BADDECK, N.S. -- The 32nd running of the Cabot Trail Relay Race was scheduled to take place this weekend. However, the event, like so many others, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“People of course, understood, but were also very bummed because this is an event that people look forward to,” says race organizer Grace Mason-Parkinson.
Halifax’s Northend Runners are lacing up to take on the relay virtually.
The group is taking on the challenge of running 300 kilometres -- the distance of the relay -- while raising money for the Baddeck Lion’s Club. So far, they have raised more than $1,800 for the charity.
The Northend Runners are also running in memory of Capt. Jenn Casey, who died when a Snowbirds jet crashed in Kamloops, B.C., on Sunday. The Halifax native was a familiar face at the Cabot Trail Relay Race.
“I was shocked and honestly honoured to find out that she ran our event and I'm very sorry for the loss that her family has experienced,” says Mason-Parkinson.
While she didn't know Casey personally, Mason-Parkinson says she’s heard from others that Casey was a bright light at the event each year, and says she will be remembered at future relays.
Co-organizer David Parkinson says the Cabot Trail Relay Race is a celebration of a shared passion.
“It's an experience well beyond just a running race,” says Parkinson.
“That’s why I think when events like this happen, people, you know, use it as a vehicle to honour somebody or something that is important to them.”
