BAND ON THE RUN CANCELLED FOR 2021 DUE TO COVID 19 

Due to Covid 19 we have been required to cancel the Band on the Run event planned for June 12th, 2021.

We had planned an alternative date of Saturday September 11th, 2021, but have decided to cancel as well since vaccination timelines will not permit mass-gathering events of the size of Band on the Run by September. All registrations deferred from 2020 to 2021 are now deferred to June 11th, 2022.

Be Safe. Be kind.

Excerpt from Sept 2021 cancellation notice:

We hope this email finds you in good health. As promised, albeit a few days late, we would like to share our decision about hosting Band on the Run on the alternative date of September 11th, 2021. The pandemic situation has improved since our last correspondence, but it is still far from ideal for hosting a mass-gathering event like Band on the Run. With most adults in Ontario not expected to receive their second dose of vaccine before September/October, we do not anticipate the health authority will lift the limits of large outdoor gatherings to permit the event to proceed without significant compromises. As such, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Band on the Run for 2021. We look forward to a fun and rewarding Band on the Run on June 11th, 2022.

We wish you all the best in your running activities over the coming months. Our hearts and minds are with you. Be sure to share your joy of running by giving a wave or a big smile to fellow community members out enjoying the summer weather. Keep up your optimism and let’s make the 2022 Band on the Run event our best event ever!

Excerpt from June 2021 cancellation notice:

Spring has sprung and unseasonably warm weather this past week is calling for us to get outdoors. At the same time, we’re at the start of a month-long declaration of emergency in conjunction with a stay at home order in Ontario and the news today is that there were a daily record number of new COVID-19 cases reported. We’ve all been impacted in far reaching ways, by restrictions to our daily activities, our jobs, our communities and the health and wellbeing of our loved ones.

A year ago, we were forced to replace the 2020 Band on the Run event with a virtual run. Many of you chose to donate the proceeds of your registration to our charity partners who were in a time of need. Many of you chose to defer your registration to the 2021 Band on the Run event believing, like us, that Ontario would be in a much different situation a full year later. We appreciate your support. It is with heavy hearts that, within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, we are forced once again to cancel this year’s Band on the Run event planned for June 12th, 2021.

Band on the Run is not hosted by a few individuals, but by hundreds of community members who volunteer their time, a passionate team of service providers including local businesses, dedicated charity partners, and all with the support of both the Town of Huntsville and the District of Muskoka.  We have spent the past few weeks reaching out to gather their input on whether it would be possible to host Band on the Run in the fall of 2021 when we all hope the pandemic will be finally brought under control and mass gatherings can once again take place. Many of the responses we received were positive, but were all tempered with “as long as…” and “fingers crossed” and “hopefully”. With this in mind, we have booked Saturday September 11th, 2021 as a proposed alternative date to host Band on the Run. Given the uncertainty of the situation, our current plan is to make a final decision by June 1st whether this alternative date is feasible.

We appreciate your support and understanding as we navigate this uncertain time.

ENJOY live bands playing rockin’ tunes along the route as you CHALLENGE yourself on our Muskoka Hills. All levels of runners welcome. Whichever distance you choose you will be cheered on by our incredibly spirited group of volunteers.

Capped at 2,500 participants