It still has to be described as extremely popular, but could it be the Tely 10’s incredible growth spurt of recent years is tapering off?
Registration for the annual Paradise to St. John’s 10-mile race, set for July 28 this year, ends at midnight tonight. And heading into the today, the number of registered runners was just under 3,900. That’s about 300 less than the 4,166 who finished the race last year.
There is always a bit of a spurt that comes with last-minute sign-ups, but there won’t be any registration records this year.
“We’re down about 10 percent, not including those who register today. This is the first time in quite a while that our numbers have dropped that much,” said race director Randy Wall.
This will be the 92nd edition of a race that originally featured just a handful of elite local runners. As time went by, it attracted more participants, including recreational athletes. In 1985, when Paul McCloy set the still-standing race record of 47 minutes and four seconds, he led a field of around 250.
Twenty years ago, it was pretty big deal when the number of registrants was at almost 800.
But in the new millennium, the numbers really took off as more and more casual runners— and walkers — joined the field.
There were 1,690 participants in 2005, and nearly 2,500 in 2009. By 2016, the number of people starting the race had reached more than 4,900, and race organizers, not sure just how far the expansion could go and worried that the event might become too unwieldy, decided to cap the registration.
Right now that cap is at 5,200.
But the cap won’t come close to being exceeded this year. One reason for the slowdown could be that the Tely 10 is a one-off event for so many people, an entry on their bucket lists, and once it’s been done, they choose not to run the race again. Factor that with a provincial population that’s plateaued and one that’s aging, and the number of potential new local Tely 10 runners is probably diminishing annually.
“I think that’s happened,” said Wall. “For many people, the Tely 10 is something that’s on their wish list, something they see as a challenge, but if they do it once or perhaps twice, they check it off their list. That’s part of the reason why numbers are down, I’m sure.
“But it’s hard to pinpoint it. The date is always the same. It’s always the fourth Sunday in July. It doesn’t change from year to year, which is something that might affect the (registration) numbers.”
Getting a handle on where the registration numbers are heading is important because organizers don’t want to be spending money on items — race kits, participation medals, etc., that might never be used. Plus,the Tely 10 registration fees constitute what might be described as the Newfoundland and Labrador Athletic Association’s (NLAA) biggest annual fundraiser, providing money that allows, for example, young provincial athletes to participate in mainland competition.
“Of course, we’d like our numbers to continue to grow, but we’re still happy with where they are,” said Wall. “We always figured there would come a time when it would level off, maybe even drop a few, but hopefully it can pick up again.”
Registration for the 92nd Tely 10 (the fee is $75) is online and will continue all day at the NLAA’s website.
All race kit items — bib number, t-shirt, timing chips and race information — will be available for pick-up in the three days leading up to the race, July 25-27, at the Re/Max Centre (St. John’s Curling Club).
Pick-up times are 7 p.m.on July 25, 11 a..m. to 2 p.m..and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on July 26 and 2 to 5 p.m. on July 26.
