This was my 3rd time pacing a race for this year. I have really come to like this type of running. Even though there is pressure to perform by keeping on pace, I find pacing more like a nice long slow run with the benefit of meeting new people. This pacing experience was much different than at other races. This event was much better organized and I tip my hat to the people at Brooks for sponsoring the pacers. Unlike other races where you simply get free race entry and a hat with bunny ears, the Scotiabank Toronto Marathon & 1/2 Marathon pacer program goes all out. If you are lucky enough to pace this race, Brooks give you a pair of shoes, a pair of shorts, a nice bright florescent yellow “PACER” shirt, and 2 hats in total (one with bunny ears and one without). Of course you get your race entry for free, but you also get the added bonus of 40% off all Brooks merchandise for a year! I was extra lucky as I was able to get a 1/2 marathon position which means I was still able to get all the perks, but only run 1/2 the distance.
Part of what set the pacing experience apart from other races I have paced was the fact you had to do a “training run” where you ran in a related event. You went to the location of the event and were introduced as one of the pacers so people would know you and could come up and ask questions. The second part that was nice was the expo. As part of being a pacer, you had to “work” the Brooks booth for a couple of hours. In reality, all you did was stand around with your pacer shirt, hat, and sign and answer questions if people had any about the race.
On race day I made sure to arrive earlier than I normally would if it was just me running my own race. I looked for other pacers and positioned myself accordingly in the corral so that people of similar speed would be together. It was a great feeling having so many people come up to you, introduce themselves, and ask a few last minute questions. You could tell that some were nervous and that going for the time I was pacing was a pretty big accomplishment for them. Most people seemed to ask how I was going to run the race (ie. consistent pace or negative split). I told everyone the same thing. Due to the large crowds we might be forced to start slow but my goal was to run a consistent pace. If we did start slow, I wasn’t going to make up all the time in one kilometer. I would call out how much we were ahead or behind our time at each kilometer marker. I told them if they wanted a 1:40 (the time I was pacing) they should start behind me and make sure they finish in front of me. It seemed to calm people down.
When the race started, there were so many people that I actually missed seeing the first few km markers. I was glad I had a paceband that I could compare to my elapsed time. In Toronto you were between all the tall buildings or under the Gardiner Expressway so the GPS isn’t always accurate. According to my GPS I was doing a 3 pace in some areas and 9 pace in others. The elapsed time never lied. Like I told people I would, at each km marker I would call out how much time we had in the bank. It was usually between 10 and 15 seconds. The course was pretty flat with no real hills. My favourite part was the out and back area as I was able to see a lot of runners I knew. It was fun to be able to cheer them on. The course was a bit windy at times which made it a challenge holding the pacer sign but people really appreciated the fact I kept it the entire race. As we were running along people would ask when they should break away to make sure they beat the 1:40 time. If they seemed like they were breathing well and had lots of energy left I told them to go. There were a few that I told it was up to them, but they could stay with me and I would get them in under their time. As we were getting close to the end of the race, somehow I didn’t see the 20k marker. That was an important marker as I would be able to tell people once again how close we were with just over a km to go. I kept what I thought was a consistent pace and looked for the next marker to compare to my elapsed time. 500m was the next sign I saw! Of course I didn’t have an elapsed time on that distance so quickly figured out how much time until 1:40 and compared that with a slow 400m time to determine I would be fine to come in under the 1:40 time. I started running sideways and encouraging people to push it hard, don’t leave anything on the course, break the 1:40! I crossed the line but of course forgot to stop my watch right away since I was cheering people on. I figured I was 3 seconds fast which was pretty impressive. I had to wait until the official results to know for sure. There is always talk about the “GOLDEN CARROT”. Some races have this award for the pacer who gets closest to the actual time they were to pace. I figured 3 seconds was close, but I had seen closer in Ottawa. When I checked my official time after the race…1:40:00 (perfect pacing).
