by Kim Thompson

BC Canada - The Comfortably Numb Trail Race will put runners through another thigh-burning and lung-busting experience on Sunday, June 22. With less than two months to go, it’s also the perfect time to start training and get ready to participate in one of the toughest but most beautiful races on the West Coast.

“I would say Comfortably Numb is enjoyable compared to others races such as the Half Knacker because the trail is beautiful. A vast majority of the run is on a soft trail, which is easy on your legs,” said Kevin Titus, race organizer.

Comfortably Numb seems like an oxymoron but it is a state of being, which many runners seek on the infamous moss-covered epic. The race spans approximately 25 km of undulating terrain through classically thick Whistler forest. Lungs of steel are a prerequisite for the 600 metres of vertical gain within the first few kilometres. Titus said this event is a tribute to trail builder Chris Markle’s ingenuity and long hours spent building the trail.

“The race starts at the Wedgemont Lake turnoff and goes along logging roads for maybe three quarters of a mile. The runners head into the Comfortably Numb trail for the rest of the race,” Titus said.

Runners will board a bus at the Spruce Grove field house between 7:30 and 8 a.m. to be shuttled to the race start. The format is simple, with one aid station at the halfway mark. Organizers advise runners to carry additional water and a fuel source en route.

Titus said most participants will be on course for two to three hours, so preparation is needed.

The idea for the annual Comfortably Numb trail race came from a bunch of running addicts. Titus and friends used to run on Foreplay, the precursor to Comfortably Numb, but it was usually a dead end. When the mountain bike trail was completed and Comfortably Numb was born, the idea for the trail race took root.

“We just thought it would make a great trail for a race because the forest is so nice. It is also self-contained, so it is hard to get lost,” Titus said. “So far we have heard nothing but positive comments from runners.”

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