Inaugural Red Isle Relay to bring runners to northern P.E.I. this June

The Red Isle Relay logo. (Red Isle Relay)

A new relay race is coming to Prince Edward Island this summer.

Called the Red Isle Relay, it will take runners from North Cape Lighthouse on the western end of the island, all the way to the eastern tip, ending at the East Point Lighthouse.

“The main goal of this race is to create a fun event that people will enjoy and come back to.”

Peter Cudmore is a 40-year-old runner and teacher from Charlottetown. He’s part of a six-member committee of runners from the Island who are planning the non-profit event.

“The name is a reflection of P.E.I. and the red soil you’ll see along most of the legs. From the cliffs along the national parks, as well as the potato fields that you run by.”

Maritime inspiration

The Red Isle Relay is inspired by the Cabot Trail Relay Race which takes place every May in Cape Breton.

“Every year when we [the team] go over, we have a great time over there,” says Cudmore. “Then on the ferry ride back we’re like, ‘we should do this in Prince Edward Island.’ It’d be great because you get the team spirit, you get the community involvement, you get some really great racecourses, and good competition.”

The inaugural Red Isle Relay is scheduled to start Saturday, June 21 at 8:00 am and finish by noon Sunday, June 22. It will total 287.2 KM across the P.E.I.’s north shore. It’s divided up into 17 legs, ranging in length from 11. KM to 21.8 KM, taking place over two days, and one night. The highest elevation gain for a leg is 230 metres. It will mainly be on the road, with some parts along the Confederation Trail during overnight legs. Runners have to maintain a 5:50 minute per kilometre.

“I know that’s a bit tough for some people and it will limit some people who can come into the race, but it’s just necessary for the logistics of keeping everyone safe,” explains Cudmore.

The relay course along the north shore is also an opportunity to highlight PE.I.’s landscape and smaller communities, like Lot 16 in Prince County.

“We’re such a small community, and it’s nice to get word out that we’re here,” says Joan Gardiner, hall director of the Lot 16 Community Centre, which is serving as a rest stop for one of the running legs. “We have a beautiful view of Malpeque Bay. It’s a very quaint little area. We’ll be ready to step up and help whatever way they [organizers] want us to. Hopefully this can continue on.”

“We want the community to get as much back from it as the runners do,” adds Cudmore. “Some of the communities we run through wouldn’t get many people, especially in the eastern end of Prince Edward Island, and we go along the north, rather than along the south to get to the end.”

This isn’t the first attempt at a provincial running relay race on the Island. In September 2020, there were plans for the inaugural ‘PEI Tip to Tip’ race along the Confederation Trail, but it was cancelled six weeks before it was set to begin.

“The thing about running is as soon as you finish your race, you always want to do another one,” Cudmore adds. “So that’s kind of the trap we fell in here, but I’ve come to realize if it was easy to plan and organize, it would’ve been done by now.”

The relay will end with a banquet with a trophy awarded to the team with the fastest time.

Team registration

Cudmore says half of the teams interested are from the province, but more than a dozen are from off Island, with teams from Saint John, Moncton, Fredericton, Halifax, and Wentworth Valley, N.S. expressing interest.

“We’re so excited, we think it’s going to be a really cool event,” says runner Geoff Kowalski, speaking from Summerside. “The team gets to come together, and everyone gets to run a leg. It’s challenging individually and as a team, and it’s also a cool way to explore the island.”

Kowalski and his wife, Emma Brown, founded the Cornwall Run Club in November 2023. The growing club plans to enter two teams, or 34 runners, into the relay.

“I think it just speaks volumes to the kind of running community on P.E.I., that it’s being so well received,” says Kowalski, who will serve as a team captain. “I know as soon as the word got out, I had dozens of our members message me right away to say that they’re interested in running this.”

The 33-year-old started running two years ago and participated in the Cabot Trail Relay in 2024.

“Reflecting on what my experience was in Cabot with the team side of it… all the support, and seeing people do something that’s really, really hard, and come through the finish line and be satisfied with their performance,” adds Kowalski. “You know with us, the [Cornwall Run] club is a social club. We’re not all Boston qualified marathon runners, but it’s both the club and the camaraderie that comes with it. I think that’s the most important part for me.”

That’s also important to race organizers.

“The best thing about the Cabot Trail Relay Race is the comradery between and among the teams,” adds Cudmore. “It doesn’t matter who is running by your car, you’re cheering them on, and you’re trying to help them do as well as they can. That’s the kind of spirit we’re trying to bring.”

Registration will open in February. Until then, there is an online form gathering details on how many details would like to participate. For Cudmore, he would like to cap the race at 40 teams for the first year.

“The reaction has been quite positive, and they’re thankful this event is happening,” says Cudmore. “It’s kind of one of those things that people have been waiting for years for. It’s five months from now and teams are already picking who is going to run which leg.”

Finishing touches

As for planning, volunteers are still needed. The relay’s committee is also finalizing details on First Aid stations, participant t-shirt designs, and other logistics.

“A few more sponsors wouldn’t hurt, but we’re in a good spot,” says Cudmore. “We’re hoping to use it [the race] as a fundraiser for the IWK and PEI Roadrunners.”

The Red Isle will also serve as a fundraiser for the IWK and PEI Roadrunners.

“It’s not hard to find a family or person in the Maritimes who doesn’t know someone who’s helped or knows someone helped by the IWK,” adds Cudmore. “So it’s just a way to give back and enjoy a sport we all love doing.”

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