Now that we are basking in hot and humid summer temperatures, I figured this was a good time to recall the sometimes ridiculous winter conditions that GTA runners endured in our March races.
Chilly Half Marathon (Burlington)
Sun. March 3, 2011 @10am
Overcast -5 degrees celcius
The quest for a spring marathon often begins with a good winter tune-up, and the Chilly Half Marathon is one of the more popular options amongst GTA runners. Sold out for yet another year, the event was held relatively incident-free despite dangerous winter weather conditions that weekend. The highways and roads leading to Burlington were treacherous to navigate, as numerous cars were spinning and sliding into ditches along the 404 and 401 due to the icy conditions.
Thankfully, the ice was mostly melted on the race course by the time the half marathon began, but there was still a lot of slush and water to navigate around. The route was mostly flat and featured a pair of out-and-back loops around the Lakeshore. Most notable sighting was an aid station staffed by members of a local church at around the 18km mark, where even the priest was handing out refreshments. Talk about divine intervention!
The race was well run as it usually is, with the only negative being the aftermath of the winter storm.
Achilles St. Patrick’s Day 5km (Toronto)
Sun. March 13, 2011 @10am
Overcast, -1 degrees celcius
The weather was much kinder for this event than it was for the Chilly Half, though the odd wind tunnel from the office towers reminded us it still was winter. The route is a straight out-and-back that starts and ends on Bremner Ave., right between the CN Tower and Rogers Centre. Luckily, the weather was not as cold or icy as it was for the Chilly Half Marathon.
This year, the organizer announced to the crowd that the route was going to be slightly short. According to my GPS, the route was a perfect 5km. The route itself is relatively flat with only one incline, but I hesitate to label it a ‘fast course’ due to the fact that the route can get very crowded in spots. Even with a strict cap of about 1,500 participants, the route was only barely able to accomodate the number of walkers and runners. There were also a good number of spectators lining the sidewalks near the start/finish area.
Still, the event kept its most redeeming attributes intact — a well-marshalled and supported route, a fun atmosphere, a popular team component and beer after the race.
Around the Bay 30km (Hamilton)
Sunday, March 27, 2011 @9:30am
Sun & Cloud mix -5 degrees celcius
A well attended event, including a big contingent from Team Running Free. This race has sold out well in advance the past few years. A bit surprising, since running 30km in chilly -5 degree temps seems a bit crazy to the average person.
I previously attempted the full 30km several years ago, and I was among a small group that took advantage of an earlier start time for slow runners and walkers. That option no longer exists, so I started alongside thousands of other runners that morning. It was my first taste of what the Around the Bay 30km was really like. The only surprise was how crowded it felt for so long — the pack did not spread out until we were well past the halfway point. While space became more readily available after THE hill came and went, weary participants would get closely acquainted one more time as we squeezed together to cross a narrow finish line inside Copps Coliseum.
For more in-depth detail about the race course itself, I’ll defer to other TRF members who have posted reviews on this event. I’ll just say that this race was quite challenging to run and train for, and the atmosphere at the finish line was akin to completing a full marathon.
