Portland Fit is excited to announce our Travel Marathon destination is the Royal Victoria Marathon in beautiful Victoria, BC on October 8, 2006. We hope you can join Susie and I on this wonderful marathon weekend trip.

For a group of 30 or more, the cost will be $299 per person/double occupancy and includes:

• Deluxe motorcoach transport (with restroom!) and a uniformed, trained driver.
• Ferry transport via Port Angeles, WA.
• 2 nights at the deluxe Executive House hotel, just two blocks from Start/Finish
• Saturday night (October 7) dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory
• Sunday night post-marathon dinner/party at Swan, Victoria's popular Brewpub
• Also includes: luggage handlyng, meal and driver gratuity, taxes

October 7-9, 2006
Depart: Saturday, October 7 at 6am
Return: Monday, October 9 (10:30a departure from Victoria)

If you are interested, please send us an email by August 1st to register your interest. We need to figure out how many are interested in going on the trip! Also, if applicable, let us know if you are planning to travel with a friend/significant other/possible-roommate, or if you will want your own room!

Your email does not commit you to going, we just need to get a quick count to know if we have the numbers to organize this as is or if we need to get another bus or if we don't have enough to fill one!

Note: First priority will be to current Portland Fit members, however the trip is open to alumni and other friends, so if you have other interested people, let them know they are welcome -- we'll make it work!

Thanks,
John

Sounds great. I add myself as a potential attendee to the BC marathon.

If you are interested (and you haven't already), you must send me an email as directed above so I can add you to the list for future updates.

I also got an email asking me if Walkers were welcome. Of course! In fact, no where in the above does it discuss runners or walkers -- all are welcome!

For more info about the event, please visit their website at:

Royal Victoria Marathon Website

Thanks!

Is a passport required to get into/out of Canada? If so the process can take 6 weeks or more.

This is what I'm aware of at this time:

Anyone traveling to Canada should have some type of government photo ID (such as a driver’s license) and a birth certificate.

However, the U.S. Department of State Web site notes that beginning Dec. 31, travelers will need a passport or some other secure accepted document for all air and sea travel to or from Canada, as well as Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda. This is in compliance with the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.

David

David's right, passports are not required until January 1, 2007.

I just took a group of kids into Canada and we were able to get back into the US with our driver's licenses. They asked us a few questions about where we were born and where our moms were born and then let us through. I did notice that the people with passports got through a lot faster than us. And if you have a copy of your birth certificate it would be a good idea to bring it as secondary proof of citizenship.

This trip looks like a lot of fun! I'm still debating on whether or not to do Victoria or Portland. John, I'll send you an email with my info...I just might go.

A couple of answers to questions:

The Royal Victoria Marathon also has a half-marathon, so if you want to do the half up there, you are still encourage to join us! Note: half-marathon participants are required to run back and forth to the bar on Sunday night fetching drinks for marathon participants.

The cost is per person double occupancy, so if your non-marathon-participating spouse wants to go, it's still $299 per person. Cost does not include cost of marathon or half-marathon.

You need to register for the marathon or half-marathon on your own -- that is not included in the price.

We will send out more details about the trip (including any potential deposits that need to happen) sometime soon. Once we get an idea of interest, we'll know more about how we organize it.

There has been some interest in going up Friday instead of Saturday. That would increase the cost by one night hotel, but we may put it up to a vote (not yet!) at some point in the future (availability pending). Stay tuned.

Thanks!

Thanks for your interest in the Portland Fit trip to the Royal Victoria Marathon on October 7-9. Attached please find details about the trip, including a form to fill out and submit with your $100 deposit. This is due ASAP!

Please note: you will need a passport *OR* your Driver’s License *AND* a birth certificate.

If you do not have a roommate, you may opt for the single option (see form) or note that you are interested in getting matched with another single participant. All other questions, please contact:

Joy Morgan
AC Red and Travel Coordinator Extraordinaiire
JoyMrgn262@aol.com

Please get these forms/deposits in as soon as you can!

Thanks,
John

____________________
John Pontefract
Portland Fit
john@portlandfit.com

Unfortunately, we have had to cancel this trip due to lack of interest. We needed a minimum number to plan the whole supported trip and it just didn't happen.

Folks are still encouraged to make the trip, however, you will just have to plan it on our own. Feel free to use this discussion forum to coordinate trip plans. We are returning your deposits along with some information about hotels -- the one we were working with is still offering a group discount to those that sign up by September 5.

Again our apologies to those that signed up. I was looking forward to the trip, too!

I'm sorry to hear that the trip had to be cancelled. I know those that had signed up were looking forward to it.

I myself would sign up next year if I knew the trip to Victoria would be considered again for next year. I have to request my vacation from work for the entire year on Jan 1 !! Needless to say...means I have to organize my yearly vacation plans way in advance!

As I usually end up traveling somewhere to do a Fall marathon, this idea of a destination marathon as a PDX Fit group is wonderful!! Would be a total blast to be a part of it!! I just wish it could have worked out for my schedule this year. Unfortunately, I had already requested time off in Jan for another Fall marathon.....

I know this is the first year that PDX Fit has attempted to organize a destination marathon...so I guess low numbers on interested participants are to be expected--it's a new thing...but I hope that PDX Fit seriously considers organizing the same destination next year!!
Announcing it at the beginning of the season in April, and maybe also including it on the PDX Fit website as a companion/alternate marathon that we train for--so people who need to, can plan time off from work before April, would hopefully get more to join the party!!!

Thanks for your hard work on organizing this.....I hope PDX Fit tries this again next year!

Pam