Harriers Boxing Day 10-Mile Handicap Run
25th Annual
Thursday, December 26, Boxing Day, 2024. First runners start around 10:00 a.m.
Race Information
This amazing, staggered start handicap race where anyone can win often attracts an international field competing for fame and fortune. Recent races have seen entrants from as far away as Courtenay BC, Calgary AB, Toronto ON, Richland WA, SE Asia and London England. Ok, it's just people here for the holidays and some locals competing for quirky prizes and socializing at the Prairie Inn after, but it's a club tradition centered at our founding and namesake venue. Oh, and it's free and almost everyone gets a prize!
As well as the classic 10-Mile double out & back, there is a single lap 5-Mile option, and for those wanting less road a more TRAIL HANDICAP through nearby parks with a significant steep climb to the summit lookout
There may also be a concurrent dog-friendly social run / walk on the trails of nearby Mt Newton.
Date/Time
Always on December 26th, Boxing Day which in 2024 is a Thursday. Handicapped start times are determined by your best race or run performance in the last two years. The idea being everyone should finish at about the same time. First runners will start at about 10:00 a.m. and all runners should finish before noon. Registrants will be informed of their exact handicapped starting time a few days prior to the race. Those at the bottom below from the last few years should give you an idea of the range, while those already assigned for this year are shown here:
Assigned Start Times
Assigned and posted in batches, so check back
2024 Assigned Start Times as of Wed Dec 25th 9:30pm Summit Trail 10:20 Christy Gain, Sonja Yli-Kahila 10:34 Shane Ruljancich 10 Mile 10:17 Magdalena Carter 10:28Angela Maclean, Steve Hallam 10:30 Mark Seebaran 10:32 Tim Hatfield 10:33 Aengus Bates 10:34 Harrison Elliott, Sean Mitchell 10:35 Mark Ritchie 5 Mile 10:52 Buddy Bhandar 11:02 Naomi Russell 11:03 Lori Morgan 11:04 Sean Poynton 11:05 Nathaniel Roberts, Gary Duncan 11:07 Oskar Poynton 11:08 Feleisha Reiter
Location
Prairie Inn Neighbourhood Pub, 7806 East Saanich Road, Saanichton, BC.
Road Course
Mainly country roads along a rural valley, somewhat undulating in places. Double out-and-back course as follows: Start northbound on East Saanich Road at the Prairie Inn Pub for one block, left onto Wallace for one block, right onto Mt. Newton Cross Road for about 2 miles, left onto West Saanich, approx. 100 metres south on W. Saanich to the turnaround point*, retrace route. Repeat. Participants are expected to obey local traffic laws. Run safe!
Map: http://gmap-pedometer.com?r=6767896
*A cone may or may not be present on race day, as may signs each mile, and stick flags around the few corners.
Accurately measured 10 miles (16.09344 kilometres).
Trail Course
A recent option for the Boxing Day Handicap includes undulating trails through Butterfield, Brown's Wood, Haldon and John Dean parks with a significant steep climb to the Mt Newton summit lookout and a more gentle descent down Merrill Harrop.
Map of potential route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/38183615
NOTE: Participants are responsible for their own way-finding!
About 15km with the first 2.8km and last 5.7km along road, often with an adjacent unpaved path. Don't worry, although the middle trail sections are less than half the total distance they will take more than half your time, especially the significant steep climb to the summit which is about 5.4km in.
Race Records
Handicap: Josephine Hees, 25:59 under handicap time, 1999
Outright: Male: Sean Chester, 54:34, 2011; Female: Lise Wessels, 1:02:15, 2003
The perfect tune-up for the Frontrunners Island Race Series! The only organized, accurate run at the classic 10-mile distance on the island (and the first since the Harriers Tower 10-miler in 1992). A chance to burn off some holiday flab. A socially stimulating brunch in the pub follows the run.
Entry Fee
Free
Registration
Maximum 60 registrations accepted - first come, first served. Please register online by December 25, giving your name, whether you ran an Vancouver Island Series race in the last 2 years, or your best times from fixed distance races between January 1st, last year and May 1st, this year, or failing any of those your estimated time for say 10km. While entries are accepted on Christmas Day until 10pm, a time penalty may be assessed. No day-of-race entries accepted, but you can still show up day-of-race, run 5 or 10 miles socially, and join us for brunch.
Categories
None – it's a handicap race, the winner's the winner.
No Frills / No Whining
There will be limited food and/or fluid at the finish, possibly including water, mini oranges, candy canes, and leftover Christmas cookies. Be prepared by bringing your own refreshments / contributions and a change of clothes. The (family friendly) pub normally opens at 11:00, but apparently will again be closed on Boxing Day due to staffing issues. We may adjourn elsewhere. Whining is completely forbidden, and any suspected instance puts the whiner at risk of being assessed penalty minutes.
