Join US for a GROUP RUN

The Sooke Trail & Road Runners (STARR) are a fun, friendly running group that caters to the non-elite runner who is interested in exercise and camaraderie. We meet twice a week for group runs. Runners of all abilities and speeds are welcome. Routes are usually decided upon at the meeting spot. If runners don't feel they are up to the route of the day, anyone is welcome to adjust it to their comfort level.

We run in nearly all types of weather.  STARR members enjoy a variety of routes covering both trails and roads in Sooke. We visit amazing places such as Broom Hill, Sooke Potholes, Whiffin Spit, and the Galloping Goose trail. We hope you can come explore this wonderful area with us.

We always post any new runs or meeting places changes to our Facebook page.

New Runners: Before joining us for the first time, please email us at runwithstarr@gmail.com

STARR appreciates all who have contributed photos, including our members past and present and Joe Crazy Legs.

Thursday @ 6PM Meet at Whiffen Spit car park from October 2nd

Saturday @ 9AM Meet at SEAPARC for the run, followed by optional coffee in town thereafter

ABOUT  US

Located in Sooke, BC, the Sooke Trail and Road Runners (STARR) are a fun and friendly group of runners - we welcome runners of all abilities. Camaraderie is an important aspect of our group. We are encouraging to all runners - no matter what speed or age. 

STARR members participate in the Island Race Series and many other running events.   We run at whatever speed we are able and willing to go.  

Individual members are welcome to host fun runs which may include inviting other clubs to join us.  These runs vary in distance and terrain and are usually followed by refreshments at the host’s home or location selected.  

Members may participate in as many of the activities as they like!  We don’t all run at the same pace, but we all finish at the same place.

Mission Statement: "STARR is a club dedicated to promoting running, fitness and just plain fun.  Our members run, hike, walk, and swim --it is about good fun and good people."

New runners are welcome to join us. Come and try us out before deciding if you would like to become a member. Just come to one of the group runs on Thursday and Saturday.

Membership fee is $20 per year, due in January of each year.  

Membership benefits include:

• Race Registration for the Thetis Lake Relay team event

• Option to purchase STARR apparel at club rates

• Retail discounts (various Victoria area running stores)

• Right to vote in meetings and club elections. Paid members get to vote on anything we vote on.

• Inclusion as a STARR member in race reports

• STARR social events held throughout the year

All members are also invited to join our Monthly General Meeting. for business and camaraderie. Meetings begin at 7 p.m. Meeting location and dates are emailed to members prior to meeting.

Feel free to email us with any questions: runwithstarr@gmail.com

Upcoming Events

Tuesday October 28th, 2025. Halloween Run, at 6:30 pm at the daycare parking lot in Sunriver (2340 Sunriver Way)

Optional Destination Run: Shirley Saturday, Nov. 1 (date has been changed)
There will be a carpooling option from Sooke. Those interested in driving or needing a ride, please email runwithstarr@gmail.com and meet at SEAPARC at 09:00

Meet at French Beach Day Use Parking lot at 9:30 a.m.
2 options:
10K: Minimum 3km will be on double track well-maintained Sheringham Loop trail. it's steep in parts! 
6-7K: To the Lighthouse and back with a bit of trail at French Beach.

Coffee to follow at Shirley Delicious for those who are interested. it's also the last weekend that Stoked Pizza will be open. 
Directions:
To get to French Beach, for Sooke, take Route 14 west toward Port Renfrew.  Once you pass the Shirley sign, it will be about 10 minutes of driving to French Beach.  Just follow the signs. You will pass the community hall and Shirley Delicious on your left.  Then you will pass Stoked Wood Oven Pizza a few minutes later on the right. Turn left into the French Beach parking lot on your left (first left after Woodhaven Road). 

Upcoming List of Activities:

Thetis Lake Relay Nov 11th. Thanks for the enthusiasm, STARR will be represented by 6 teams!

Christmas lights run, December 16th 6:00 pm at the daycare parking lot in Sunriver. Hot chocolate and baileys for mid run.

Christmas run and lunch, December 6th meet at Roche Cove at 10:30. Lunch likely at 17 Mile (TBC)

Post-Christmas Run Dec 26th 10:00, meet at the Pole Yard. More details to follow.

