April 23, 2015
For Immediate Release
Where in the World? Navy Runners Giv'er for Blue Nose Marathon
Halifax, NS – As Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon prepares for its Victoria Day weekend
event, over 100 Nova Scotians on the HMCS Fredericton, and guests from NATO ships are
hosting their own Blue Nose running event in Scotland.
On Saturday, April 25, HMCS Fredericton will participate in the 12th annual Blue Nose
Marathon while deployed on Operation REASSURANCE, Canada’s commitment to NATO
assurance measures in the Mediterranean and Black Seas and the Atlantic Ocean.
HMCS Fredericton along with three other allied ships deployed with Standing NATO
Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) will come together and run the 5KM, 10KM and Half
Marathon races. In total, 105 participants from FGS Spessart, USS Vicksburg and TCG
Goksu will be joining HMCS Fredericton for this on-going Halifax tradition.
The ship has been deployed since December 30, 2014 and has been sailing as a part of
SNMG2 since mid-January. "HMCS Fredericton is ready to Giv'er this weekend in Scotland
in support of the Blue Nose Marathon! The ships’ company is training hard, on deck, to
reach the finish line and complete the Blue Nose Marathon from afar,” said Lt. (N) Carolyn
Pumphrey, with Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in Halifax.
Although it’s three weeks before Blue Nose, many people cooperated to make it work. “As
with any successful Blue Nose project, community team work is the common thread,” said
Gerry Walsh, Blue Nose Co-Chair. “Power Promotional Concepts in Dartmouth, who
manages our t-shirt order, got us 100 in advance; and By Design in Halifax, custom printed
them so runners would have authentic Blue Nose tees. A team member scoured the
warehouse and found enough Finished’er medals from previous years. And of course, the
CAF contributed by allowing this to take place and ensuring the delivery of t-shirts and
medals,” said Walsh.
According to Blue Nose Co-Chair, Rod McCulloch, there are a few things the Nova Scotian
runners will need to teach their guests from NATO ships. “They need to know the Blue Nose
rallying cheer – ‘Just Giv’er!’ – it’s essential to our races. And they won’t be familiar with
Myles, our fun-loving Mascot with a massive blue nose – so they may not get the slogan on
this year’s t-shirt: ‘You Nose You Can’, said McCulloch. “That opens the doors for Navy
runners to explain it and spread the word about Nova Scotia – that’s when the magic
happens.”
-Ends-
Nova Scotians Invited to Send Cheers to CAF Runners
For those wishing to cheer the Navy runners and their guests to ‘Just Giv’er!’ should go to
the Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon Facebook page, or post their own messages on Twitter
using #HMCSGiver.
Photo Credit: Neal Bagnall
About the Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon
Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon 2015 takes place Victoria Day Weekend, May 15-17, and
includes 5KM, 10KM, Half, Full, and Team Relay Marathons, as well as the Doctors Nova
Scotia Youth Run. In addition to running and walking events, Blue Nose includes an Active
Living Expo and Scotiabank Charity Challenge. www.bluenosemarathon.com.
Media Contact: Gina Brown, Executive Director, Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon. Email:
[email protected]. Tel 902 404-5556.