The Last Run

The military and civilian staff at 22 Wing/CFB North Bay celebrated physical fitness Friday with the 4th annual “Challenge the ROCC” run through the underground complex.

Runners and walkers gathered at the entrance off Ski Club Road and followed a 3.1 kilometre tunnel course. Participants enter and go 1 kilometre down (10o grade), then continue for 100 meters on flat surface, then finish by running a gruelling 2 kilometre climb (10o grade). The course is tough even for a veteran, but an excellent challenge for the willing who take up the challenge.

“Our physical recreation personnel here at the Base set this up to be mainly for participation so people don’t actually have to run it, so the majority will actually walk,” he explains.

“However being competitive people in the CF there are going to be people that high tail it down and they’re going to run as fast as they can.”

Berath says the run is a challenge all the way around and is excellent training as it is both a physical and mental challenge because the light at the end of the tunnel plays tricks on a runner.

“The end of the tunnel light you can actually see it when you get to a certain point, but psychologically that light appears to get further and further away instead of closer and closer, until you get about the 200-300 meters. So psychological it’s very difficult as well especially if you’re running.”

Shaving seven seconds of the record he set last year, 47-year-old Sgt. Maurice Charron dominated the pack placing first with a personal best time of 13:20.

This year’s run held special meaning for competitors as the Canadian Air Defence Sector is set to move above ground, therefore, this may be “The Last Run” for 22 Wing/CFB North Bay members.