Resources

Vince Trahan Award Nomination form: Download now

STARR 10k Training Program (12 Weeks) Download now

8K Training Plan

Sun Run 10K training plans

Hal Higdon Half Marathon: Novice 1

Hal Higdon Half Marathon: Novice 2

Hal Higdon Half Marathon: Intermediate 1

Hal Higdon Half Marathon: Intermediate 2

Runners World UK Marathon training plan

Valley Harvest Marathon training plan

Pace Calculator

Club Speed Work Plan

Workout effort:

The “fast” effort should be at your 5k race pace. The “slow” effort should be a jog; i.e. slower than your 10k pace. If you don’t know your 5k or 10k pace run the “fast” effort at a pace where conversation is difficult and your “slow” effort at a pace at which you can easily converse. The workout objective is to keep “fast” and “slow” efforts consistent over multiple repetitions (don’t start too fast). As always use personal judgement and tailor the effort to your individual health and fitness and how you feel. These are just guidelines.

Workout Distance:

5 laps of the loop will be about 3.6k. Plus 1.14k to/from parking lot = 5.88k

10 laps of the loop will be about 7.2k. Plus 1.14k to/from parking lot = 9.48k

Beginner; (new to speed work)

Week 1 30 seconds fast, 2 minutes slow; repeat

Week 2 35 seconds fast, 1 minute 55 slow; repeat

Week 3 40 seconds fast, 1 minute 50 slow; repeat

Week 4 45 seconds fast, 1 minute 45 slow; repeat

Week 5 50 seconds fast, 1 minute 40 slow; repeat

Week 6 55 seconds fast, 1 minute 35 slow; repeat

Week 7 60 seconds fast, 1 minute 30 slow; repeat

Week 8 65 seconds fast, 1minute 25 slow; repeat

Intermediate/Advanced

Week 1 2x (3 minutes fast; 2 minutes slow/ 2 minutes fast; 2 minutes slow/ 1 minute fast, 2 minutes slow)

Week 2 6x (2 minutes fast; 2 minutes slow)

Week 3 10x (1 minute fast; 2 minutes slow)

Week 4 5x (5 minutes fast; 2 minutes slow)

Week 5 5k fast (7 laps)

Week 6 3x (5 minutes fast; 2 minutes slow/3 minutes fast; 2 minutes slow/1 minute fast; 2 minutes slow)

Week 7 10x (3 minutes fast; 2 minutes slow)

Week 8 10 x (4 minutes fast; 2 minutes slow)

Out-of-Town Race Subsidy Guideline

Objective:

The purpose of this guideline is to document a STARR practice that was implemented a number of years ago to promote the value of racing out of town, allowing members who completed an out-of-town race to apply for up to $50 subsidy towards the race.  The intent of the subsidy was not based on need, but rather based on allowing a runner to do a race requiring an overnight stay. As for all STARR expenses, this would be approved at a STARR meeting. Like all other expenses, the approval promotes transparency for what STARR funds are being spent on. 

Guideline:

Once a year, STARR members in good standing can apply for $50 to assist with expenses incurred while traveling to an out-of-town race that involves an overnight stay. Application can only be made once the race has been completed. Application would be sent to the secretary.

 Interview with Jackie Eddy on the formation and history of STARR. September 2025, by Georgia Silk

When and how was STARR formed, and by whom?

Jackie explains that she started running in her mid-40s. After some years of running she participated in the late 1990s in a fundraising race (The Family Resource Run) organized by Geoff and Faye del Grande, who owned a gym in Sooke. The next year at this event, several of the participants got together, with the idea of creating a running organization in Sooke. The club had its inaugural meeting in September 1999; group member Jerry Liedtke, one of the owners of Village Foods, let them use their meeting room, where the club structure and purpose was agreed and the first club exec elected in 1999.  They all suggested names for the club, and after careful consideration they agreed upon STARR. The first club President was Melanie Cunningham, and some of the other early movers and shakers of the club in addition to Jackie were Ken Pungente, Vince Trahan, Sharon Cormier, Susan Bexson, Bruce Hawkes, Tom Burgess, Keith Mernickle, Chuck Minton, Bridget Church, Barb Thompson. Many others contributed. They quickly decided that the main purpose of the club was to promote running in the community in Sooke, and they have stuck to that purpose ever since; with that guiding principle in mind, an early goal was to create a Sooke road race which would promote running and also help raise funds for a running track to be built with the new High School.  See more below.

Has the club been going continuously since 1999? How has membership fared?

