P.E.I.'s Run for the Cure watching big drop in participation

Organizers of the Run for the Cure in Charlottetown are wondering why participant numbers are down so much this year.

The Canadian Cancer Society sets targets based on participation in the previous few years. This year the target is 447, but as of Thursday only 252 people had registered for Sunday's run.

"This is new this year, to have lower participation rates, so we're really watching it," said Jayna Stokes, provincial lead with the Canadian Cancer Society.

"People can still register at event day. So we really won't know until after the event exactly how we're doing this year. We know on the Island some people tend to wait until it gets closer to register, so it could just be that that's happening this year too."

Stokes said they are getting in touch with people who have previously participated in the run, to remindthem of the upcoming event.

Traffic issues

The time of the event has been changed this year, from 2 p.m. to 10 a.m.

Stokes said they were trying to avoid some of the traffic problems faced in previous years. If participation numbers stay down, she said, that will be one of the things they look at after the event.

"We are the largest national charitable funder of breast cancer research in the country," said Stokes.

"This signature event is the reason why we're able to do that."

People who want to participate can register online or at the event. Registration opens at 9 a.m. Sunday at Confederation Landing.

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