Category

Spring Run-Off

Oct 10 2024
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Canada Running Series Welcomes Beneva as Official Title Partner of the Spring Run-Off

By | Spring Run-Off | No Comments

Toronto, ON (October 10, 2024) – Canada Running Series is proud to announce that Beneva has joined the team as the title sponsor of the annual series opener, now called Beneva Spring Run-Off, held in Toronto in High Park every April.  

The team at Canada Running Series welcomes Beneva aboard as it adds another running event to its growing list of partnerships – Beneva Mississauga Marathon and Beneva Montreal Marathon to name two. Beneva is an organization that makes participants’ interests a priority, is enthusiastic when it comes to activating its brand and seeks to provide the best possible experience at the events it’s involved in.

CRS National Event Director, Charlotte Brookes, comments,  

We’re delighted that Beneva is expanding their involvement in running in Canada and that they’ve chosen the Spring Run-Off, the longest continuously held road race in Toronto, to be part of their featured events. Beneva has done such an amazing job of activating and enhancing the events they are involved with by creating whole zones to relax after a great run or walk, we can’t wait to see what they do next at Spring Run-Off!  This event is one of my favourites in our series – it’s Opening Day and the start of a new, exciting season ahead. This year it will be an extra-special launch forward into a 2025 of run, fitness and fun.

EVP Talent, Culture and Communication, Martin Robert, comments, 

We are very pleased and excited about this new partnership with Canada Running Series! This collaboration strengthens our commitment to promoting health and well-being and increases the reach of our brand across the country. By supporting initiatives like these, we continue to show that caring for our clients and members is at the heart of everything we do. Together, we’re taking steps towards a healthier, more active community.  

Stay tuned for more exciting announcements as more details become available in the coming months. 

— 

Registration for the Beneva Spring Run-Off will open Tuesday, October 15th, 2024, at 12:00 PM and the event will take place in Toronto’s High Park on April 5th, 2025.  

Visit www.springrunoff.ca for more information and to register.  

— 

For more Canada Running Series news, results, photos, and events, visit  

www.CanadaRunningSeries.com  

Also, check out @runCRS on your favourite social media sites! 

 

-30- 

 

About Canada Running Series (CRS) 

Canada Running Series is the nation’s premier running circuit with 6 events, 4 in Toronto and 2 in Vancouver. It annually attracts over 60,000 participants and raises more than $5 million for some 300 Canadian and local charities. The Spring Run-Off is the first Toronto race of the Series, which concludes with the World Athletics Elite Label TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, and the Athletics Canada National Marathon Championships. Since 1999, CRS has gained international recognition for innovation and organization. To learn more about CRS, visit https://canadarunningseries.com/. 

 

About Beneva 

Created by the coming together of La Capitale and SSQ Insurance, Beneva is the largest insurance mutual in Canada with more than 3.5 million members and customers. Beneva employs over 5,500 dedicated employees: people looking out for people. Its human approach is rooted in mutualist values that are shared by its employees. With $25.2 billion in assets, Beneva positions itself as a major player in the insurance and financial services industry. Its head office is located in Quebec City. For more information, please consult beneva.ca.  

 

Media Contact, CRS: 

Damien Hope

damien@canadarunningseries.com 

416-944-2765 x 508

Media Contact, Beneva: 

Media Relations 

1-866-332-3806 

media@beneva.ca 

Apr 07 2024
0

Opening Day of the 2024 Running Season a HUGE Success! Spring Run-Off 8K & 5K in High Park – Post Race Report

By | Elite Athletes, General, Spring Run-Off | No Comments

TORONTO, April 6, 2024 – As Toronto’s oldest race still on the roads, it is an iconic beacon that Spring is finally here in the city. A sold-out crowd of 3,800 participated in today’s 47th annual Spring Run-Off in High Park in the 8K, 5K and 800m kids race, all steeped in tradition. As always, runners were piped to the Start Line, and enjoyed fresh maple syrup from Madawaska Maple products as prizing, and a delicious post-race pancake breakfast served up by Ubuntu Community Collective.

