Eva McDonald's Staging Area

The good things about this race:
– easy to drive to (highway access)
– race day pick-up
– free Tim Horton’s coffee
– free parking near the golf club and start/finish line
– many indoor bathrooms (at least 3 in the club)
– free showers and locker use
– indoor waiting area
– free wifi
– race kit has full-sized samples and the swag was a full-zip fleece jacket
– lots of knowledgeable volunteers
– beautiful scenery on a private golf course
– race participants capped at 400(?) – anyway, the course leaves in waves and is not crowded
– lots of water/energy drink stations
– race route uses the full golf course so lots of scenery changes
– free race photos
– the medal is a decent-sized bottle opener on a lanyard with velcro closure
– buffet lunch

The bad things about this race:
– well, it is a golf course, so be forewarned: it’s quite hilly

This is my favourite race of the year for its consistently smooth operation. Among its logistic advantages:
– ample, free parking close to the start/finish line
– paved trail closed to cars
– very good logistics, eg. placement of water/Gatorade stations and portapotties
– lots of volunteers
– ample food and lots of variety (watermelon, bananas, bottled water, granola bars, cookies, protein bars, potato chips)
– attractive medal

This year the route was an out-and-back but with one loop. In previous years, the start line was in a different location and the route was a simple-out-and-back. The loop was tedious, but necessary due to the location change of the start/finish, no doubt due to the new mayor’s promise to keep event road closures to a minimum, so I can’t fault the RD for that.

Things to love about this race, organized by a local running club:
– race kit included a toque, sample snacks and a full-size package of Werther’s Chcocolate Crunch caramels
– lots of free parking along Queen Street until noon
– indoor washrooms
– indoor bag check
– lots and lots of volunteers
– pacer elves for every few minutes, e.g. 52, 55, 57, 60, etc.
– timing mat at the halfway mark to record your split times
– flat course (my Garmin showed 0 metres elevation gain)
– lots of post-race food including water, bananas, Clif bars, Pita Break rounds, and gingerbread scones from Cobb’s Bakery

New this year was a kids’ 1k race with little finishers medals, half the size of the 10k medal.

(Note: not the fault of the club, but I downgraded the “scenery” rating this year because of major construction along the route. Fences, barriers and construction debris is just not scenic.)

This event is the biggest race in Canada and a very well organized production with hundreds of volunteers.

Packet pick-up was quick and there were some good deals at the expo, plus lots to see.

On race day itself, there were two minor annoyances:
– no matter where you park or alight, there is a very long walk (30-40 minutes) to your corral as the entire road is gated off with no access to the sidewalk except for narrow openings for each corral, and with over 26,000 runners plus spectators, the walk is slow and very crowded
– after the race, you are herded into a chute (again, entirely gated with no sidewalk access) to enter the food area – parts of the chute get very narrow and you come to frequent standstills as you shuffle ever so slowly with the crowd, tightly packed elbow to elbow.

Things I appreciated:
– accurate markers at every kilometre
– water/Gatorade stations every 2-3 kms
– gel station at the half-way point
– heated waiting area and indoor bathrooms inside the City Hall building

Tip: the tall buildings will play havoc with your GPS watch, so an old-fashioned pace band (free at the expo) is very useful.

This race benefits the Durham Region Humane Society and is well-supported by generous sponsors – this means nice race kits and swag for runners who have pets, especially dogs (see photos).

Race kit pick-up was quick and spread out over 3 days, so there were no queues. The race kit included a shopping bag, a button magnet, a window cling decoration, a squeaky dog toy, a little red reflector/ID tag for a dog collar, a small black triangular bandana for a pet, a larger green bandana for humans or bigger pets, a CD of tunes that the Society sold as a past fundraiser, two packs of dog treats, a coupon for a free trial at a doggy gym, a coupon for a 3-day trial at a fitness centre for humans, a pack of eLoad drink powder, and of course the “Authentic T-Shirt” brand tech tee (it’s the same tech tee as last year, and judging by the many sizes they had left, it’ll probably be the same next year too).

