Canada Running Series has brought us another great event with the Race Roster Spring Run-Off 8K and 5K in High Park, Toronto.
Having run the 5K event twice in the past, this year I opted for the 8K run. The route through High park is wide and fully paved, with ample room to spread out despite the large number of runners; there are just enough downhills to make up for the uphills, with the extra “Kill the Hill” challenge in the final 400 metres of both distances. The run is scenic and enjoyable.
I keep coming back to this event because it is so well organized. There is ample parking surrounding the park, either on-street or in Green P parking lots. The race site itself is easy to navigate with well-marked tents for the Help Desk, Kit Pick-up, Bag Check, Food, and several other race events and sponsors on site. A special treat that is available upon registration is the High Park Pancake Breakfast.
Canada Running Series has nailed the art of the swag, offering up yet another great medal for this year’s event, featuring a beautiful etching of the cherry blossoms of High Park. The medal has all the features that attract me to a race: The name and distance of the event, the date, what the event is in support of (“To conquer cancer in our lifetime”), and a beautifully decorated ribbon. As for the technical t-shirt, they offered mens’ and womens’ specific fits, and this year they chose the design for the shirts through an online popular vote between two options, which was fun.
All in all the Race Roster Spring Run-Off 8K & 5K is a fun and well organized event that I would recommend running.