The race also featured the “Kill The Hill challenge” a race within a race. Just before participants crossed the finish line they flew up the final 365m of Spring Road Hill with the champions being proclaimed “Heroes of the Hill” for 2024! For the 2nd consecutive year, participants will also be going the distance to raise a much needed $42,000.00 for the Parkdale Community Foodbank that supports more than 6,000 families every month across the Downtown and West End.

Mayor Olivia Chow and Deputy Mayor Mike Colle joined us today for Official Race Start duties, and then jumped in to participate in the 5K and 8K races respectively.

Our 8K champions:

Jeremy Coughler (23:40)
Alexandra Lucki (27:23)

Our 5K Champions:

Jacob Zerko (15:58)
Mikayla Ryan (18:34)

This year’s Finishers’ medals are arguably the best-ever, by CRS designer Inge Johnson featuring the Maple Leaf Garden near Grenadier Pond with nature all around, with the theme continued in this year’s participant t-shirts, created by local artist Mark Serrano whose focus is on The Spring Run-Off and the nature and beauty within the park that we pass by. For more information, visit: https://canadarunningseries.com/spring-run-off/

Media Contact:
Bonnie Taylor
media@canadarunningseries.com
(647) 401-0974

About Canada Running Series

Canada Running Series is Canada’s premier road race series, offering seven annual events nationwide. Since 2017, CRS’s flagship event, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, has served as the Athletics Canada National Marathon Championship race and has doubled as the Olympic trials. In 2023, CRS raised over $3.5 million for over 200 local charities through the Charity Challenge.

Using innovation and organization as guiding principles, Canada Running Series stages great experiences for runners of all levels, from Canadian Olympians to recreational and charity runners. With a mission of “building community through the sport of running,” CRS is committed to making sport part of sustainable communities and the city-building process.

Apr 01 2024
0

Media Advisory: Mayor Olivia Chow and Ehab El Sandali return to the Spring Run-Off 8K & 5K in High Park this weekend: it’s Opening Day for Canada Running Series in 2024!

By | Elite Athletes, General, Spring Run-Off | No Comments

TORONTO, April 1, 2024 – It’s Opening Day for running in Toronto this weekend featuring the return of Mayor Olivia Chow and Ehab El Sandali to the Spring Run-Off in beautiful High Park, the first race in 2024 for Canada Running Series. As Toronto’s oldest race still on the roads, it is an iconic beacon that Spring is finally here in the city. A sold-out crowd of 3,800 will participate in the 8K, 5K and 800m kids race, all steeped in tradition.  As always, piper Dave McGonigal will lead runners to the Start Lines of this 47th edition, there will be fresh maple syrup from Madawaska Maple products as prizing, and a delicious post-race pancake breakfast served up by Ubuntu Community Collective.

Back again, the “Kill The Hill challenge” is a race within a race. Just before participants cross the finish line they will fly up the final 365m of Spring Road Hill with the champions being proclaimed “Heroes of the Hill” for 2024! For the 2nd consecutive year, participants will also be going the distance to raise a much needed $35,000 for the Parkdale Community Foodbank that supports more than 6,000 families every month across the Downtown and West End.

Mayor Chow and Ehab El Sandali will return to challenge the hills of Toronto’s most scenic park after a 10-year hiatus. In 2014, they both competed in the Spring Run-Off 5K, Ehab crossing the finish line first in 16:39 with then “Olivia Chow” an impressive 701st of 1,346 participants. What a difference a decade makes! Toronto native Ehab went on to win the 5K again in 2015 and place 2nd in the 8K in 2016. A stellar 6-year career at Iona College followed, where he led his team to 6 NCAA Conference cross-country championships. He has represented Canada twice, turned professional with the Puma Elite team based in North Carolina in late 2022, and has lowered his 5K best time to 13:25 and 10,000m to 28:50.  And of course, “Olivia Chow” has become mayor of Canada’s largest city, showing leadership in many ways throughout our country and community, and championing a healthy city for its people. 

