Hantsport Road Races - a brief history

Canada Day Races in Hantsport

The Dick Beazley Memorial Six-Mile Race

Richard "Dick" Beazley was born, grew up, married, had three sons, and worked in Hantsport. One of the best distance runners in the Maritime Provinces through the 1930s, he became a hometown favorite and gained widespread popularity with Nova Scotia's sports writers and fans of "the running game."

On February 26, 1945, at age 33, Dick died in Germany, the only Hantsport resident to be killed-in-action during World War II.

On July 1, 1947, veterans who were members of Hantsport's Lucknow Branch No.109 of the Royal Canadian Legion inaugurated the Dick Beazley Memorial Six-Mile Race, which became an important part of Hantsport's first and subsequent Canada Day celebrations. The second-longest annually-run race in Nova Scotia, its winners include some of the best runners in the Maritime Provinces.

Dick Beazley was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame in 2002.

The Arnold Robertson Two-Mile Race

Arnold Robertson, born in Four Falls, New Brunswick, arrived in Hantsport in 1946 at age 15 and settled in to work, marry, raise a family, and become a dedicated runner. On July 1, 1976, following Arnold's  suggestion, a two-mile race was initiated to encourage young people to try the sport.

With sponsorship from Arnold and Union 576 of the Canadian Keyes Fibre Company Limited (renamed CKF Inc. in 1982), the race became a popular annual event.

For over six decades, Arnold has been a familiar figure in races around Nova Scotia and beyond where his love of running, friendly smile, modest demeanor, and fast start in every race endeared him to generations of fans. Arnold exemplifies the ideal that everyone who runs a race is a "winner."

In 1997, the two-mile race was named to honor Arnold's running and race-building accomplishments.

from Karrie Ritchie