By Maggie Curtis
Sooke runners were out in full force at the 2023 Kusam Klimb in Sayward, BC on June 24, 2023. The weather and conditions were perfect–sunny but not too hot, very little snow and no detectable smoke from nearby fires. The race was the first Klimb since 2020, so it was pretty exciting to be back up there!
A throwback to Kusam’s past
The Kusam Klimb has been an epic race on Vancouver Island every year since 2004 (except for a few years that were canceled for weather). The race features 1500 metres of elevation gain in under 8 kilometres followed by some steep and technical downhill and then a trail run of around 12 km. It is just over 23KM in total.
This year the event was taken over by Coastline Endurance, who made some minor changes to the main course, and added the “Kusam Mini” which is a shorter race that goes to checkpoint one. The mini had 75 participants and the full klimb had 496. Coastline did not hold the post race banquet like in the past. However, they did add some great things: a smorgasbord of snacks and beverage choices at some of the checkpoints (candy, fruit, cookies, coke, gatorade, pickles, chips, the list goes on) and as much beer and chile/buns as you wanted at the end, making for a very festive finish line. The missing nanaimo bars were noticed by many, but it could be argued that the other treats made up for them.
Patricia Roney was the top female Kusam Klimb finisher with a time of 2:46:24. The top male finisher was Nicholas Lightbody (what a great name for a runner!) and he did the 23 km trail run in 2:18:14 with the second and third place finishers less than two minutes behind him. Several runners from STARR finished the grueling race (even in perfect weather, it is HARD):
(50-54) Pauline Nielson came in 90/496 with a chip time of 3:39:07
(60-64) Greg Balchin came in 95/496 with a chip time of 3:41:21
(40-44)Marika Nagasaka came in 101/496 with a chip time of 3:44:46
(45-49)Steven Eriksen came in 121/496 with a chip time of 3:51:55
(40-44) Sarah McWhirter came in 167/496 with a chip time of 4:13:03
(50-54) Maggie Curtis came in 401/496 with a gun time of 6:44
(40-44) Melanie Eskildsen came in 402/496 with a gun time of 6:44
Some familiar STARR faces, Sharon Cormier and Melanie Cunningham, volunteered at the registration pickup and were also cheering people on at checkpoint one. Both women have completed the Kusam a few times in the past and it was wonderful to see them. The photo below was taken by Melanie Cunningham at checkpoint one (I was still cocky at that point 🙂). The volunteers and crew did a great job. In addition to hosting runners and hikers, Sayward is also hosting and feeding firefighters in the area who are battling fires in the region. Thank you Sayward and I wish safety for your beautiful community and surrounding area.
The Kusam Klimb is truly an amazing experience. I pushed my limits and was elated crossing the finish line. There were volunteers cheering at the checkpoints and the summit, and their cheers could be heard as we approached, giving us hope and joy. I highly recommend this race for anyone who wants a real challenge that they can hold in their hearts for years to come. I hope I see you next year on Mt. H’Kusam!
