Anniversary run

Dunk River Road Race celebrates 40th edition on Sunday

A special anniversary is fast approaching for a summer tradition in Bedeque.

The 40th running of the Callbeck’s Home Hardware Dunk River Road Race will take place on Sunday.

Registration for the 11.6-kilometre event will take place at the Bedeque Area Recreation Centre from 7:45-8:45 a.m.

The cost is $20 per runner, and $15 for youth 19 and under.

The race will begin at 9 a.m. with the start and finish line at the Mount Moriah Masonic Lodge, located at the junction of Highway 1A and Route 171 in Bedeque.

The course proceeds counterclockwise via Route 171 (Dunk River Road) and Route 110 (Mill Road) to Highway 8 (Freetown Road).

The run continues onto Route 1A until the finish line.

The first Dunk River race took place in 1978, and was held in November until 1985.

The race happened in September from 1986 to 1989, before settling into its current July slot in 1990.

Billy MacDonald, with a time of 42 minutes 20 seconds (42:20), was the top overall finisher in 2016 while Pat Ellis (1:00:37) was the top female runner.

Race organizer Paul Wright has announced Bill Callbeck, who was the owner/operator of the Callebeck’s store at its original location in Bedeque and the race’s original sponsor, has agreed to act as race starter.

Wright also noted there will be a celebratory cake to mark the anniversary, along with the usual plaques, trophies and medals to the top male and female runners in different age divisions.

For more information, please contact Wright by email at xcskinutpw@pei.sympatico.ca, or call 902-888-9831.