A St. Patrick’s Day tradition that has quickly gained traction in Victoria is still set to go ahead today, despite last-minute hurdles that forced organizers to pivot away from planned locations.
The so-called “Ginger Run,” exactly what it sounds like, brings together redheads from across the region to sprint across a field before the event turns into a larger social gathering.
“A ginger run is as simple as it sounds: a bunch of gingers run down a field to celebrate the holiday,” said organizer Ben Longo, who is running the event for the second year.
He added that the run itself is just the starting point.
“It gives people something to come watch before it disperses into a general social gathering.”
Originally, the event was expected to take place at the University of Victoria, but those plans changed less than two weeks before St. Patrick’s Day.
According to Longo, UVic informed him he needed to formally book campus space, but the request came too late to meet the university’s timelines for events of that scale.
While he says he understands the policy, the short notice made it difficult to adjust.
A second attempt to relocate the event to Cadboro Bay also fell through after organizers were told a permit could not be issued in time.
Despite the setbacks, the event is still going ahead, with a twist.
The final location will be shared last minute through the event’s social media, with participants told to be ready to move and check for updates ahead of the 4:30 p.m. start time.
Even with the uncertainty, Longo expects a strong turnout, anticipating around 1,000 people could still take part.
Participants are being asked to respect both each other and whichever space ultimately hosts the event.
“There’s no tolerance for any sort of negative behaviour,” Longo said. “I trust the participants and the spectators will be respectful.”
The event appears to be striking a chord locally, with strong engagement online and growing community interest.
“I’ve been really pleased with the community and their engagement,” he added. “The people who actively comment, nominate, and interact with the account are what makes it special.”
While this year’s run may look a little different than planned, Longo is already looking ahead.
“I would love to work with UVic and the city in the future. Maybe we can think of a really creative way to combine the two next year.”
Victoria Buzz reached out to the University of Victoria for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
