Rogue Khahtsahlano

I forgot to update everybody about the Rogue Khahtsahlano that Sacha and her friend Mel ran on Sunday....  sheeesh, big backlog around the news desk here....

The Rogue Khahtsahlano came to be because the real Khahtsahlano is kaput - a shame because it had some history and a loyal following.  Local running czar, and owner of North Shore Athletics, Keith Nicoll,  has informed that it became a little unmanageable due to the course and City policies.  It doesn't surprise me at all given the sometimes persnickety attitude of the authorities here in West Van....

Undaunted (and unpoliced), Sacha and Mel struck out on the challenging route a little after eleven on Sunday morning.  I started them in the parking lot of the Gleneagles Community Centre (with a cap gun held high above my head).

Settling into a steady pace, the ladies marked each other's strides as they wound through the damp streets of West Van.  Spectators later commented that the brutally challenging course resulted in several tourettes-like rants from each competitor in the field.  Given that Sacha did not swear during childbirth, I surmise that the Khahtsahlano garnered a fair amount of respect from the ladies.

As I drove the course in advance of the racers I noted that there is at least one steep hill for every "h" in the word Khahtsahlano - by my count that is about 17 "h's".  

The "Aid Stations" were a welcome sight - staffed as they were by 5 children and two adults. (The Rogue Khahts runs with a strict 3.5 volunteers per runner ratio.)

The 17km odyssey eventually ended at Park Royal in a very respectable time of a little over 2 hours....  Despite the lack of police, both ladies finished safely and were pleased to add the Khahts to their race resumes.  

It seems that my clients would like this to be the first in a series of races....  I'll take that as a ringing endorsement of my Race Directorship.

By the way, I have encouraged Sacha to write guest Race Reports for this site before but she has yet to supply me with one...  bug her if you see her.

In any case, here are a few more photos:

 

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