Dressed for Success: The Go Girls Take on Harry's SRO

There are certain races that a person must do in order to participate fully in the Toronto running scene. Harry's Spring Run-Off is certainly one of those races. The SRO has been around for 32 years. It marks the kick-off of the Canada Running Series season in Ontario and is legendary for its hills and its weather. After this year's race, Harry's SRO is now also legendary for the participation of Toronto's favourite women's running club, the Go Girls (i.e. us).

The Go Girls were well represented at Harry's SRO. Mariana, Nana, and I (Theresa) ran the 8K, while Jacquie (JaJa) ran the 5K. Our DH (Designated Husband), Joanna, accompanied the gang to the race and did a fine job of cheering and holding our stuff.

The fabulous Go Girls: Mariana, JaJa, T & Nana

Now you might wonder why two of the runners in the above photo look like, well, runners and two other runners in the photo look like something out of vaudeville. (If you cannot figure out which group of runners is which, then you (a) are likely not a runner and/or (b) don't know what the word "vaudeville" means.) To put this matter in context, you must remember that the race's title sponsor is Harry Rosen, the elegant men's clothier in Toronto. Runners were encouraged to dress up. (To see some of the outfits worn by other runners, see the blog post "Behind the Scenes at a Go Girls Race".) Readers, you should be aware that there was an informal agreement among the Go Girls that they would dress up for the race. The photo should tell you who adhered to the agreement and who did not. More importantly, the photo should tell you who has style and who does not. But just in case you are wondering, the next photo should help you determine who are the leaders in style at the Go Girls. (I make no representations about the type of style, mind you.)

"We feel pretty, so pretty, so pretty and witty and fast..."

In any case, whether dressed as runners or something off of New York's fashion runways, each of the Go Girls had a splendid race. The 8K runners were called to the race corrals by the plaintive sounds of the official SRO bagpiper. That's right: the race had a bagpiper.



I believe the bagpiper was playing "Ode to the Hills of High Park", followed by "Amazing Grace" (the song you want to hear when you are about to feel like death as you trudge up the hills of High Park).

Having been properly chipped,

the 8K Go Girls reported to their race corral and prepared to do battle with the hills.

For the most part, the 8K race went well for the Go Girls. Mariana finished first, with a chip time of 48:48.9, a terrific time. Notably, Mariana finished the race very strong, sprinting up the last hill. Her strong finish made up for the small time lost during the race due to wardrobe malfunctions (see below). T finished close on the heels of Mariana, with a chip time of 49:04.9. Considering that T also had a wardrobe malfunction and spent a bit of time pandering to the "audience" (also known as spectators), T considers her time respectable. Nana achieved her goal of finishing the race in under one hour; her chip time was 59:26.4. Given the challenging course and the unexpectedly hot weather, the Go Girls consider these results to be stellar.

A most welcome sight: the Finish Line!

The 8K went off almost without a hitch for the Go Girls. But there was one small hitch, a hiccup, really--we could call it a "hitchup". Or more accurately, we could call it a "wardrobe malfunction". No, not that kind of wardrobe malfunction! A running-type wardrobe malfunction...actually two malfunctions. The first malfunction was an untied shoe lace.

Memo to T: for crying out loud, double-knot your laces!!

The second malfunction was wardrobe and weather-related. Some runners refuse to believe that it is possible that they might become hot at some point during a run. We won't name names (Mariana) but we will let the following photos tell the story.



Outfit worn at the start of the race...















...and the outfit after the race. Notice the difference? That's right: someone shed a jacket midway through the race, conveniently right about the time that T had to retie her shoe lace. I guess wardrobe malfunctions happen in sets of two.












In any case, wardrobe malfunctions notwithstanding, the Go Girls were well-represented in the 8K. As the Go Girls were finishing the 8K, JaJa was making her way to the start of the 5K. JaJa did not have any wardrobe malfunctions...but she does get a 2 minute penalty for looking so good!

There wasn't a prettier runner out there! Then again, consider the competition...

There were regularly dressed runners (read: boring).

There were suits, but suits are not very glamourous.

There were bananas, but what's a banana without evening gloves? An incomplete outfit, that's what a banana without evening gloves is.

And there were guys running in underwear. But their outfit lack a certain je ne sais quoi...no, wait. Je le sais! Their outfit lack trousers! That's what they were missing!

Well, regardless of JaJa's competition, we think she was the prettiest runner out there. She was also pretty fast! JaJa finished fourth in her age group with a chip time of 28.14!! An excellent result, particularly in light of the fact that this was JaJa's first ever race. Plus, she ran it in a skirt! Just think how fast she could be if she wore running clothes and didn't stop to wave to the crowds! We're very proud of you, Jacquie!

JaJa, headed to the finish line.

Overall, Harry's SRO was a tremendous success for the Go Girls. To celebrate our accomplishments, we headed to the Monk's Table for an after-race brunch.

Breakfast of Champions.

See those smiles on our faces? I think that those smiles tell you everything you need to know about the Go Girls' Excellent Adventure at Harry's Spring Run-Off.