A brand new summer event, The Radiant Run, will be hitting the University of British Columbia campus at the end of the month.
The run, scheduled for Aug. 24, is the brainchild of North Vancouver resident Justine Simmons and Vancouver resident Bryan Tasaka. The idea for the run came to Simmons in the most unusual way.
"I was looking for a music video online with my daughter and I kept coming across this strange video of that song of all these people running in the dark dressed in neon," says Simmons. "I then discovered it was an actual event in the U.S. that had just used the song. So I flew down to San Diego with my business partner Brian just to check this thing out because we love running. And there was this amazing light run in the States and then we thought 'we have to bring one to Canada, this is awesome.'" The five kilometre nighttime glow run is an event, not a race, says Simmons, similar to Tough Mudder and the Colour Run, but will be almost like running in a nightclub. Proceeds from the event will help raise money for both the Make-a-Wish Foundation of BC/Yukon and Cystic Fibrosis Canada, a charity close to Simmons's heart.
"My nephew has cystic fibrosis and my sister's very active on the board, so for me that was a no-brainer," says Simmons. "I really wanted to do something a little more than my usual few hundred dollar contribution."
The organizers partnered with UBC Rec and the course route zigzags along the main mall on campus through 10 different "light zones," beginning and ending at the Doug Mitchell Sports Complex near Thunderbird Park. Simmons says they chose five kilometres for the race length because it's an achievable distance for even the newest runners.
"It's a very reasonable, reachable, realistic goal for anyone who is embarking on fitness, so it's a really great first time running event," she says.
Simmons says events like these are gaining in popularity because they are enjoyable and appeal to a broader crowd.
"I think the other races are just so serious, there's so much training required," she says. "I think some people think 'oh let's just make it really fun, let's remind ourselves why we exercise, it's to be healthy and to enjoy your life.' Another key driver is Facebook, people like cool photos of them and their friends."
Participants are invited to dress up in their brightest, most outrageous neon running attire to traverse the relativelsy flat course. The run starts at 8:30 p.m. at UBC Thunderbird Stadium, but the event itself kicks off at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 11 p.m. There is entertainment for participants along the route, including electronic dance music, light installations and performers, such as "glow-glow" dancers. The race will finish off with The AfterGlow party that features a concert with The Freshest, a collection of four Vancouver DJs.
Fees start at $55 for adults and $30 for children aged 12 and younger, and participants can also walk the course.
Registration and course information is available online at radiantrun.com/register. Participants can pick up their race packages, including a T-shirt and entry into the finish line party, on Aug. 22 and 23 between 4 and 8 p.m.
News Photo Cindy Goodman / NORTH Vancouver mom Justine Simmons hits the road with daughters Sabrina (left) and Juliette in preparation for the five kilometre Radiant Run scheduled for Aug. 24 at UBC.;
