Sun. May 3, 2009.
Time: 8am
New route, larger numbers, same old Sporting Life 10km. That’s my assessment of this event, a race that I ran eight times previously before taking part in the 2009 edition.
The biggest change came to the final 3km of the race route. For the first time in recent memory, the start line was no longer situated near the base of the CN Tower on Bremner Blvd. Fort York became the new home of the race finish line, which meant runners navigated parts of Richmond Street, Peter St. and Wellington St. and the Bathurst bridge before finishing on Fort York Blvd. The start line and Yonge St. portions remained intact from previous years.
There was one notable difference in the start area, and that was the sheer volume of participants (reported to be in excess of 12,000). The start line began just south of Castlefield Ave. and participants were divided up into 5 different starting corrals. If you stood at the front of the start line and looked straight back, you would see an ocean of humanity lined up well past the Sporting Life store in the distance. For those unfamiliar with that portion of Yonge Street, that is an assembly of runners and walkers that stretched almost one full km in length. It may not be anything noteworthy for those who have run Chicago or Boston, but it was certainly a feat for a single Toronto road race.
The race itself did not feel any more crowded than usual, as both sides of Yonge Street were utilized for the race. The stretch down Yonge Street was shaded and cool, and the net downhill grade made for artificially fast splits. Once the turn was made onto Richmond Street for the new portion of the route, the shade and breeze gave way to unabated sunshine and warmer weather. Couple this with a modest climb over the bridge on Bathurst, and the race billed as “Canada’s Fastest 10k” may have just gotten a touch slower.
The post race area in Fort York was spacious and welcoming, at least once you got there (there was a long, crowded, slow walk from the finish line to the gates of Fort York, which would bring back memories for any recent New York City Marathon finishers). There was also the new challenge of getting back to the subway. The old finish are of years past was conveniently located within a few minutes of Union Station, while Fort York is a 15-20 minute walk away from the nearest subway station (unless you lined up waiting for the street cars on King St.)
So in summary, the changes and increase in numbers did little to change the overall feel of the Sporting Life 10km. It still remains a relatively fast course, with the Yonge Street portion being a rare treat for participants. And if you love the ‘big race’ atmosphere, this is still Toronto’s best event in that regard.
