Donald Teuma-Castelletti
LUSKVILLE Sept. 29, 2018
A new family-oriented run promoting healthy lifestyles took over Luskville Falls Saturday morning, seeing 150 runners hit the trail.
Offering two course lengths plus a warm-up Zumba session, la Grande Course de Pontiac offered local families the chance to explore their own backyard while encouraging regular physical activity for the whole family.
Organizer Patrice Heroux, a teacher from École Des Cavaliers, said he aimed to make the run as inviting as possible to runners of all experience.
“It’s very inclusive, so everybody can actually participate because at the end there’s no time or rewards for first place, second place, or third place,” said Heroux, with Pontiac Fire Department Captain Serge Laforest translating from French. “The goal is to run.”
Upon finishing, all runners were adorned with a medal for their efforts as they crossed the finish line, plus the many volunteers cheering them on.
Municipality of Pontiac councillor Scott McDonald was one of the volunteers that morning, saying that he was proud to see such an event have a great turnout, especially for its first time.
“It’s the first year and I could see it going further,” he said.
An avid runner himself, McDonald said he looks forward to seeing the run grow in the years to come, potentially with the help of a theme to help draw out more participants.
Runners had the choice between two lengths – a two- or five-kilometre trek – plus the chance to get their blood pumping with Sophie Boucher leading a Zumba class ahead of the shorter run.
Heroux said the Luskville Falls location was ideal because of the support from the NCC in maintaining the trail, plus the accessibility of the spot.
“At the end of the day there’s parking, there’s a lot of [amenities] … and it’s a nice and beautiful place to hold it, just by the mountain,” said Heroux, via Laforest.
Around 30 volunteers helped with the event Saturday morning, from handing out medals to assisting with registration. Members of the Pontiac Fire Department were onsite in case of any accidents, as well.
Families had the choice to register beforehand, paying only $10 per person, or pay $15 a head at the run day. The event was put on in collaboration with École de la Vallée des Voyageurs and Groupe Action Jeunesse Luskville, with the support of business sponsors from the community.
