Yonge St 10K Canada Running Series – April 13th, 2014
This is my first post of the 2014 season to the Team Running Free (T.R.F.) Forums, but with the conclusion of my winter-spring “tune-up” racing season now complete I have the opportunity to put pen to paper about a variety of events and gear that I used throughout the winter.
Sunday the 13th of April was the annual Yonge Street 10K race. I’ve meant to participate in this event simply to compare it to the Sporting Life 10K that I ran a while back. (You can read about my experience in a previous race report. In short I left disenchanted with the Sporting Life 10K).
The Yonge Street 10K is a fast course. The route is primarily downhill so runners can push themselves if they wish. Race organizers offer shuttle bus service to the start line, and runners find themselves marshalled into appropriate starting corrals.
I was extremely pleased with this event. It was well organized, the starting corrals were effective in spreading runners out, local police did a great job of ensuring both pedestrian and vehicular traffic was monitored and the two aid operated smoothly. For an event of such magnitude, I can’t stress the level of competency, and efficiency on both the organizers and volunteers during the event. Even the loot bag offers runners with some great promotional items and the finishing medal is a good design with a touch of acrylic enamel to add colour the embossed image. Although the event in my opinion is pricey considering the total distance is10K, one can argue that it is justifiable due to its location in the heart of downtown Toronto; add the goodies in the grab bad, technical T shirt, hat, and a whole slew of other marketing tricks, you really are getting what you paid for.
Timing was accurate, and K-markers were generally placed in the correct locations. Worth mentioning, runners to have to be mindful of transit trolley tracks – hazardous to be sure, but besides this, the race course is runner friendly.
It was nice to see good numbers of T.R.F members on the course. The weather was perfect! Some team members posted quick and competitive times – well done! (By the sounds of it, many runners set personal bests at the distance). Our group had a lot of fun out there. So, if you’re looking into running a shorter distance, in the heart of a vibrant down-town Toronto, this race is worth considering.
