Inaugural Beary Blue half marathon held in Timmins

Dozens of running enthusiasts in Timmins took to Hersey Lake Conservation Area for the local running club's first Beary Blue Trail Half Marathon.

The organizer, Jeremie Lamothe, said the city has been lacking in competitive running events for years and so the Timmins Running Club planned an impromptu race to engage the local running community.

"We have so many runners in the community and no more events, there used to be a lot," said Lamothe, adding that the club only had a month to plan the race.

"We thought there's demand for another half (marathon) and it'd be a lot easier to organize if it was just in the trails, don't have to manage roads. One of the best parts of Timmins is our trail network, so we're really utilizing that."

Over 40 runners ran two loops of a 10.5-kilometre course, either as solo runners or as part of a two-person relay team.

Due to the timing of the event, Lamothe said the club could not provide typical marathon prizes and rewards, instead offering cups of freshly-picked blueberries to match the theme of the race and give it a community feel.

Regardless, endorphins seemed to be running high among the participants, cheering each other on at the finish line.

"We got first in the relay, so it was a lot of fun," said Greg van Hees with first-time running partner, Janek Urbanski.

"We won a bunch of blueberries, so that was awesome. Just an overall great event, it's gorgeous outside, lots of runners out."

The hope is to make this an annual event, Lamothe said. With more time to plan, he said, that gives the club the chance to fix any gaps from this race and offer more prizes to the runners.

"Next year, we're planning to take the full year to think about it ... and, hopefully, put on a more regional event."