Southern Footprints race returns for 2022

By Mark Ribble

LEAMINGTON — The Southern Footprints community run will return to the friendly confines of Point Pelee National Park April 21, with races planned for runners of all ages.

The 13th annual event should have been the 15th, but the COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to the 2020 and 2021 events.

As before, the event will benefit Crime Stoppers Windsor-Essex and organizers hope for a great turnout.

Race director Dave Campbell is happy for the race to be back.

“It’s a lot of work, but it’s a fun lot of work,” he said. “It’s a chance for me to give back to the running community.”

Bomber and Snoil lead the pack at the 2019 Southern Footprints mascot race.

SUN file photo

Campbell, who’s been running for about 45 years, gives credit to the rest of the organizing committee, comprised of Denise Gaffan, Jenn Johns, Liz Campbell and Peter Wiebe.

“The crew is ready to go,” he said. “They’ve done a lot of work over the years.”

The morning will start with the annual Mascot Race as Southpoint Sunny will take on all mascots who wish to challenge him. Sunny has won the race before, but Snoil from Leamington District Secondary School took the honours in 2019.

Campbell says they usually start planning in November, but a recent meeting he was at triggered the desire to make the event happen again this year.

“I called Point Pelee and as soon as they said yes, I knew we were on,” he said.

Coincidentally, Crime Stoppers called shortly thereafter and he knew it had to be organized.

“We’ve had a lot of calls from runners saying they need to race,” said Campbell.

Besides the mascot race, there will be a kids 1K event, as well as 5K, 10K and 15K races for all ages, as runners can traverse the trails and roadways of Canada’s most southern national park.

The 2019 event raised about $3,000 for Crime Stoppers.

For more information on Southern Footprints or to register to race, visit raceroster.com and search for Southern Footprints.