31st Alaska Salmon Runs begin July 15, 2017

By Anne Schaefer - For The Cordova Times

The first 5K race for Alaska Salmon Runs was held in 2007 in Cordova

The snow and ice have melted and the days are growing longer and longer, so it’s time to lace up your running shoes and start training for the 31st annual Alaska Salmon Runs road race, coming up Jul 15.

The AK Salmon Runs are held annually during July in Cordova and pay homage to the salmon that are the foundation of our town’s economy and ecosystem.

I love participating in the AK Salmon Runs because it provides a whole new way to experience the Copper River Delta and the Copper River Highway. I’m so used to zooming down the road en route to the airport or one of the many trailheads out the road; but at my plodding pace, I have a chance to really soak in the spectacular scenery — rugged snow-capped mountains, vast glaciers, blue lakes and streams, blooming wildflowers, and abundant of wildlife.

There is almost no better way to start off this year’s second day of the 15th Annual Copper River Salmon Jam than with a run or walk through the scenic Copper River Delta.  Not a runner?  Never fear! There is an Alaska Salmon Run road race for everyone — the King Salmon Marathon, Sockeye Half-Marathon, Coho 10K, Smolt 5K, and 1-mile fun run.

See you on the road!

Anne Schaefer is an avian research assistant with the Prince William Sound Science Center.

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