At the race site, many vendors were giving out freebies. These included a food scoop, ball, frisbee, magnet, flashing reflector light, stick-on mobile device screen wipe, dog treats, and a big squeaky toy. Not pictured: Nutrience was handing out full-sized packages of their Grain Free Dry Food.

It turns out that you don’t need to pick up a bib and velcro-ankle-band chip (which you must return) on race day if you don’t want to race, but would rather just walk the course with or without your dog. In other words, if you don’t care about getting an official time, you can follow the route, cross the finish line and receive a finisher’s medal even without a bib and chip. The medal last year was a dog tag on a metal chain – this year it was a key chain.

The actual race was slow-going and chaotic, and was more of a mass dog walk than a race (see photo), with water bowls and dog treat stations along the route. For example the runners who were actually racing, with or without dogs, on the return trip of the out-and-back route had to weave around and barrel through other dog walkers and their pets walking 2-3 abreast on the narrow path. The park was not closed off to the public, so there were many strollers, cyclists, and a few wheelchairs. The crowding amounted to a lot of dodging and running on the narrow strip of grass which was unfortunately steeply cambered.

In spite of the challenges, it was a fun race simply because everyone seemed happy and it was nice to pet a whole lot of random, friendly pooches.

Prizes went to the top overall male and female, top overall male and female with dogs, top team, and top 3 fundraisers.

Post-race food included water, apples, cookies and cereal bars. A nice touch was free race photos and random draw prizes which included round-trip flight tickets to any destination covered by the airline, and an Apple watch. Other details: indoor bathrooms, free parking, no baggage check (but not an issue as the start/finish line is right by the parking lot).

This is a low fee race – only $20 for the 5k to $35 for the full marathon at the lowest rate. You get what you pay for (e.g. unisex cotton shirt, same medal as last year, chip time results available a few days after the race) which Is fair, but my concern is over how disorganized the production was this year.

There were no emails with follow-ups and changes to the race information. The location of kit pick-up was announced on Facebook only, then changed without notice, causing us to be directed to 3 different locations on pick-up day until we found the volunteers. At pick-up, we learned from another runner that the route had changed at the last minute. I believe that the gun time had also changed from the time we registered – this I can’t say for certain but suspect that I would not have signed up for a weekend race with such an early start (7:45). Basically, if you’re not a Facebook user who follows their timeline stream diligently, you’d be lost and confused, as we were.

As I mentioned in a previous review, the charity that this race supports is worthwhile, but going forward I will likely find other ways to support it.

Race kit pick-up was the slowest I’ve ever experienced. I was the second of only three people in line, and I estimate that it took the two organizers 5-7 minutes to assemble each kit. It was obvious that neither (grumpy) volunteer really knew what they were doing but there was no excuse as I went on the second day of kit pick-up!

This race is known for its well-stocked kits, but apparently not this time. There was a “meh” Authentic T-Shirt brand tech shirt, a small re-usable bag from the sponsor (a national drug store chain), a scratch pad and hand sanitizer… and that was it (see images).

Well, no mind, I thought, surely the race will be better. It wasn’t.

To get to the free parking before the road closed, you had to be there by 7:30, even though gun times were 8:45 for the 10k and 9:00 for the 5k and BOTH races started 15 minutes late!

There was no seeding – not even self-seeding – at the start line. Like the bulk of the crowd, I approached from the front of the start line and asked the first person at the timing mat, “What’s your goal time?” She shrugged and said, “I’m walking.” A few others beside her said they were walking as well, so I stayed put, right on the mat. I imagine that there was A LOT of weaving by faster folks behind me. I included a photo of the start line so you can see my position at left with the yellow hat. The people beside me, all the way to the right, are walkers. If you want to try to win a prize or PR at this race, be prepared to waste lots energy weaving!