Award Presentations
There may be a trophy or plaque for the winner. If so, it will be awarded immediately at the finish. There may also be random draw prizes of questionably useful items. Feel free to contribute re-giftings.
Support
There will be one fluid stop, at the start/halfway/finish point. This also provides an opportunity to shed clothing at the half-way point.
2021 Report
Thank you to everyone who registered for, and congratulations to those who braved the elements and conditions to contest the Harrier’s 23rd Annual Boxing Day Handicap, and to Joseph for photographing.
While numbers were smaller for various reasons, it will definitely be memorable. Sure it was cold (-6°C) with some wind (NE 10 kmh with gusts to 25) by the Prairie Inn making standing around uncomfortable, and the roads & paths were covered with a few centimetres of fresh snow making it tricky underfoot & slowing your pace, but it was mostly calm & quiet along the route with classic wintry views of dusted trees & bucolic valley.
One person signed up for the Trail Summit Handicap, but being only marginally familiar with some of the trails, wisely switched to the road.
There were just two finishers in the classic double lap 10-Mile event, and it was an exciting finish with Jeff Hunt who started seven minutes behind, expending himself to close the gap up the final hill and Mark Seebaran just able to hold him off along the ending sidewalks to take the placement win by two seconds. Assigned start handicapping at its best.
Jeff’s running time of 1:14:40 was best though, and his average pace of 4:38 was the fastest overall.
The single lap 5-Mile event had 3 starters and 4 finishers as Christopher Kelsall who started the double lap was "one and done” after a mid-lap “full chester” personal break. The actual finish spread among the four was almost 33 minutes as no one started at their assigned time totally defeating the intention of the handicap race. Some finished before the recorder was back, and left so early they missed the prizes. All were assessed some penalty minutes. After adjusting for the start offsets and penalties the spread of placement times was down to a more respectable 4 minutes and 53 seconds.
Laura Wyatt was the adjusted placement winner of the 5-Mile Half Handicap, with a 1:44 lead over runner-up Buddy Bhandar.
Race director Gary Duncan has the best performance of the day at 67% and the best 5-Mile race running time of 40:28 which he partially attributes to removal of extra layers at the start and YakTrax underfoot.
Laura was also the overall top placer finishing just over 6-minutes off target. The top three 5-Mile placers, even with their penalty assessments were all ahead of the 10-Milers overall which is likely more a reflection of how much the conditions slowed everyone than of their actual handicapped performance.
Results
Computer results may be posted on the internet the day of the race or in the days following.
2022 by placing & time and photos ◊ 2021 Results ◊ 2018 by placing & time ◊ 2017 by placing & time ◊ 2016 by placing & time ◊ 2015 by placing & time ◊ 2014 by placing & time ◊ 2013 by placing & time ◊ 2012 ◊ 2011 ◊ 2010 ◊ 2009 ◊ 2008 ◊ 2007 ◊ 2006 ◊ 2005 ◊ 2004 ◊ 2003 ◊ 2002 ◊ 2001 ◊ 2000 ◊ 1999
Some results may be missing. This may or may not be rectified eventually. Just remember: no-frills race.
