Anyone in the Calgary area will be able to have an up-close look at Canada’s longest runway a couple of weeks before it officially opens with a unique public event.
To celebrate the June 28 operational opening of the new runway, a 14,000X200 stretch of Alberta prairie that will be able to accommodate the largest aircraft, the Calgary Airport Authority is holding Run and Roam the Runway on June 14-15.
On the Saturday, 1,400 participants (pre-registration required) will be able to run the runway after a warm-up with Hal and Joanne Johnson of BodyBreak fame. The runway is 4.2 km long so there’s a standard 5k run and a two-length 8.4 km event.
On Sunday, 10,000 people (pre-registration also required) can attend a family-oriented festival with a vintage aircraft display, food trucks and a variety of attractions and entertainment.
“The weekend event will give the public a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to literally run and roam on Canada’s longest runway,” said airport spokeswoman Jody Moseley.
The runway was first envisioned 40 years ago and has been under construction for three years as YYC’s plan to attract major international traffic, including non-stop flights to China.
The $600 million runway is a metre thick and will be equipped with centreline lighting and be certified for CAT III (a) approaches.
It’s just part of the international expansion of the airport. A new $1.5 billion international terminal is also being built.