Runs

A Runner’s Ocean Playground

November 9, 2011
By Robyn McNeil

Nestled on a rocky peninsula that juts into the Atlantic Ocean at the south end of Halifax, Point Pleasant Park is a runner’s dream. Its 77 hectares of parkland crisscrossed with 39K of paths and winding trails offers almost every condition a runner could ask for: surrounded on three sides by magnificent coastal views, filled with lively pine and spruce woods and the scent of a salty ocean breeze.

Point Pleasant Park is rich with cultural history. Called Amtoukate, or Spirit Place, by Nova Scotia’s Mi’Kmaq First Nation - who first used the park for hunting, fishing and traditional ceremonies - the geography provides a glimpse at Halifax’s early days.  A run in the park opens a window to the city’s military past with partially buried stone walls, causeways, old roads, abandoned quarries, ruins and memorials that pay tribute to earlier times.

Trail conditions in the park vary as much as the surfaces that top them - wood chips, gravel and compacted earth give the roads, trails and paths a cushioning give to every footfall. Weather can complicate your route, however, with the occasional rut, washout or other hazard, so caution is advised in heavy rain, snow, or windy conditions.

In 2003, Hurricane Juan decimated the park, sweeping away nearly 70 per cent of the forest growth, leaving behind a wretched and desolate landscape that provided little protection from the elements. Eight years later, the forest has come alive once again - seeds have sprouted, wildflowers are blooming and young trees have started their climb.

On any given day, the park is filled with runners, bikers, walkers, and dogs - both on and off-leash - in the park’s green spaces. Everyone from the casual runner to organized running groups take advantage of the many trails Point Pleasant Park has to offer.

Al Yarr, who’s been coaching the Dalhousie Tigers cross-country team since 1963, is a big fan of the park. The team does the majority of its training there, making good use of the perimeter loop and a handful of 1K routes that originate from Five Corners, the junction where Ogilvie Road, Pine Road and Prince of Wales Drive meet.

You don’t have to be training for a big race to enjoy running in Point Pleasant Park. Aram Kouyoumdjian has only been running regularly since January, but he finds the park’s terrain ideal for his needs. In the beginning, he wasn’t even running - it was more of a power walk. Now he regularly tackles 8 to 9K along the south-end train tracks that wind into the park. “The hills in Point Pleasant are perfect for me,” he says. “They’re just enough to kick my ass but not enough to stop my heart. It’s just a neat little getaway from the cars and the noise and the office and the garbage. It’s like the city meets the ocean.”

Yarr, who has brought generations of runners to the park, agrees. “It’s a wonderful place. Sometimes you just awaken the spirit.”

Robyn McNeil is a writer who runs, bikes and plays roller derby in Halifax.

Point Pleasant Park, Halifax

Hours: 6AM - Midnight

Season: Spring, summer, fall, winter (weather conditions affect roads, trails and paths).

Races:

2005 CIS Cross-Country Championships

2011 Saint Mary’s Invitational and Dalhousie Invitational cross-country meets

2012 Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon

Map: http://www.pointpleasantpark.ca/site-ppp/media/pointpleasantpark/PPP%202008.pdf