Inuvik Midnight Sun Fun Run draws 120 runners

Quebec City resident Florent Hofer rescheduled his flight home so he could participate in the 2018 Midnight Sun Fun Run June 23.

Hofer, who ran the half-marathon, said he originally booked his flight in January when the date for the run wasn't set in stone.

"I went on the Inuvik website and I saw that there was a solstice celebration and the half-marathon, and I said okay, I have to go then because I love running," said Hofer. "It was quite impressive to do it with sunlight. It was a bit cold … but I'm very happy."

Steve Krug, recreation programmer with the Town of Inuvik and Midnight Sun Fun Run organizer said approximately 120 people participated in this year's run.

Krug said the run is always held on the weekend closest to summer solstice and is a celebration of the midnight sun.

Participants had the option of running a five-kilometre race, a 10-kilometre race or a half-marathon. Krug said the five-kilometre race was the most popular, but the half-marathon saw an increase in participation this year.

The run isn't about being the fastest or the fittest, said Krug, but about inclusivity and having fun.

"It's widely popular for local people, tourists … there's people from all around the world here, from Germany, Ireland, Australia, Tasmania, Denmark, there's lots of people that take part in it," said Krug. "It's awesome to see everyone take part in the event. It's got 'fun' right in the name, and that's what it's for – for fun."

Krug said despite the cool temperature and cloudy sky, the event was still a success.

"It's been successful," said Krug. "The sun is actually kind of coming out a little bit now, at 11 p.m., so there's going to be some sun for the Midnight Sun Fun Run."

Siblings Andy and Allison Thompson participated in the run, and won the five-kilometre race and half-marathon, respectively.

"It was awesome, I'm coming off of a knee injury, so it was just really fun to do it and not have to stop halfway through and walk," said Andy Thompson, who is living in Inuvik for the summer while completing an internship at Aurora Research Institute.

Allison Thompson said she was happy with her result.

"It was great! I was really happily surprised with how it went," said Allison Thompson. "I'm training for a couple of longer races this summer and it seemed like a really fun mini-goal in my longer-term training."

The siblings are training for next month's Reckless Raven run in Whitehorse.

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