The invitation to participate in the Kusam Klimb is, "Are You Tough Enough?". Ten Comox Valley Road Runners proved their toughness recently in tackling the The Kusam Klimb , a wild and rugged 23 km loop heading up and over Mount H’Kusam and down the Stowe Creek watershed near Sayward.
Starting at sea level, participants pass through some of the most spectacular scenery on Vancouver Island with views of mountain peaks and the Johnstone Strait as they negotiate their way over the "Bill's" trail.
The times were slower than normal because of the trail conditions, with more snow, more mud to suck your shoes off, and colder icy creeks up to your thighs. Many racers went off course and had to find their way back to the route.
In spite of all of the variables, CVRR racers came away with some medals and good memories to inspire others to join them next year. Local results:
Peter Gledhill 2:49:35, 2nd M19 and under
James Powser 2:50:37, 1st M40-49
Dominick Nadeau 3:14:01
Shauna Connaught 3:29:44, 3rd overall female 2nd W20-29
Kathy Rung 3:48:32, 5th woman overall
Karen Sibley 3:57:07, 1st W50-59
Joanne Stanger 4:06:08
Chris Stanger 4:06:09
Louis Nadeau 5:19:32
Mark Arsenault 6:23:31
Deb Rigler 6:23:31
Kiyoko Marton 8:28:50
For further information see www.kusamklimb.com. For further information about the Comox Valley Road Runners see www.cvrr.ca.
– Comox Valley Road Runners