Skyler McNiven-Berwick makes his way across the monkey bars during the 2019 Conquer the Coulee event at Kin Coulee Park. This year's event is set for Saturday, with about 250 participants registered so far.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
Saturday will see runners of all ages on their way through Kin Coulee as they attempt to Conquer the Coulee.
The 7.5-kilometre course will feature 34 obstacles for participants to take on in addition to the run itself, said Randy Siedlecki, owner and operator of Union Races, which put together the event.
“The obstacles can be anything from a rope climb, to a wall that you have to crawl over, to heavy things you have to carry around a little circuit,” said Siedlecki. The run has been under the management of Union Races for four years now, though it has been happening for longer.
“We have every age group from five years old, they go with their parents, right up to 70 years old. We run a competitive series then we run just an open class. And our open class is more people that just want to challenge themselves to try something different. And so we have tons of families that do it as a family challenge-type thing,” said Siedlecki.
Currently, about 250 people have already registered, which he notes is slightly down compared to previous years. Siedlecki believes this may be due to recent weather, and concerns regarding potential rain on the day of the obstacle course race, or the Union Trail run that takes place the following day.
Registration will be open both online at unionraces.ca, and also day of, where Seidlecki is hoping to see more people should it prove to be a nice day out. Registration for either race is $70 for anyone over the age of 13, with those under 13 able to participate for free, in order to encourage youth to get out and try something new.
Both races will have their first heat at 9 a.m. in Kin Coulee Park, with additional heats every 15 minutes until 11:45. Those interested are encouraged to register for their preferred time online, and to reach out to Seidlecki at 403-502-2060, or unionraces@hotmail.com.
