The 2022 edition of the VIRA Island Race Series Westcoast Sooke River 10k will take place on Sunday March 27th at 11am. Runners and walkers who expect to take longer than 1.5 hours will be able to start at 10:30am. Race package pickup will take place between 9am and 10:30am on race day at Edward Milne School. There will also be an early bib pick-up on Saturday the 26th at BDHQ (Johnston) in the alley from 1-3pm (per the most recent email from the race director).
A shot from the Westcoast Sooke River 10k 2018.
What is the course like?
The Westcoast Sooke River 10K is an undulating out-and-back along the Sooke River Road, which is a rural, paved road towards the historic Sooke Potholes.
Check out the course map below to see the route.
Westcoast Sooke River 10K map
Since this is an undulating course, you can most definitely expect some hills.
While the hills are not huge, you may want to consider starting fairly conservatively on the way out since there are more uphills on the way back. You definitely do not want to burn yourself out in the first 5km.
On the way out, even though there are rolling hills, it appears like there is an overall net elevation loss. However, since we go back the same way, there is a net elevation gain on the way back.
Between the turnaround and the 7km mark, there is a relatively nice stretch of the road that isn’t too hilly, although it is not entirely flat either. If you have the energy to pick up the pace, then it is a good idea to take advantage of this part of the course.
For me, the hardest parts of the whole race are between the 7km and 8km marks as well as the the 9km to 9.5km.
If you see anyone slightly in front of you going up that final hill, try to challenge them a bit. Keep your body relaxed, especially your arms. Try not to hunch over as you conquer that hill.
Try to pick up the pace for the last 500m, if you can.
HOW DOES THE SOOKE RIVER 10K COURSE COMPARE TO OTHER EVENTS?
Compared to the TC10k and the Cobble Hill 10k, the Westcoast Sooke River 10k is slightly more challenging. It will most likely result in a marginally slower time than the TC10k or the Cobble Hill 10k. For me, the difference was no more than 1 minute when I was posting my faster times.
I plan to run this race without a watch and I believe that I should be able to finish somewhere between 43 and 46 minutes this year. My best time on this course was back in 2014 when I ran it in 41:35.
I look forward to seeing you there! Online registration of the Westcoast Sooke River 10k 2022 closes on Friday March 25th at 6pm.