Reid Roberts's daughter Kionae might put some students at D.P. Todd to shame.
"I told my Grade 8s that if my daughter, who is three, can run twice the distance and not walk, I'm pretty sure you guys as Grade 8s can can run 800 metres without walking," said the physical education teacher about his daughter running 1.5 kilometres along the Ottway trails. "That kind of put things into perspective with them."
Kionae isn't ready for the fifth annual Mad Moose Marathon, taking place along the trails between the Ottway Ski Centre and the University of Northern British Columbia on Sunday, but Roberts intends to run the full marathon, trying to break his time from last year when he finished third in three hours and 33 minutes.
But he knows his limits.
"There are certain runners in town that I know I would never beat on a perfect day," said Roberts. "For me it's not about so much the placing. This year my goal is to run it as well as I did last year and beat my time."
This year's race had a 27 marathoners signed up for the full distance as of Monday, with another 47 to take part in the half-marathon. Normally, the full marathon sees a participation rate of seven or eight runners.
The entry deadline is Friday at 6 p.m., with registrations accepted either online or on paper at Stride and Glide Sports. The entry fee is $40 for the half marathon and $55 for the full.
"Trail running is just becoming more popular in general and you're starting to see younger and younger people get involved in it," said Roberts. "It's sort of like the mountain biking where the trail running is a bit more - I don't want to say extreme - there's maybe a bit more adventure to it."
The Mad Moose marathon will be Roberts's ninth race of the season and fourth trail race.
"It's just fun, plain and simple," said the 42-year-old, who completed his first 86-kms ultra-marathon this year and is looking to join the 100-miler club in 2012. "It's enjoyable to get out on the trails."
In celebration of the marathon's fifth year special medals and T-shirts will be handed out at the finish-line.
Richard Stewart, co-chairperson for the marathon, said course records could fall with the calibre of runners signed up.
"I wouldn't be surprised to see a sub-three hour marathon and a sub-two hour half marathon," said Stewart.
John Hagen, second in the men's full marathon in 2010, had signed up by Monday, but last year's winner, and record holder with a time of three hours and 12 minutes, Kevin Grigg had not yet signed up.
The full marathon start is 7 a.m. from Ottway Ski Centre, with the half marathon beginning at 9 a.m.
