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Presented by GBRC and Fairhaven Runners
Saturday July 11, 2009 at 9:00 am
This point-to-point, seven-mile trail race starts at Marine Park in south Bellingham and finishes at Larrabee State Park, the oldest state park in Washington. The course follows the legendary Interurban Trail, which threads through the Chuckanut Mountains and features gorgeous views of Chuckanut Bay and the San Juan Islands.
The finish-line party at Larrabee State Park will include live music, food, and drink. Age-group awards will be given, three deep in each five-year category
The entry fees for the chip-timed race for runners or walkers is $15 US. GBRC members can run this race at no charge as part of their membership. There is an optional race shirt available for $12. Everyone must pre-register for this race. (see details below)
There is no day of race registration, even for GBRC members. You must be among the first 1,000 to register and your registration must be received by Thursday, July 9, 2009. Registration is available either on-line, in person at Fairhaven Runners, or by mail. You can register using this registration link. See the race home page and download a registration form at www.FairhavenRunners.com.
Additional information and course maps may be found on FairhavenRunners.com. or by calling the store at (360-676-4955).
In early 1967 as Dr. John and Nancy Arnold's new home on the Interurban Trail was taking form, they pondered with Frank Schultz, fellow Cascade Wilderness Club member (and now the owner of Base Camp), two problems of the day: 1) how to get in shape for summer backpacking, and 2) how to get young people involved in something other than the psychedelic drug scene. Why not organize a cross country trail through their own backyard to challenge bodies of all ages? This, remember, was before Frank Shorter's 1972 Munich Olympic Marathon win had popularized running In this country. No one was running in the streets then. Why, I believe there was only one brand of running shoe in the stores.
In May of 1967, the five-mile Chuckanut Cross Country Foot Race was courageously
inaugurated by the Arnolds and Frank Schultz under the leadership of the Cascade
Wilderness Club. They sent word of the run to high school and college track coaches,
to the few track clubs around, and to other hiking clubs. Imagine their surprise
when 70 people arrived from near and far to run that first race!
Of the serious runners, and there were several, the winners were Jim Freeman, (former cross country coach at Mt.Baker HS, but then in training for the Mexico City Olympic Marathon) and Vicki Folz (star of the Snohomish Track Club). Over 100 participated the second year. The Chuckanut Foot Race was off and running! The Arnold's son Ken has the distinction of having run Chuckanut every year until 1986, when he moved to Alabama.
The original course started at Fairhaven Park, headed south on Chuckanut Drive and California Street to the Interurban Trail, and ended at the Fragrance Lake Trail crossing, a distance of 4.9 miles. Subsequent years saw the Finish stretched to the holding pond area at the South end of the InterUrban, stretching the distance to five miles. Jim Pearson, former U.S. ultramarathon record-holder and now cross country coach at Ferndale H.S., holds the record for the distance as well as the longest string of victories. Jim also took over the directorship of the run from the Arnolds and the Wilderness Club for one year before Dick Henrie and Bellingham Track and Field Club (later re-named the GBRC) took over the run in 1978.
The GBRC years have seen drastic change
of the original course. In 1979,
the Start was moved off Chuckanut Drive to the WWU track for safety's sake
after 522 of the previous year nearly trampled several cars, and the finish
was stretched beyond the trail to the ampitheater of Larrabee State Park for
a total distance of seven miles. The course start was then moved to the
theatre across from the Bellingham Mall (now Sehome Village). This course
was used until 1995, when long traffic backups on Fairhaven Parkway prompted
the final change in the starting line, to its current location by the Ferry
Terminal at the foot of Harris Ave.
During the 1990's the popularity of the race continued to increase, and the number of runners peaked at over 800 before declining to around 600 after 2000. In 2006 Fairhaven Runners took over sponsorship of the race and attendance peaked again, and the race now has a cap of 1,000 athletes.
Race Co-Directors
Linda Beckman (Co-Director) e-mail: LindaBeckman33@hotmail.com, phone: 676-8313
Terri Lee (Co-Director) e-mail: mtbmlee@yahoo.com , phone: 676-4509
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