BOW VALLEY – After three decades, the Bow Valley Running Club has reached its final finish line.
The club, which carried Canmore's July 1st run's torch through the '90s and 2000s and later provided scholarships to exceptional high school runners, ended its marathon in November after being in operation since 1991.
"With everyone getting a little older, we thought we should wrap up the books and close the accounts," said Patsy Murphy, the last president of the club.
The Bow Valley Running Club was started by Karen Thomas and took over the reins of the Canada Day Family Fun Run and Walk that had been established by Lloyd and Dawna Evans in 1986.
In the first few years, the 10-kilometre race went from the Canmore Hotel to the Grassi Lakes turn-off and back. It was then moved to the Canmore Nordic Centre.
"It's great that the July 1st race has continued for so many years," said Murphy. "I certainly think it's a nice family and community event."
In 2007, it was a pivotal year for the club, which handed off the Canada Day run to the Canmore Nordic Ski Club, and started up a charitable cause.
The club's annual scholarship went to a male and female runner at Canmore Collegiate High School (CCHS) for over a decade. To end things, the club's committee of collected the remaining funds of $7,000 and distributed it to CCHS and Our Lady of the Snows Catholic Academy for the schools to disperse for future years.
Darren Anderson, CCHS athletic director, said there have been many talented runners receive the scholarship over the years.
"The kids who have received that award are generally very self-motivated and were able to handle training and school both at the high school and post secondary level," said Anderson in an email.
