East coast women’s-only race ready for 2017 edition

Female runners looking to participate in Canada’s largest women’s-only 5K can enter as of next week. The Sole Sisters 5K is set to go ahead on June 10, 2017. Runners returning after racing this year, can take advantage of their early entry date and sign up today.

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The Dartmouth race offers a women’s-only space for new runners to try out a 5K. The race however is not a timed event as it focuses on running community and experience over results. Each year, it draws an enthusiastic crowd with 3,200 women showing up to run.

Proceeds from the entry fees go towards funding a girls run club for new runners ages eight to 13. The idea behind the club is to get girls fit and active while raising their self-esteem.

For next year’s event, race director Stacy Chestnutt wants to encourage new runners to be encouraged to come out. That is part of the reason why Sole Sisters has waited to open their registration this year.

“This event has reached capacity in February of each year, which means that four months before the race date we can’t allow any more girls or women to register,” says Chesnutt. “More often than not, it is that new runner or new walker who has just heard about Sole Sisters and is desperate to try a 5K but is too intimidated to register for another race that misses out.”

If in September, the June date seems a little far off, runners can only be aware of the women’s-only half-marathon happening in October. It is the first and only of its kind on Canada’s east coast.