Sunday July 6, 2008
Summary of Info

Schedule:

Now
If you are coming to the Saturday supper, reserve by email dick.lemon@gmail.com or phone (254-2628). Let us know the number of people attending with you. All are welcome. $10 each. Includes dance afterwards.

Thursday (july 3) deadline
If you want us to carry to your island finish line a small bag for your stay there after the run (jacket, pants, snacks) drop it off in Five Islands (Gemstow Bed & Breakfast, 463 Highway 2) or in Halifax at the Trail Shop, 6210 Quinpool Road. The bag needs to survive wet conditions and have an easily visible tag on it with your name and 5k or 10k so we can get it to the right island for you. If you are used to running with a small backpack, feel free to carry your stuff with you.

Saturday
5pm: Meeting of volunteers at Five Islands Fire Hall on the uphill side of the main highway, where downtown Five Islands would be if there were one. (pretty obvious; near the Convenience Store). At the meeting we will assign volunteer positions and provide instructions. Basically there are three type jobs: helping with pre-race registration; being on the course to mark it and encourage runners; and being on one of the islands to support runners during the wait for the high tide.

6pm : supper (please pre-register) at the same Fire Hall.

7 or 8ish: rock and roll music by our general contractor Cecil Milton’s band Cool Water.

Sunday
8am: we will pass out bibs (and your shirt if you’d like, or you can pick it up later) at the end of Broderick Lane which goes to the shore from Highway 2, just past the fire hall which is on the uphill side and the village’s Convenience Store which is on the shore side. Drive toward the beach on Broderick’s dirt road; you will park in an area just off Broderick (two volunteers should be there to help align parking). Sign-in will be right there. The start will be on the beach. You will be given a paper bib and pins so the bib can be attached to the outside of whichever shirt you will run in. Your bib shows your designated number which already has been assigned. Pinning on your bib needs to happen before the start of the run.

9:30: The start. All runners/walkers start on the same route. The 5kers stop at Moose Island. The finish will be marked and have greeters. The 10kers continue on, passing by Long Island and looping around Pinnacle Island to finish back at Long. If you are walking or are really slow, please don’t do the 10K. Both courses are shown graphically on the run website (route details) Volunteers, with flags and air horns, will be along the course, visible from each other so getting lost isn’t going to be an issue. Water will be half way to Moose (for both 5K and 10K runners) and at Moose which is halfway for the 10K runners.

After the run You will have several hours (likely 3) on your respective island until our local volunteer boatmen can carry you to shore (high tide being necessary to float your boat, as they say). This is your chance to actually find out how you do trapped on an island. The 5K folk will be on Moose which is a provincial park without improvements. We will put portable toilets there. And have a fire going. Bring your songs and stories. At both Moose and Long we will have some hot dogs, bananas, water.

The 10K people will be on Long Island and it could be a total mess. This year a hugely disproportionate percent of entrants elected to do the 10 K so we will have over 250 people or so on or around my precious little island. I love my ferns, each of them. I have counted them. So without meaning to be too restrictive, I do hope you will tread lightly while still enjoying your stay. Please, for example, stay if you can on the wooden walkways which meander through the island’s top. The island has a comfortable home and three cabins, all open to your use.

Safety
We and you need to think safety. What makes this event so special is also its inherent risk, the incoming high tide. If you haven’t seen a Bay of Fundy tide, the first time you see it in one glance you will wonder What’s The Big Deal?. The tide does not arrive in a wall of water. It’s the later glances, even just minutes later, that get your attention. The benign looking water somehow will have risen more than you could imagine. So each year we have rescues and have had a couple of fatalities. The risk is that behind your back the sea has risen enough to make it impossible to get to shore from your comfortable sand bar. That means we need to do the run/walk and not linger out on the course, taking photos, meditating or whatever. To ensure all have gotten to the finish lines well within the low tide time, we will be collecting a tearoff part of your running bib as you finish. If we don’t affirmatively record your arrival (by tearing off and keeping your bib number) by the time the tide is getting too high for comfort we will assume you are stuck somewhere on the sea bed and rescue efforts will begin. Hence, the bibs are very important. You must wear one and must cross the finish line so we can know you are back safely. Don’t, for example, skip crossing the finish line to shortcut to some other beauty spot. Once you have crossed the finish line, you are on your own to explore, keeping in mind the tide.

Weather
The only weather conditions which will cause cancellation of the run would be fog or high winds. We run rain or shine. I will post on the website beginning Friday a wind/fog report If there seems to be a good chance of cancellation, I will update the report around 4am Sunday morning so you can avoid a long drive if you are coming from a ways.

Cancellations
This is such an oddball deal that anytime anyone wants out, no problem. Just let me know. dick.lemon@gmail.com. I’ll refund your fee.

Pets
sorry, no way.

Your Ideas
Don’t be shy (though being nice is ok) to let me know your suggestions or questions or doubts etc.

Email at dick.lemon@gmail.com or call me at 707-363-6464.