkerville was a gold rush town).

On the drive home, we saw a bear and three cubs, 5 more black bears, and two moose.  I picked up my car at the start of stage 2, and headed home.

Overall, this race was a fantastic event.  I had wanted to run it for the past few years, but because it's on a long weekend, the timing had never worked.  I would make it work in the future.  The volunteers were awesome, it was a great way to meet some new runners, and everyone, on every team was friendly and supportive.  There is a stage for everyone, from very hilly, to very, very hilly, to long, steady climbs, to trail, and almost flat.  There are 3 stages that are over 17K, and 3 that are 10K or less, and if you want, you can split any of the 17K stages between 2 runners.  There were runners of all ages, some running their first race, and some running the 10th anniversary of this race for the 10th time.

I absolutely recommend this race to anyone with 7 running friends.  It is a great time of year to visit the Cariboo!  For more info, go here:  BRR