There will be no in-person 19th 91原创 Senior Resources Society (LSRS) Fort 91原创 Historic 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon this year.

Organizer Try Events announced the cancellation "due to unsafe trail conditions" five days before the Sunday, Feb. 16 event, posting images of a snow-covered race route to their Facebook page.

"The safety of all participants is our top priority, and the Township of 91原创 has advised that current trail conditions are unsafe for this type of activity," the notice said.

"Metro Vancouver Park staff have confirmed that the trails are covered in compacted snow and ice with temperatures not expected to improve in the foreseeable future."

Not counting COVID, Try Events said it was the first time in 170-plus events that they have been unable to host a scheduled event, "and we deeply regret the need to do so."

They won't be able to move the Fort 91原创 event to a later time, either, because there just aren't any available open dates.

"It couldn't be rescheduled," said Loretta Solomon, president of the LSRS board of directors and a member of the Try Events Fort 91原创 half marathon planning committee.

Instead, the 850 registered participants have the option of holding virtual versions of the event, or taking part in other Try Event half marathons.

"They just pick up their package, and then they do their own run, and it's timed and everything, and they can do it when the weather's better," Solomon told the 91原创 Advance Times.

"I think about 250 have already done that, and then the others that chose not to do a virtual run, they have the option of going to three other half-marathons that are scheduled for March and April." 

Solomon said the society supported the cancellation "100 per cent."

"The Fort to Fort Trail was not considered safe, so the Township, they didn't have any choice," Solomon told the 91原创 Advance Times.

"It wasn't safe."

Murrayville resident Carole Chesham, who has stage 4 cancer, was looking forward to walking without a wheelchair or a walker this year after her condition improved.

"I was disappointed that it wasn't going to happen, but happy that it got cancelled because the conditions were so bad," Chesham commented.

Chesham said she, and the walking club she belongs to, are planning a virtual event.

"We're actually going to get out and walk," Chesham said.

"We're going to do the 5K walk, the same route and everything."

In cooperation with Try Events, the LSRS has raised thousands of dollars in donations from people participating in past half marathon, 10K and 5K events.

Solomon said donations have been still coming in despite the cancellation, and the society was looking forward to next year.

"There were a lot of good things that came out of it [the cancellation]," Solomon remarked.

"The package pickup happened here at the [seniors] centre on the weekend, so 300 or so runners came in here to pick up their packages to do the virtual event. We met runners from the Netherlands, and across Canada."