Race to the top
The Nasty Nuttby Killer 5k returns
NUTTBY - The Nasty Nuttby Killer 5k is a distant memory for some of those that live in the northeast region of Colchester. That was certainly the case for a group of runners who sat by a campfire one night, reminiscing about the old race up Nuttby Mountain. It was a nostalgia trip for those that participated - and created a sense of intrigue for those who didn't.
Kevin Terry, in attendance that night, was of the latter group and his interest in the run has led to him organizing its return for July 29.
After learning of the run, Terry contacted the previous organizer, Norris Whiston, for his blessing. Whiston had started the run with a group of Tatamagouche teachers in 1988 as an activity for their students. It then evolved into a community event, in which all were welcome to participate.
Terry said, at its peak, nearly 300 runners had participated.
The last year it was held was 1999 but Terry is intent on giving the event its longawaited second wind. With Whiston's blessing, he has hit the ground running.
"It's a run up Nuttby Mountain, in between North River and Earltown. It's a five-kilometre race - walkers will be welcome," explained Terry. "We start at the base of Old Nuttby Road, just off of Highway 311, and we run up towards the windmills."
Reaching the summit isn't an easy task, as the name of the race emphatically implies. Taking place on a mountain, the run will be all uphill, making it difficult for those unfamiliar with running on an incline.
Despite this difficulty, Jonathan Riley - a friend of Terry's who will be volunteering at the race this summer - said in the time since it was last held, uphill running has become a sport of its own. And on top of that nugget of information, Riley said the view from the summit is spectacular.
"Nuttby has this incredible view of the Cobequids," said Riley. "When you're on top, you can see for miles and miles in every single direction. It's really beautiful."
There's one other reason Riley believes local runners will want to join in — the Tshirts.
"The question that everybody asks when we say we want to bring back the Nasty Nuttby, every single person if they knew the race in the old days would say 'but you're doing the T-shirts, right?'
"My son is in his 30s, and his first thing was, 'well, I'll run it if they're doing the Tshirts," said Riley.
The T-shirts have a special place in the hearts of those who run the race — which is strange for runners, said Riley, due to the vast amount of T-shirts they claim from other organized runs.
Whiston, the original organizer, said it dates back to the first run they held.
"I was contemplating what we could give to these people that they would feel, 'I'm getting this souvenir, as well,'" said Whiston. "Two of my running friends, Bob Williams and Al Roland, who live in Truro, were entrepreneurs, and they said, 'why don't we go with a shirt?'"
From that point forward, Whiston would design the shirts with the signature mountain, a person running, and the name of the run. After the first year, Whiston said he became creative with it, sketching in different animals that would scare the runner. In 1998, he had a tornado chase the runner up the hill.
"One of my sons would make suggestions, but they were mostly my foolish ideas, and people seemed to like them."
THE PURPOSE
"One of my goals with the
race is to promote health and fitness, as well as the sport of road running in the community,” said Terry. “This is something that anyone who participates and finishes can be really proud of because it’s something hard.”
Terry has turned the run’s difficulty into a slogan for the run - ‘do something hard.’
“I think that (slogan) will encourage a lot of people.”
On top of that, Terry said the run is also an opportunity to get outside with friends and family.
Terry has also made a commitment to donate part of the proceeds of the race to the Cobequid Eco-trails Society, which maintain trail systems in the area. He also hopes to promote environmental consciousness while on the trails during the run, and by expanding the promotion outside the immediate area, he hopes it will help draw people to local businesses.
“I’ve been reaching out to potential sponsors, and the idea is that people come to do the race, and maybe have exposure to some of the local businesses, maybe with a presence on-site or an item in their race kit, and then they go out to the local business and add to the local economy in that way.”
While no registration has been posted as of yet, Terry said the Facebook page for the run, only a little over two weeks old, has amassed more than 400 followers. He’s also promoted the race in Colchester-oriented running groups and Run Nova Scotia.
Terry and Riley both voiced their excitement to bring the run back. For Whiston, he’s glad a tradition he started is getting a revival.
“Over the years, people would ask me if it was still going,” said Whiston. “It’s just nice to have someone so excited for the old traditions to want to bring it back.”