Upcoming Races

The Go Girls have made their first 2010 race appearance! On March 14, Mariana and I (T) ran the Achilles St. Patrick's Day 5K. We tore up the road and we looked good doing it. (Read the race report below!)

It's time now to look ahead to some great spring races. The following is a list of races in which members of the Go Girls will be making an appearance. We invite you to join us in these races or to come on out and cheer for us. Of course, this invitation does not extend to the paparazzi. Please let us race in peace! Sports Illustrated and National Enquirer, I'm looking at you! (I hate it when Sports Illustrated uses my photo in its swimsuit edition; it's so embarrassing.)

Currently, we have three races on our calendars: Harry's Spring Run-off; the Sporting Life 10K; and the GTAA Pearson Runway Run. Read on for more details!

Harry's Spring Run-off
The Spring Run-off (SRO) is a true Ontario classic. Held in Toronto's beautiful High Park, this race marks the official beginning of the Canadian Running Series in Ontario. The SRO features two distances -- 5K and 8K -- and the finish lines for both courses falls at the end of a rather brutal hill. Indeed, part of the charm and challenge of the SRO is the landscape, including the winding paths through High Park and, of course, the hills.

The other dimension of the charm and challenge of the SRO is the weather. As this race occurs fairly early in the season (the first Saturday in April), the weather can be beautiful and full of the promise of spring...or it can be brutal, as winter gives Toronto one last rather hard kick in the pants. I have run the SRO in ice storms, damp weather, sunny and gorgeous weather, and even weather that featured almost every kind of cold weather precipitation, including, at various times in the morning, rain, snow, freezing rain, and sleet.

If this is the "charm" of the SRO, why do people run it? Because it is a classic. Because all runners have a story about the SRO: the feeling of crossing that finish line at the top of that last hill, conquering the weather, moving up from the 5K to the 8K distance, the pancake breakfast afterward, and so on.

For my part, the SRO was the first road race I ever ran. As I lined up at the start of the 5K event, I tried to think "my goal here is to finish this race without having to stop to walk at any point". However, as I looked around me at the other runners and readied myself for the sound of the starting pistol, I could not help but think, "Screw it! I want to win!" A runner was born. I did not win the race that year, but I did place fourth in my age group--mostly because the weather was so bad that almost no one showed up! (It was the year that the SRO was hit by an ice storm.)

Recently, Harry Rosen became the title sponsor for the SRO and the race now benefits research for prostate cancer. Since Harry Rosen became the title sponsor, this race has affectionately become known as Harry's SRO. Plus, there are now prizes for the best dressed runners. For their part, many runners have stepped up to the challenge and arrive at the race ready to run in suits, including full tuxedos, with tails and top hats! It is great fun.

Harry's SRO takes place on April 3 at High Park, Toronto. For more details, visit the Canada Running Series website.

The Sporting Life 10K
The Sporting Life 10K is quickly becoming one of the most popular races in Ontario. After all, who wouldn't want to be part of the mob of runners who take over Yonge Street? There's nothing quite like hitting Young and Eligible, I mean, Yonge and Eglington, and seeing a mighty mob of runners filling the streets, while laughter and music rises above them.

Then again, looking at the above photo, it could be quite terrifying if you were standing in the path of all those runners. It's best to be in the heart of the pack of runners or safely off to the side.

The other wonderful thing about the Sporting Life 10K is that this 10K is almost all downhill. Almost all. There are definitely a few points where the course ascends rather than descends. The good news is that the descents out-number the ascents and there are lots of bands en route to keep things lively.

This year, the race ends at the Exhibition Grounds. This should be a great venue for the post-race party. The Sporting Life 10K takes place on Sunday, May 2 and the course goes down Yonge Street! For more details, see the Canada Running Series website.

GTAA Toronto Pearson Runway Run
This 5K event is my new favourite race. After all, what could be more fun than running a 5K on a runway at Pearson airport?!?

That's right. The race occurs on a runway at Pearson International Airport. Thankfully, someone informs the control tower that there is a race occurring on the runway so that the tower knows not to land any planes on the runway. But planes do land and take off on the runway right next to the race runway!

I can only wonder what passengers must think when they land, look out the window, and see people running around on the runway next to them....

My guess is that the folks on the Air Transat flight were thinking, "Boy, Air Canada sure has made a lot of cut backs. Now they are making people race to the plane for their seats!"

The Runway Run lets you get up close and personal with a few airplanes that are (safely) parked on the race runway. It's cool to be able to take a close look at the planes. Of course, someone makes sure that the keys are not left in the ignition of the planes so that no one can take off without permission.

Plus, as the photo below illustrates, it would be hard to climb into the plane to take it for a spin. It's a long way up to the cockpit.

The Runway Run is family-friendly and features a 2.5K fun run and walk for the little ones in addition to the 5K. And where do you run for this 5K? You start in the middle of the runway, then you run to one end of the runway, turn around and run all the way to the other end, before turning around and returning to the middle of the runway. They park a plane at one end of the runway to make sure that you don't run too far.

The really good news about the Runway Run is that you only have to race against the clock...and not the airplanes.

Other great features of the 2009 race included a fly-by of a Canadian Forces fighter jet from the Canadian Forces Base. I think we may have flown the Air Forces budget in this fly-by, but it was worth it!
Another highlight was meeting one of the fellows who helps to control the pigeon and seagull population at the airport. Birds are a big risk to jet planes. Pearson keeps a number of falcons around to help keep other birds out of the area (and out of jet plane engines). Pearson also has a few dogs whose sole job in life is to chase birds. Can you imagine how happy those dogs must be?!

Now, don't make fun of the falcon's funny little hat. It's regulation. I also am pretty sure that it's not actually called a "funny little hat". The hat is actually some sort of radio device. But I do know that the bird was NOT wearing a timing chip and did not participate in the race.


The GTAA Toronto Pearson Runway Run takes place on Saturday, June 17 on a runway at Pearson International Airport. There is free parking, to boot! For more information about the race, visit the GTAA website. To register, visit the Running Room's Event page. A word to the wise: this race fills up quickly. Don't delay signing up or you might just miss the plane, er, the boat.