The route ran through suburbia and the streets were closed only on one side. If you love running past cookie cutter homes built in the 80s and 90s while people in cars who live in those homes glare at you for blocking the roads, you will adore this race! Boring, boring, please kill me, boring, evil eye from driver, boring, boring, more boring.

Instead of a medal, we each got a cheap bracelet (see images). Post-race food was decent, and I won a hat from spinning a wheel at a vendor’s booth so that was okay, I guess. Panera Bread donated some yummy assorted bagels, and there were bananas, oranges, water, protein shakes, coffee, protein bars, chocolate bars and cookies.

That said, it’s probably a good first race, especially for women. For everyone else: you’re not missing anything.

(Note: no official race photographer. If you want pictures, remember to bring your camera.)

I have nothing but good things to say about this race which is now in my annual must-do category (along with the Tannenbaum 10k and the Toronto Ten Miler).

I signed up my sister for this race on Christmas Eve as her holiday gift. I asked the RD a question, not expecting an answer before the gift-buying deadline, but Sara of Raceworks actually got back to me on the same day – yes, on Christmas Eve! The RD gets much love from me for that alone.

Race kit pick up was fast and smooth. This race includes a good quality tech jacket – Leslie Jordan “Edge” style with embroidered logo – and a race kit with full-size items including Neutrogena face cream, spray-on sunscreen, men’s aftershave, Listerine, and other Johnson & Johnson products.

The location was easy to get to with lots of free parking right by the golf club house. Before the race, there was free Tim Horton’s coffee and water. There were lots of lockers, free of charge to use. Runners were able to wait in the club to stay warm and use the indoor bathrooms. The start line was right at the club entrance, so the trek to the start /finish was very short. Participants were seeded in waves to avoid crowding.

The race is 16k on the rolling cart paths of the golf course, and is technically challenging. There are no straight, flat sections. Most of the trail is in full sunlight, which was welcome after such a harsh winter. It’s a beautiful course, as one would expect for the site of the Canadian Open golf tournament.

After the race, participants could take showers free of charge. The club provided soap, shampoo, moisturizer, towels and hair dryers. The after-race lunch included green salads, chili with a vegetarian option, vegetarian hot pasta, assorted rolls and cold cuts plus condiments and sliced tomatoes and onions, juice, pop and water. Desserts included bars, tarts and fruit. The service was excellent everywhere in the club, with the first-class service that Angus Glen is known for.

The medal is a decent size and design and is a bottle opener. A nice touch is that the ribbon has a velcro closure so that you can slip the medal off when using it to open bottles.

Official photos were free for downloading from the Facebook event page, and were posted quickly – only a few hours after the race!

The registration fee was $90 but worth every penny, and I’ve already committed to signing up for next year.

Many good things about this race:
– course is out and back, but is very flat
– lots of pace bunnies
– lots of water/Gatorade stations
– lots of crowd support
– indoor heated area for before and after race
– free and frequent shuttle buses to/from the Appleby GO train station
– free parking at “Green P” lots close to the start/finish line
– random prize draws
– indoor washrooms
– free bowl of chili and bottle of beer afterward at local restaurants
– nice swag: a Levelwear tech jacket (see images)
– the whole town supports this race, e.g. in front of a church on the race route, the Minister and volunteers were handing out orange slices and banana sections
– big gorgeous medal (see images)
– heavily discounted entry fee for next year offered to all runners (regular fee is $75, but discounted fee is only $50 if you sign up within 2 days after the race)

This is a very well organized, fun race.

This was a fun and well-organized event.

The volunteers were happy and friendly, and Canadian Football League celebrity Michael “Pinball” Clemons is a charismatic, enthusiastic personality who brought much positive energy to the event with his opening speech and his high-fiving and thanking of everyone during the race, which he ran along with us!