Yes, the club has kept going through thick and thin, including through Covid. Membership numbers have gone up and down over time, and it remains a typically small club given the distance from Victoria and the existence of other well established running groups on the the island.  People tend to come and go from Sooke, and visitors also sometimes attend, but there has always been a small ‘hard core’ of regular attendees on a Thursday eve and Sat morning. Some of these have included Steve Kent, Hector and Louise Meir, Chuck and Lorna Robertson, Jodi Coderre, Melinda Brake, Jim Gable, Steve Zylak, Heather Devereux, Lisa Greig, Mark Ziegler, Claude LaForce, Michel and Susanne, Lawrence and Kim Fairfield, Tom Burgess, Danny Eddy, Robin Wark. Committed to running in all weathers, and sporting an array of bright lights so as to be seen on the dark winter evenings, the group can be found limbering up in front of Seaparc centre on a Sat morning and usually afterwards for a sociable coffee at Little Vienna.

What was the original purpose and focus of the club, and has that changed over time? What have been the club highlights and key achievements?

The original aim of the group was to promote running in the community, and the club has stayed true to that aim over the last 25 years. STARR benefited from an early donation from the T’Souke Runners, who were a previous running club that decided to close but gave their funds to the new kids on the block. Other donors included the Sooke Lions. The same goal of inspiring a love of running has guided any fundraising activities – in the early years there was a keen desire to encourage children to run, and when the new Sooke High School was being built STARRs lobbied hard for a running track. Sadly the school decided on other priorities, but the club were still generous in donating funds to the school and encouraging their Cross Country school team. Current member Maggie Grant is the coach for the school team.

Key highlights have been the club’s participation in, and encouragement and support of running races on the island. The Great Sooke Foot Race was STARR’s brainchild, and the inaugural race was held in July 2000. The approximately 12k route started at the Legion, and wound its way around Sooke, with finishing ceremonies at the Community Centre. At the first race there were over 100 runners, with a first place time of 44:53 for Andrew Mehl of Victoria. The fastest woman was Siobhan Gallagher of Ireland at 51:10, and STARR’s own Jackie came in at 58:18, as the fastest in her category. The race continued to be a feature of Sooke life for another 8 years, and attracted runners from all over. As well as race shirts, there were even race socks one year! As the decade drew to a close, the club decided to end the race, but remained very committed to fielding runners for the many races around the island and in particular, the Island Series. For a relatively small club, STARR has always punched above its weight in terms of representation at island races. See below of photos of STARR runners at various of these races.

STARR runners also participated in special relay races including the Courtney to Nanaimo annual relay, and in a special one-off relay with ten legs in 2007 to commemorate 50 years of the Port Renfrew road system. There were so many runners interested in this one that there were multiple runners for each leg.

Has the club faced challenges in its history?

Yes of course. A key challenge for any small club is how to raise awareness and keep membership numbers up as members inevitably move on. STARRs social media presence on Facebook helps to keep members up to date as well as provide information to potential new members. In a tight-knit club like this, it’s inevitable that losses are felt keenly; Jackie talked about the sadness of losing fellow clubmate Tom Burgess as well as original member and good friend Vince when he passed in 2019, and about the shock of at least two occasions in which runners suffered serious cardiac episodes whilst running. On these occasions fellow STARR runners were able to ensure their speedy access to EMS which avoided them becoming fatalities. This illustrates one of the many advantages of club running!

Any club faces challenges in making decisions on how to best manage funds. Jackie commented that whilst STARR has always had a formal executive structure, all members have been welcome to attend and speak at meetings, and people have been able to freely express different opinions. Where agreement could not be reached on a difficult subject, the issue was put to a vote and resolved in that way. Unfortunately Covid had a detrimental impact on meeting attendance by general members.

What has STARR meant to you personally, Jackie, over the years?

Jackie said, “being involved with STARR has made me a faster and better runner and given me the motivation and ability to keep on running. At 73 I still enjoy the Saturday morning social runs, which complement my own runs and long cycles up to Saanich and back. Back in the early days of the club, I was a keener, and wanted to run as fast as I could. Although I have a reputation as a tough runner, I hope that I’ve also been able to help others to push themselves to achieve a bit more.” Whan asked about her own running achievements, she mentioned two unofficial marathons and many more official half marathons, as well as having done the Kusam Klimb (no less than 8 times); The Kusam Klimb is a wild and rugged 24 km loop heading up and over the back of Mt. H’Kusam then down the Stowe Creek watershed. With over 1,500m elevation gain, it’s a tough challenge!

She concluded by saying that she feels strongly STARR has always been about welcoming anyone who is serious about running, and making everyone feel included; the runners usually form themselves into natural groups base on their ability and pace/distance goals, and will organize themselves so that no one who wants to run socially runs alone. “ We don’t necessarily run at the same pace, but we do start and finish at the same place”.  The Saturday coffee get togethers have also helped to reinforce that atmosphere of support and friendship.