It’s kind of like a parade, only faster. The Bastion Mile 1.6-kilometre race returns for a second year on May 18 as part of Empire Days in Nanaimo.
Like last year, the event goes 10 minutes before the start of the Empire Days parade, along the parade route, ensuring crowd support for runners.
The Bastion Running Club puts on the race. Club president Mike Thibodeau said some runners are intimidated by the short distance, but he stressed it’s not a sprint.
“You don’t have to [run] world-record time,” he said. “It’s an event for everyone.”
The race starts at 12:50 p.m. at Nob Hill Park. Cost to register is $10 until May 9 and $15 after that date; please visit Frontrunners or www.raceonline.ca.