Drumheller’s race-filled weekend continues on Sunday with the Dinosaur Valley Half Marathon.
    Race organizers are asking residents help keep the runners safe by sharing the road during the race. Unlike previous years, the race will be going through residential and commercial areas of Drumheller on the morning of Sunday, September 8.

The Dinosaur Valley Half Marathon is running on Sunday, September 8, starting at 7:00 a.m. Residents are asked to come cheer on the runners and to be careful when driving. Give the runners a lot of room when passing them. Over 500 people have signed up for the race so far.

    “Come out and support the runners and try not to drive when they’re going by. If you do, drive safely and give a lot of room for the runners,” said Colin Kloot, one of the organizers of the Half Marathon.
    For the half marathon and 10K the runners will start at the Badlands Community Facility, run along Riverside Drive, and then turn west on 3rd Avenue, where they will run on the north side of the street to 5th Street West. The race will be downtown between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.
    “We’re asking people to refrain from parking on the north side of the road to give the racers room to run,” said Kloot.
    The runners will also wind their way through Midland. Residents are asked to be vigilant if driving.
    So far, over 500 people have registered for one of the three races. There is still room to register, by either picking up a form at Herman, Kloot & Company in downtown Drumheller, or by signing up the morning of the race.
    For participants of the 5K distance, which goes from the Badlands Community Facility, through the trails, to Drumheller Valley Secondary School, there is a trophy for the best team costume.
    “In the 5K is the costume competition for teams of four people. There’s a trophy for the team with the best costumes,” said Kloot.
    Race packages, for those who have registered, are available at the BCF starting Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., again on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and until 7:30 a.m. on Sunday.
    Organizers are expecting a fun day.
    “It’s going to be a good day,” said Kloot.

    The season is coming to an end with our final issue of The Weekender, a section of inSide Drumheller that share with locals and visitors the latest in events throughout the valley.
    inSide Drumheller’s favourite exercise after a long fun summer is drawing for a winner of our “Great Drumheller Dinosaur Challenge.”  While we always enjoy handing out a $100 gift to the winner (this year it was Vernon Lane of Three Hills), the best part is opening up the box and reading the comments from the residents and visitors who share this great valley.
 Again, there were dozens of entries from all across Alberta and Western Canada. And once again, visitors shared positive experiences of the valley.
    It goes almost without saying that dinosaurs were the top attraction, and the efforts the Dino-Arts Committee have been making to beautify the valley have been noticed. This includes its latest installation “Sam” the motorcycling dinosaur at the Brick.   It now stands to reason that a dinosaur can officially be described as “cute.”
    The scenery of the valley also get high marks with dozens of entries telling of the beautiful vistas.
    Another popular comment was “friendly “ when talking about service at businesses and attractions, exhibiting professionalism. Clean comes up as a descriptor for the town as well.
    One visitor from Victoria simply describes their time in Drumheller as “Epic.”
    One thing that always shines through in these comments is civic pride. Dozens of entries simply say, “love it” or “So glad I live here.” These comes from long-time residents as well as new Drumhellerites.
    As one exclaimed “we just moved from Calgary in March and are loving the friendly town and wildlife around.”
 Not only does Drumheller prove to be a popular and fun destination, but our contest continues to be a hit. As one entry from Edmonton says, “How come I don’t win? Three years in a row trying to win!”

‘Sam” the motorcycling dinosaur at the Brick in Downtown Drumheller was popular to visitors  this summer.