Above photo: Martin Fox, running in the 2017 Emperor’s Challenge
Back in the old days, the catchphrase for the Emperor’s Challenge used to be “Run with the Goats, Cruise with the Caribou, or Trot with the Ptarmigan.”
While Caribou are no longer a common sight in the area, goats are still commonly spotted along the Emperor’s Challenge Route.
Martin Fox says seeing these sure-footed denizens of Babcock Mountain are always a highlight for him when he is out helping set up the route alongside Charles Helm.
While Helm has been faithfully staking out the race route since the beginning, Fox, who lives in Fort St. John, came along eight or nine years ago. “I am a small business owner,” says Fox. “I have mobile equipment that I use to process seed for farmers. Summer is typically a slower part of the season as I wait for new crops to process and conduct my repairs. My fun activity is day hiking, often around Tumbler Ridge and Chetwynd.”
Eleven years ago, Fox ran his first Emperor’s Challenge. He was hooked and returned the next year and the next. But then, he foot surgery meant that he was unable to run. “That year I volunteered at an aid station,” says Fox. “It was a great experience to volunteer and be a part of such a great event. In the following years, I contacted Charles to help with route maintenance and race day prep.”
With the new route, he says, the amount of work had changed. “On the old route, we had to start in mid-June to cut alder. But we created the new route to avoid the bush section. For two years, we prepped the new route, removing rocks and trimming tree branches to create an established visible route.”
The reason the new route took so long to prepare was due to the fact that the race was postponed for two years, during Covid. “In the following years, we spent more time identifying and re-routing short sections to bypass hazards,” says Fox. “We also prioritized staking prior to the July 1 hike/run planned every year by the WNMS. And then, about a week before the race, we would make one final pass happens where we check all stakes and paint the tips with fresh orange paint to provide a guide to runners in any weather conditions. We would also complete the staking on the road section.”
Of course, this has changed recently, as Conuma is working on re-opening Quintette, which the race passes through. This year, the July 1 run went up Bergeron, not Babcock, and the crew is heading out August 1, nine days before the race, to stake and prep the course. They will be accompanied by a representative from Conuma, as they will be within the bounds of the mine.
And then, says Fox, there’s the work that happens the day of the race. “Charles loads his truck with signs the night before the race. Race day morning I meet him at about 5 am to place signs along the road and junctions to the start area. We then help at the start line with placement of barricades, and signs along the road section.
“After the race, we assist with clean up and removal of all signs.”
Of course, it’s not always just the two who work on the route. “Often I have brought a couple of wonderful helpers along from Fort St. John when we are painting stakes, and various other volunteers have graciously helped over the years,” says Fox.
One can understand why someone like Helm, a local who has been involved with the race since day one, is willing to put in the work. But why does Fox, who comes from Fort St. John, have such a dedication to the race. “I do it because I have always loved the serenity of the mountains, and an opportunity to give back some service to a wonderful high-energy race that brings all kinds of people together with all levels of ability.”
Trent is the publisher of Tumbler RidgeLines.
