A special year demands a special celebration. This year we bring you 24 days of advent calendar-inspired holiday cheer!
Each Sunday at 3:15pm, the elves will open up the Big Fat advent calendar to reveal your next series of routes via Facebook livestream. Routes will be posted on the website shortly after the livestream. All your favourites from the 12 Fattest Days of Christmas will be back, along with a swath of new tracks to expand our Christmas song repertoire.
The elves will be keeping a close eye on seasonal conditions as they evolve. Current directive from the North Pole is that each set of routes can be completed at any time and any day within the week they are revealed. No reindeer sleigh teams or gathering in herds of more than 3. Pairs or trios physically-distanced is probably ok by Santa and Dr. Bonnie, and a good idea for personal safety on trails.
As always, the elves will be cobbling together festive prizes for those (fool)hardy types. We will draw at least one prize at the end of each week. Every event you complete and record on the Yuletide Results Log will give you one draw entry.
Take lots of photos, make creative posts on Strava or Facebook, support your fellow runners (virtually), and have fun! The car bar will be back next year. You can also send photos to islandfatass@gmail.com and we will share them with others on Facebook.
Registration is now closed for the full ADVENTurer's slipper prize draw.
Finally, as with any IFA event – leave no trace, so no trail markings (including gingerbread crumbs) of any kind!
Full ADVENTure Slipper Awardees! You will be contacted for prize pick-up.
Andrew Barclay, Colleen Auringer, David Campbell, Elaine Galbraith, Greg Carson, Lisa Cyr-Cantwell, Lisa Fehr
*Other honourable finishers:
Avery Gottfried, Eric Guillemot, Holland Gidney, John Cockburn, Karen Welwood, Kevin Jickling
Prize Draw Winners! Contact islandfatass@gmail.com to collect your prize.
Week 4:
Spiced Rum: Andrew Galbraith, Greg Balchin, Pauline Nielsen, Roy Ellis, Kari Walker, Adam Nott
Ornament: Mark Stephenson
Mask: Lana Smith
Week 3:
Ornament: Colin Goldblatt, Fiona Peters
Mask: Kevin Jickling, Faron Anslow
Marmot Stuffy #2: Alex Kortum
Chicken Mile Champion Mugs: Armel Castellan, Sarah Burger
Chicken Mile Best in Show: Pete Dumbelton
Week 2:
Ornament: Ron Woolley, Lisa Fehr
Mask: Lois Woolley, Colleen Auringer
Marmot Stuffy #1: John Cockburn
Week 1:
Ornament: Sarah Burger, Cory Bargen
Mask: Greg Carson, Eric Guillemot
Week 4 - Complete between December 21-24 ONLY:
Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1374918
Five Golden Rings
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1349950
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1349967
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1374289
Week 3 - Complete between December 14-20 ONLY:
Good King Wenceslas
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1343938
Seven Swans A-Swimming
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1369664 *UPDATED Dec 13, 2020 @ 7:30pm
Three French Hens
Chicken Mile! Like the Beer Mile but every lap you eat chicken wings. Vegetarian and vegan-friendly options are also available.
Proof is required by video or photos to get credit for completing Three French Hens!
Distance: 1 Mile – 400m track is the tradition but any 400m loop will do. In past years, this event was held at the track next to Esquimalt High School, on Colville Rd. (https://goo.gl/maps/8K9droKcRvzBEwCy5)
French hen options:
Official chicken wings are from Chicken on the Run - the “Dusty” Hot Wings make it a challenge! Open Tuesday to Sunday at 3:00 – 9:30 pm - 405 Craigflower Road https://www.chickenontherunvictoria.com/menu.html.
Homemade or other chicken wings (support local!) are allowed this year to add convenience
Boiled eggs as a vegetarian option (pre-peeling is allowed)
Falafel balls (made with CHICKpeas) as a vegan option
The sequence for a chicken mile is:
Start – Eat 1st Wing – Run 1st Lap – Eat 2nd Wing – Run 2nd Lap – Eat 3rd Wing – Run 3rd Lap – Eat 4th Wing – Run 4th Lap – Finish
The wing MUST be finished and swallowed before you start running your lap
A penalty lap is added onto the end of the fourth lap for any competitor that vomits. One lap, regardless of how many vomits.
Record holders:
2019 Avery Gottfried - 8:07
2019 Sarah Mitchell - 8:35
Twelve Drummers Drumming
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1349959
O' Christmas Tree
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1358042
I'll be Home (Holmes) for Christmas
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1368943
Partridge in a Pear Tree
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1349960
Week 2 - Complete between December 7-13 ONLY:
Six Geese A-Laying
6 km or 6 miles, anywhere on the Galloping Goose trail (no Lochside or E&N)
Frosty the Snowman
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1347782
Four Calling Birds
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1349949
Silver Bells
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1347779
I Saw Three Ships
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1349962
Two Turtle Doves
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1349948
Eight Maids A-Milking
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1349954
Week 1 - Complete between December 1 -6 ONLY:
Ten Lords a-Leaping
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1349957
Jingle Bell Rock
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1343950 (original route)
GPX download Alternative way back. Start once you reach the erratic with the original route: https://www.plotaroute.com/route/1360596
RunGo: https://routes.rungoapp.com/route/7qVk15fypk (original route only)
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
Run at midnight, anywhere, for at least 12 minutes
Eleven Pipers Piping
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1349958
Up on the Housetop
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1350941
Nine Ladies Dancing
GPX download: www.plotaroute.com/route/1349972