The Cumby 2021 - Celebrate This Land

The Cumby is celebrating its SIXTH year as a fundraising event in support of the Cumberland Community Forest Society's efforts to preserve the forests surrounding the historic town of Cumberland. Thanks to the generous support of our runners and sponsors we've so far managed to donate over $86,000 to this great cause, and the Comox Valley Road Runners (CVRR) is now officially listed as one of the select few "Guardians of the Forest". In 2019 alone the event raised $25,000 for the forest. Check out the YouTube video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxP3t4J_7ew to see the monumental efforts of the CCFS to purchase and preserve large tracts of pristine forest on Cumberland's perimeter. We are thrilled you have chosen to support this cause.

The CVRR is once again hosting its popular trail races in early May however due to COVID-19 this year will be very different. Our 2 events can be raced by you on your schedule anytime between May 1, 2021 and May 9, 2021. It's a race!, so time yourself, then be sure to enter your time into Race Roster. We'll show you how closer to race day.

Our Race Rules and Guidelines have never been as important as this pandemic year. For everyone's health and wellbeing we require you to closely read and abide by the Race Rules and Guidelines presented on our website www.thecumby.ca. Please note this is a wilderness race and runners must be prepared to use good judgment to keep themselves safe with adequate fuel and fluids and be able to follow a marked course.

The BC PHO guidelines are critical so please follow them. We'll soon be posting details for our special edition 2021 downloadable bib that we encourage you to wear on the course. The bib will identify you as part of this event and hopefully you'll fill in your emergency contact information.

Our race theme this year is "Celebrate This Land". We are celebrating the Cumberland Community Forest that trail runners and racers have helped over many years to preserve. You will be impressed that the race routes are almost entirely enclosed within the preserved lands of the Cumberland Community Forest and Village of Cumberland Parks. Our race routes are gnarly, rocky and include tough climbs and fast descents. On route you'll see Coal Creek Historic Park and Japanese Town and the newest Perseverence Creek acquisitions of the CCFS and then back into some of the older sections of the Cumberland Community Forest. 2021 is the time to show it all off.

The two courses include a 14 km Full Cumby route and a shorter 7 km Mini Cumby route. We will be awarding our custom wood cross cut awards to the top three finishers in each age and gender category. We will mail these awards to you. Take it up a further notch and for only $10 more register for the Cumby Combo where you run both courses any time over the 9 day period. Special award prizing for this category. The top male and female finisher will win a very limited edition medal fashioned from coal extracted from the No. 1 mine in Cumberland which closed in the late 1800's.

The Mini Cumby. In 2019 we introduced our shorter event - The Mini Cumby - as an opportunity for our younger runners to race and for all runners and walkers to explore the Cumberland Community Forest at a slower pace. We want to encourage everyone to learn about trail racing in our gnarly Cumberland Hills.

Children and youth- we anticipate that parents and guardians will know their child's capacity. Please know your child's limits. All Cumby participants under 19 must have parental consent, and parents/guardians must review the on-line waiver and by completion of on-line registration are considered to have accepted all the terms and conditions of the waiver. Children and youth must be accompanied by an adult. This is an important race safety issue. It is an unsupported race. We do not want young runners out there on their own.

We have a special rate for the young ones! All participants under the age of 19 can enter for just $10. The discount will be applied at checkout. Ensure you have organized for a racing adult to run alongside your child or youth.

The race starts right in the forest at the information kiosk at the base of the Mama Bear trail, near the yellow gate, at the corner of Sutton Road and Comox Lake Road. Start whenever you get there and please leave the finish area once you are done. The trails will be marked with white lime but please remember the course is completely unsupported and you must navigate on your own. Be sure to print and download the maps from our website shown below, and bring along your cell phone. Enjoy the splendor of the CCF and then Please, Go Home. Please recognize that you represent all runners during this race, especially as we navigate our love of trail racing during a pandemic.

Not living nearby? If you don't live in the general area why not celebrate the land where you live. Pick a course of any length and enjoy the trails. Register for our Virtual Run In Your Community then from May 1st to 9th go out and run your course. Consider posting your experience on our FaceBook page. We'll be watching with interest for all the places our registrants have chosen to run. And hopefully next year you can safely travel to Cumberland in May for the 7th year of The Cumby.

Visit our website www.thecumby.ca for full details of the 7k, 14k and Cumby Combo events.

The Cumberland Community Forest is truly a special place. Please be sure to 'Celebrate This Land' for all that it is!!