The Alfie Shrubb Classic was a race I was interested in doing for a few years now, and only this year did it fit into my race schedule. The most interesting aspect of this race is the name sake. Alfie Shrubb was a British-born runner who eventually settled in Bowmanville. See the Web site link for an overview of his interesting life story.

The race itself was my first opportunity to test my newly acquired Sugoi Team Running Free tech T-shirt. Lucky for me I opted for the T-shirt and not a singlet — the weather was cool 11 degrees celcius, overcast and a bit windy. The course was a straight out-and-back route with a gradual incline at around the 3 and 5km mark, where water stations were placed. The field of about 300 runners was quite fit, with the winner (Danny Kassap) breaking the course record with a sub-25 minute time. I finished some 17 minutes later, relieved to hear other runners that they (like me) gave in to the temptation of starting too quickly.

That quick start was slowed down by fatigue, the aforementioned incline, and then a group of walkers. The walkers actually started 20 minutes prior to the runners, which created two concerns: 1) runners were dodging and weaving around the back end of the walkers for half the race, and 2) the lead power walkers must surely prefer to finish their race without having the lead runners as a late distraction. Perhaps organizers could consider starting the walkers even earlier, or have them start just after the runners if possible.

Overall, the race was well organized and pre/post-race facilities were thankfully indoors (a local school).  Finishers received a unique medal and completion certificate. I’d recommend this race to anyone who needs a tune-up run after a spring marathon recovery.