Information
Contact: boxingday@pih.bc.ca – Race Director Gary Duncan continuing along the traditions of long-time director Sylvan Smyth
Past Assigned Start Times
2023 Assigned Start Times 10 Mile9:59 Barry Roscoe10:03 Alison Dickson 10:09 Shaun Humpreys 10:20 Nathaniel Roberts 10:22 Mercury Beaton 10:25 Christy Gain, Gonzalo Espinosa, Angela MacLean 10:27 Steve Hallam 10:30 Sean Mitchell 10:31 Mark Seebaran 10:32 Tim Hatfield 10:33 Harrison Elliott 10:38 Harrison Ellis 10:42 Keith Mills 10:47 Andrew Russell 5 Mile 10:29 Christine Thate 10:46 Jane McDonald 10:50 Susan Chambers 10:54 Kristin Schnurr, Joy Croll, Nadine Stofer 10:57 Karey Billyard, Aaron Brody 10:58 Stan Budden 11:00 Jeffrey Smith 11:02 Yuki Otsubo
2022 Assigned Start Times 10 Mile 10:00 Ignacio Bettiol Ereño 10:10 Lisa Moody 10:16 Steve Hallam 10:19 Paul Yorke 10:25 Angela MacLean 10:31 Mark Seebaran 10:32 Sean Mitchell 10:36 John Atkinson 5 Mile 10:29 Noah Ghourani 10:29 Catherine Ghourani 10:53 Susan Chambers 10:55 Buddy Bhandar 10:58 Edith Price 11:00 Karl Maier 11:00 Evan Maier 11:01 Jeffrey Smith 11:01 Tim Green 11:03 David Hoskins 11:06 Gary Duncan
2021 Assigned Start Times 10 Mile10:17 Paul Yorke10:22 Christopher Kelsall10:26 Angela MacLean10:28 Mark Seebaran 10:30 Marao Akoar 10:34 Sean Mitchell 10:35 Jeff Hunt 5 Mile 10:52 Laura Wyatt 10:53 Marcia Stromsmoe 11:03 Buddy Bhandar 11:06 Gary Duncan
2019 Assigned Start Times 10 Mile 09:43 Lisa MacMain 09:58 Gordon Quigley 10:05 Antonia Frappell 10:06 Tracy Voorthuyzen 10:07 Joanne Frappell 10:08 Jack Petrie 10:09 Dawn Connolly 10:10 Shannon Szymczakowski 10:12 Angie Johnson 10:13 Janet Green 10:20 Gregory Caws 10:22 Dan Willis 10:23 Richard Frappell 10:24 David Lariviere 10:25 Kipp Weisbrod 10:27 Angela MacLean 10:28 Matthias Schoeck 10:29 Reg Willick, Robert Grant, Jeff Beddoes 10:30 Emily Taylor 10:32 Randy Humble 10:33 John Catterall 10:34 Lance Watson, Gary Duncan 10:36 Tom Rushton 10:39 Chris Albertson, Greg Broadworth 10:43 Shane Ruljancich 10:46 Sean Chester 5 Mile 10:49 Gwen Cole 10:52 Catherine Caws 10:55 Colleen Vanderheide, Marcia Stromsmore 10:58 Megan Pomper 11:00 Emma Rutledge 11:01 Graham Fisher 11:02 Kay Van Akker 11:08 Gary Duncan 11:13 Shane Ruljancich
2018 Assigned Start Times
10:00 Antonia Frappell
10:01 Joanne Frappell
10:11 Tracy Voorthuyzen
10:17 Christopher Kelsall, Lindsey Fraser
10:20 Franck Germain
10:28 Matthias Schoeck, Jeff Beddoes
10:29 Michael Richards
10:35 Jeremy Lawrence
10:36 William Boothman
10:40 Chris Callendar
10:43 Shane Ruljancich2017 Assigned Start Times
09:44 Jill Cowan
10:05 Paul Hoffman
10:08 Bernice Smith
10:11 Janet Green, Paul Kaufman, Peter Jensen
10:21 Keith Scott-Polson
10:22 Adam Hill
10:23 Robert Grant
10:24 Mark Shier
10:26 Jeff Beddoes, Luis González
10:27 Graham Fisher, Pat Peron
10:28 Franck Germain, Denisse Justiniano
10:32 Joseph Camilleri
10:33 Chris Shier
10:34 Gary Duncan
10:37 Chris Albertson, Lyndon Clazie
10:41 Chris Callendar
10:44 Shane Ruljancich
5 Mile
11:00 Laura Wyatt, Dawn Wilson2016 Assigned Start Times
09:57 Maryse Poulin
10:11 Mike Ellis
10:13 Tina Lulic, Marcia Stromsmoe
10:21 Bob Janicki
10:24 Seán Finucane
10:25 Melody Haddow, Mark Shier
10:27 Jeff Beddoes
10:28 Graham Fisher
10:30 Graham Hill
10:33 Buddy Bhandar
10:35 William Boothman
10:37 Gary Duncan
10:38 Patricia Roney
10:40 Mike Angrove
10:41 Chris Callendar
10:42 Matthew Winkler
10:43 Shane Ruljancich2015 Assigned Start Times
10:07 Bernice Smith
10:10 Ian Davis
10:17 Trish Schiedel
10:18 Amy Dearden, Robert Grant
10:21 Vanessa Le
10:24 Mark Shier
10:27 Frank Towler, Anthony Jeffrey, Jeff Beddoes
10:28 Graham Fisher
10:33 Steve Schiedel, Mr. Dearden
10:34 Graham Hill
10:35 William Boothman, Michael Lawless
10:36 Chris Albertson
10:38 Arif Merali, Gary Duncan
10:44 Shane Ruljancich
Registration fees
Prices are inclusive of mandatory charges, items, and fees
Boxing Day Handicap Closed
-
FreeDec 1 - Dec 25
Contact information
- Event contact
- Gary Duncan
- BoxingDay@pih.bc.ca
- Website
- Visit website
