YOU CAN TELL A LOT ABOUT A COMMUNITY BY THE PEOPLE WHO RUN IT

BY GLENN DURNFORD
I am not talking about politicians or other people in charge of making infrastructure work, I am talking about those who actually run on the roads and trails that crisscross Lunenburg County.
In an area famous for so many things such as scenery, history and great food, it is important to recognize a culture that is focused on fitness and, in particular, running as a wellness and social activity. This is a great indicator of the quality of the place . we call home and how people in our region are getting the most out of living here.
As someone who took up running later in life I can attest to . the fact that success in my new sport was the result, in part, of the great running community I found all around me. There were lots of beginners like me running their first 5k at the famous Lunenburg Heritage Muffin Run, where participants who number in the hundreds are all treated to home-made muffins when they finish. There’s also a fun, family focused Reindeer Run in Mahone Bay in December. There are many
dedicated runners chasing elusive personal bests in other races in the region and beyond. Lunenburg County is home to many seasoned marathoners, some who have run well over a hundred marathons. These veterans welcome the chance to mentor fellow . runners to encourage them to run one of the many half and full marathons available in Nova Scotia or to perhaps achieve the ultimate goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon.
Running in the county allows you to get to know the locals, learn more about the area and see some of the greatest scenery in the province at a pace that allows you to really soak it all in. Our backroads twist along the shore and the traffic is always light, our trail system enables you to cross the county in many directions and is accessible to runners most of the year. We even have great beaches to run on if you want to get really close to the ocean! When the weather turns nasty, which it does every now and then, we wait a bit for the road salt and sun to melt the snow or we head indoors to our local indoor track which is part of the HB Studios Sports Centre.
There are numerous locations to get a good run in around the county. What could be better than a 5km run through the Town of Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Interested a longer route? How about a 10k run on the trail from Bridgewater along the LaHave river towards New Germany, rural and scenic! Fancy going a bit further, how about a 15km run from Lunenburg to Sunnybrook and back to get some great ocean views! Or you can run the LaHave Islands, Chester, Mahone Bay to Indian Point, the list goes on!
The other great thing about the running community here is that it is made up of locals as well as many people who have chosen Lunenburg County as their new home. The diversity on some local long weekend group runs is great for conversations and runners have a chance to share stories and laughs along the way, all the time building friendships with people who are connected only by running.