The race kit included a long-sleeved New Balance tech shirt and the post-race goody bag included a voucher for two free Argonauts game tickets for the 2015 season. I signed up for this race hoping that the medal would be shaped like a football, and was not disappointed.

Had a great time for a good cause. Well done, Mr. Clemons and team!

(Note: no official race photographer. If you want pictures, remember to bring your camera.)

I ran the 5k and found it to be a competitive event. For example, for my AG, 45-49 there were 6 runners who did sub-24:00!

The race kit was okay, with gloves instead of the usual tech shirt, but the post-race food bag and swag were outstanding (see photo).

THE GOOD:
The race kit included tech gloves instead of a shirt which is useful and appreciated. Kit pick up was quick and organized. In fact, the whole race was well organized with knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteers. Baggage check and pick up was quick, race results were available immediately as were free massages. There was a nice variety in the post-race food, with rolls and a trio of spreads, bananas, apples, watermelon, power bars, trail mix, etc. The medal was a large size with a fantastic design and colourful printed ribbon. The route was, as advertised, flat and fast, perfect for a PR.

THE BAD:
None of the issues were the fault of the race director or volunteers, but I’ll mention them anyway. The porta-porties were delivered late, ready about 5 minutes before the Ten Miler start time, which meant very long lines to use the on-site washrooms. The Gardiner Expressway was closed which meant a longer commute for some (I left early enough to avoid the rush, thanks to the RD who sent out an email the day before warning of the closure). Near the end of the 10k, cars were leaving the Green P parking lot at 115 Unwin which meant that they had to cut across the race route. There was a police officer guiding traffic and ensuring that the runners were safe, so that helped immensely, but it could not have been encouraging for the approaching runners who might think that they would need to slow down or stop so close to the end of the race.

Basically, the things that were within the RD’s control went well and the organizers did everything they could to make up for the shortcomings (e.g. starting the race 10 minutes later so that the porta-potties could be set up and used). For that reason, I would run this race again and recommend it to others.

A little late to the start line as road construction made finding the designated parking lot an ordeal – that’s not the fault of the organizers but I wish they had noted the closed major street in the last minute instructions so that we could plan our detour accordingly. I’m told that it was much easier to take public transportation to the race site, so will consider that next time.

Volunteers were mostly high schoolers – plentiful, polite and friendly but often not well informed, e.g. 20 minutes before the race, I asked three groups of volunteers where the start line was, but none of them knew.

Race kit included only the Swiftex brand long-sleeved tech shirt and bib with timing chip. A nice touch was the free professional photo on race day, and the colourful stainless steel water bottle with hard plastic lid that was handed out to each finisher. Post-race food was water, Gatorade, Pita Break rounds and bananas – nothing more. The medal was a spinner this year.

Because of the Shakespeare-themed long-sleeved tech shirts, the always-lovely medal, and the “More-tal” lapel pins (you get one if you’re a repeat runner, with a different colour for each combined distance, e.g. blue-toned pin for 5k + 15K, green-toned pin for 30k + 30k, etc.), I’ll likely run this race again.

June 15, 2014 was the inaugural date of this race and there was a 5k and 10k option – no 15k that first year.

Race kit included an Authentic T-Shirt Company brand tech shirt, collapsible water bottle and food samples.

The scenic, flat course through Sunnybrook Park is the same one that is used by many Toronto runs, e.g. Toronto Women’s Run Series, so local racers should be familiar with it. It was a small race that first year, but felt bigger and festive, with a bagpiper, good MC, and decent sound system, the latter of which is often absent at small events. Results were available right away in the Enfield Timing booth. Post-race food included watermelon – perfect for a hot day! – buns with cream cheese and jam spreads, more of the food samples that were in the race kit, water and Gatorade. The medal was cute and unique, featuring a cartoon running maple leaf.

The event was professionally managed. My only suggestion is to add a professional photographer, as I wish I had race day pictures, and perhaps they will as this race grows.