We know that the Shuffle was well-loved, but…

Even 30-year veterans of the Shuffle could not believe it. All 275 places were snapped up by early afternoon on 1 February, the day we opened registration.

Since being canceled by COVID in 2020 and again in 2021, we’ve tried to build the event back up slowly. The Shuffle filled up in 2022 with 100 and again in 2023 with 175 starters. Assuming that allowing one hundred (100!) more people in 2024 we’d be able to accommodate everyone who could possibly want to join us for a little 27 kilometer hike or run on the Sunshine Coast Trail.

We were wrong! How might we do a better?

We’ve considered adding more starters, but straight up, allowing more could be harmful to the Sunshine Coast Trail itself. Also, it means we’d have to beg for more buses to get folks to the start and the City of Powell River has already been generous enough to provide us with two (2) at no cost to the event.

We’ve considered charging market rates ($100? $200?) for the event. But we want to keep it free.

We’ve considered two-tier registration. That would mean anyone who paid, say $200, would get in for sure. That might help us (qPAWS) better fund our work of maintaining the trail and the huts, but it doesn’t seem fair.

We’ve considered making registration by lottery. That may be where we end up in 2025.

For this year, despite being very clear about not offering a waitlist, we’ve reconsidered. We feel we can safely accommodate 200 people this year, so if more than 75 people of the 275 who have signed up withdraw, we will invite folks from the waitlist on a first come, first served basis. We will shut down the waitlist on the Wednesday before the Shuffle (24 April)… this so folks from the waitlist who are invited have a bit of time to plan.

To join the waitlist, please go to the registration page.

PS We’re offering twelve (12) free training events on Saturday mornings leading up to the actual Shuffle on 28 April. One of the events is 27-kilometers on the same course in reverse. Join us!

PS ‘Have some thoughts on how we might manage the Marathon Shuffle in the future? Please share them… we’re listening! events@sunshinecoasttrail.com