KRC "Lost" Race Series #1: Hard Knox

The Kelowna Running Club is proud to announce the "Lost" Race Series!

We have been looking back at the history of the club and reminiscing about all the races from years past. Many of them are not on the calendar anymore so we thought a virtual race series would be a great way to get people out to rediscover these fantastic routes.

Here's how it will all work: Every other month in 2021 we will be posting a new route and you have the whole month to run the course. You can run at any time but it must be on the course as outlined in the description. You then upload your GPS data from the run and your time will be entered onto the leader-board to see how you compare with the other runners in the club. This time there are no prizes, but the event will be completely free to participate in. You may run the course as many times as you like throughout the month and you can update your time on the results page so that it shows your best time.

We have spent some time talking to the runners and organizers of these races to give you a bit more of an insight into the courses and their history. Each course will be featured in a short video documentary series where we hope to show off the route and its highlights, as well as telling the stories of participants and how these races came to be.

RACE #1: HARD KNOX (2015-2017)

IMPORTANT NOTE: After publishing this course, we noticed an error in the route description (Thanks to Peter Pollhammer for pointing this out!). We have updated the course so please follow the route as described below.

This course is one of the more recent KRC courses that we are planning to showcase but we thought it would be a good place to start. It is a great all-round training course which will give you a bit of everything: Downtown sightseeing? Check. Nice flat paved sections? Sure. Uphill gravel track switchbacks? Yep. Fantastic views of Kelowna? Absolutely!

Take a look at the mini-documentary below to hear a bit more about the course from RJ, Rosalie and Leslie:

KRC Lost Races Episode 1: Revisiting Hard Knox

Even though this race only ran for a few years, it really represents the Kelowna running experience as a whole. As well as fantastic paved areas, we have such great access to beautiful trails and challenging hills and this race takes in all of these elements.

This event will run from May 1st- May 31st and you can submit your time at any point during this month. You will have to submit a screenshot of a GPS tracking app as proof of completion of the route if you want to be included on the leaderboard. If you need assistance with this, please feel free to reach out at kelownarunningclub@gmail.com.

We hope you enjoy the event!

Course Map and Description:

The course begins at Sutherland Bay Park (612 Ellis St, Kelowna, BC V1Y 0A2) and follows Ellis down as far as Manhattan Drive. Here it turns right and then left to join the small trail through Rotary Marsh park to Tugboat Bay. It then follows the boardwalk of the Kelowna waterfront before completing a counter-clockwise loop of city park and then heading back to the start.

You're then heading up the mountain via the switchback trails and stairs that take will take you up almost 100 vertical metres to the lower Knox lookout. After catching your breath and enjoying the views, it’s time for a rolling downhill trail section that leads to the main Paul’s Tomb Trail. As you reach the main trail, turn left to head back towards Sutherland Bay Park along Poplar Point Drive. This final section is your chance to really stride out and see what you have left in your legs on the way back to the finish line.

[This description was updated on 5th May 2021 to correct an error in the course description]