Niagara Ultra 50km, Full Marathon, Half Marathon & 10km run/walk (Niagara-on-the-Lake)
Saturday, June 18, 2011 @7am
Sunny & humid, 25 degrees celcius
The Niagara Ultra is an annual tradition of the St. Catherines Road Runners and part of the Ontario Ultra Series. I chose this event as the venue for my first full marathon attempt in six years because I wanted a smaller, low cost and established event. It was also a big bonus that the route took participants on a scenic tour of wine country alongside the Niagara Parkway.
All events (50km, full, half and 10km) were out-and-back races that borrowed parts of the same route — a 25 km stretch of paved bike paths, wood bridges, sidewalks, grass and asphalt between Niagara-on-the-Lake and Niagara Falls. All participants started in Niagara-on-the-Lake and ran south along the route until they hit their respective turnaround points. Since I was running the full, I had a first-hand look at the half marathon and 10km race routes.
The 10km appeared to be a very good race to take part. Starting at 8:30am when the temperatures were a relatively cool 20 degrees celcius and most of the course was in the shade, the first 5km of this route presented few obstacles and was relatively flat. There was one aid station that participants pass twice.
The half marathon started a half hour earlier at 8am, and added a few wood bridges that required moderate attention. Otherwise, it was more of the same — a scenic, flat, supported and straight-forward route that was almost always in the shade with a cool breeze. In my opinion, the half marathon was the crown jewel of this event, a solid race and a good bargain.
The full marathon became challenging at the 11km mark, with a steady incline at least one mile in length. The route also became twisty and less intuitive, and there were only tiny pink and orange lawn flags in the grass to indicate you were still on the right path. I do not know if this posed a problem for the main pack of 3-4 hr marathoners, but it was an issue for slower individuals like myself who were not able to see the runner ahead of us when the pack spread out.
This leads me to the marshalling. While aid stations and turn-around points were well-staffed, much of the route between the 11km and 17km mark were not. There were no marshalls at several points where they were most needed, most notably where participants had to cross back-and-forth across the Niagara Parkway where there were no stop signs or traffic signals. It also included a traffic bridge where the lone adjoining sidewalk and paved shoulder was closed. With no other way around the bridge, participants were forced to run on a busy live traffic lane with oncoming vehicles travelling up to 70km/h. While we were warned about this bridge prior to the race, I saw no sign posted to alert drivers of runners being on the road, and no marshall to guide us across. It created a potentially dangerous situation, one that I hope organizers and city officials will address for next year.
There were no other navigational issues for the rest of the way, but new challenges arose. Participants going in both directions had to share the route with tourists, cyclists and inline skaters. I had to weave around many walkers and avoid oncoming cyclists who were not even aware a marathon was taking place. Finally, the cool shade disappeared in the last 10km of the race, replaced by intense sun, humidity and temperatures of 25 degrees celcius.
On the positive side, the aid stations were consistent and well stocked, with everything from ice and water to fruit and pretzels. Volunteers at the aid stations were top notch and gave each athlete individual attention. The finish line area was well stocked with pizza and cold pasta, and had an indoor hall for participants to escape the heat. Parking was available within walking distance.
As for me, I managed to eclipse my personal best marathon time by 22 seconds. For that I will fondly remember the Niagara Ultra as the venue where I finally achieved my most elusive PB. Unfortunately, I will also remember the crowded course and lack of signs and marshalling, which made a competitive marathon feel too much like a spontaneous practice run.
Overall, I give the Niagara Ultra half marathon and 10km high marks and recommend them to anyone. As for the full marathon and the 50km, only experienced runners should attempt these — novice marathoners are advised to choose a closed course with more support for their 42.2km debut.
