December 2nd marked the eighth annual Cinnamon Bun Fun Run in Ladysmith and my first time tasting the Old Town Bakery cinnamon buns that the race is famous for. The race isn't only famous for the delicious cinnamon buns, hot chocolate, and coffee provided at the finish, of course! The Ladysmith Striders Running Group created the Cinnamon Bun Fun Run and it has since become one of the largest fundraisers for the Ladysmith Food Bank, really highlighting the generosity of the community every year.
Frontrunners was very proud to sponsor the event this year and many familiar Nanaimo faces showed up to support the Ladysmith community. In fact, this year was the most successful ever, boasting 492 walkers and runners from as far away as Victoria, Port Alberni, and Campbell River. These generous participants donated over 4,000 pounds of food and raised over $1,300 in cash for the Ladysmith Food Bank!
The run is also unique because in addition to a 10K or 5K route to choose from, the race is a predicted time event. This means it is not necessarily the individual with the fastest time who wins the race, but the one who comes closest to their predicted finishing time who wins (and there are no watches or heart rate monitors allowed!).
Nancy ran the course this year while I had a great time chatting to everyone at the water table and watching people come through the finish line. I know many of you actually beat your predicted time and exceeded your own expectations, which was really great to see. I also handed out the Frontrunners sponsored prizes at the awards ceremony after the race. These prizes included 10 water bottles filled with $20.00 gift certificates, two brand new pairs of shoes, and a $250.00 gift card! I have already seen several of the winners in the store, spending their prizes! Congratulations to all the participants this year and a big thank you to all the volunteers and organizers, and the town of Ladysmith. Without you this event wouldn't have been such a huge success.
Next year's Cinnamon Bun fun Run is already on my calendar!
This was also shared with Frontrunners Nanaimo.
