‘I run in honour of my father’: Maritimers mark Global Running Day

Maritime runners mark Global Running Day and celebrate their love of the pastime.

Claire Chabassol and Breagh Weatherbee laced up their sneakers in Sydney, N.S., Wednesday, joining the estimated 2.5 million people who typically mark Global Running Day.

The pair recently qualified for the Boston Marathon for the first time.

“I’m so excited,” she said.

Chabassol finished May’s Fredericton Marathon in an impressive 3 hours 17 minutes.

Her father died of lung disease years ago, which she says is one of her motivating factors.

“I have never been athletic,” said Chabassol. “I never thought it was in the cards for me, so to be going (to Boston), I really feel like I have to pinch myself. I run in honour of my father, so I’ll be taking his photo with me, pinning it to my bib.”

Weatherbee first started running three years ago and trained all winter in Sydney alongside Chabassol.

Weatherbee says her reason for participating goes beyond finish lines.

“Setting goals feels really good but being healthy and feeling healthy – there’s nothing better than being able to get up every day and move your body,” she said.

For anyone who is just starting to run, Chabassol has one piece of advice.

“Stick with it,” said Chabassol. “Although it’s hard, stick with it. Repeat to yourself, ‘I can do hard things’ and that you’re capable of running. Every run is better than not running.”

Later this month, on June 19 and 20, the second annual Red Isle Relay will take teams of runners from tip to tip across Prince Edward Island.

“There are two teams coming from Toronto, which is huge,” said race director Peter Cudmore. “The fact that they want to come down and run across the Island is amazing.”

The Red Isle Relay takes teams of seventeen runners from the red sands near the North Cape Lighthouse on the Island’s westernmost tip to the finish more than 24 hours later near Souris, on its easternmost side.

“Runners are lucky to get to run through some of the National Parks here – Brackley and Cavendish – as well as along the North Coast for much of it,” said Cudmore said. “There’s so many nice communities to run through as well.”

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