This past week I participated in the Toronto Challenge Run. This running race is relatively small and local race held annually in downtown Toronto. I chose to do it because my work team registered for the event. The 4 most attractive things about registering for this race are as follows: (1) This race is CHEAP. It costs only $20 to register (and only $10 if you are over 65 or have a disability); (2) This race is held in downtown Toronto with a course very similar to the Scotiabank and St. Patty’s Day 5k; (3) There is FREE parking for the first 200 or 300 participants; and (4) This race is SMALL. The number of people who actually run it is very small (most walk – and are started after runners). As a result, I didn’t feel like I was competing for space on the road, even in the first kilometre of the race. These factors contributed to a great race experience and may provide an opportunity for newer runners to get that race experience at reasonable price. I should mention that I was disappointed with the lack of course markings (I only noticed kilometre markings at 1k and 4k – so I had to rely on my watch and estimated pace). Also, while this race isn’t “chip-timed”, they do scan your bib and take down your bib number at the end of the race (fairly accurate, but I am guessing not as accurate as chip time!). Despite these downfalls, this is a race that I will consider doing again next year!
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Race reports Toronto challenge run 5k – The lesser known 5k in downtown Toronto