The women’s 8K race will offer an exciting three-way challenge between Erin Mawhinney, the champion at last year’s Under Armour Toronto 10K,  Toronto’s Alex Lucki who was 2nd at the 2022 Spring Run-Off after a strong cross-country career at the University of Maryland, and the experienced Laura Desjardins who was 3rd at Spring Run-Off 2023, 2nd at the race in 2018; and champion at last year’s 21K de Montreal which earned her a place on Canada’s national team to the NACAC Half Marathon. All three raced each other in the Athletics Canada 10K Championships in Ottawa last May with Mawhinney placing 9th overall, Lucki 12th and Desjardins 13th.

The men’s 8K race promises to be a tasty battle between Ehab and Thamesford’s Jeremy Coughler, the defending champion who has owned the race for the past 2 years.  Dundas’ Rob Kanko, who was 2nd last year, will also be on the Start Line plus strong up-and-coming talents Max Turek and Mitch Ubene. Turek was the 2022 U-Sports cross-country national champion and placed 8th at the Athletics Canada National Cross last November with Coughler 10th, Kanko 13th and Ubene 16th.

For those not fortunate to have grabbed a place on one of the start lines, everyone is invited to come out and cheer along with more than a dozen Toronto run crews at six official cheer sites around the picturesque courses. The run crew representation further reinforces Canada Running Series’ commitment to diversity and inclusion at the events and in the city, including Black Runners of the GTA, Chix Run the Six, Frontrunners, Pride TO, Parkdale Road Runners, High Park Rogue Runners, Kardia and RUNTOBEER. It’s a fun morning with great weather promised in a good cause; Spring has arrived in our city and Toronto will put its best foot forward. Together.

What: Spring Run-Off

Where: High Park, Toronto, ON

When: Saturday April 6, 2024

  • 10:00 a.m. 8K Race Starts
  • 11:15 a.m.5K Race Starts
  • 11:45 a.m. Kids Race Starts

Who: Canada Running Series Race Director, Alan Brookes, will be available for interviews. Interviews with select athletes may also be available upon request.

Where to park:

Please note that parking is not available within High Park on race day and the park is closed to vehicles on the weekends. Limited parking is available on side streets outside the park. For a list of Green P parking lots in the area, visit http://parking.greenp.com.

Mar 25 2024
0

Announcing the Elite Field for the 2024 Spring Run-Off

By | Elite Athletes, Spring Run-Off | No Comments

Women’s Start List

Bib Number First Name Last Name City Province
F-1 Erin Mawhinney Hamilton ON
F-2 Alexandra Lucki Toronto ON
F-3 Laura Desjardins Toronto ON
F-4 Salome Nyirarukundo Ottawa ON
F-5 Heidi Ohrling Collingwood ON
F-6 Olivia Roussel Toronto ON
F-7 Asia  Dwyer Toronto ON
F-8 Madeleine Sumner London ON
F-9 Laurel Buchanan Toronto ON
F-10 Stephanie  Ryall Hamilton ON
F-11 Bridget Leon Mississauga ON
F-12 Allison (Ali) Drynan Toronto ON

Men’s Start List

Bib Number First Name Last Name City Province
1 Jeremy Coughler Thamesford ON
2 Ehab El-Sandali Durham NC
3 Rob Kanko Dundas ON
4 Kyle Grieve Toronto  ON
6 Mitchell Ubene Hamilton ON
7 Graham Baird Pickering ON
8 Robert  Kajuga  Ottawa ON
9 Dylan Alick Mississauga ON
10 Miles Avalos Toronto  ON
11 Matthew  Viveiros Etobicoke  ON
12 Samuel Kinahan Toronto ON
13 Brandon Raftis Toronto ON
14 Robert  Lawand Toronto ON
15 Matthew Lozano Ajax ON
16 Zach  Frangos Toronto ON
17 Alex Cyr Toronto ON
18 Caleb Beland Sudbury ON
19 Daniel Fournier Toronto ON
20 Aaron Manning Toronto ON
21 Paddy  Birch Toronto ON
22 Timothy Fowler Toronto ON
23 Shinsuke Adachi North York ON
24 Kevin Beatty Frankford ON
25 Jose Fuentes Hamilton ON
26 Robert van den Heuvel Woodbridge ON
27 Philip Oreopoulos Toronto ON
Feb 12 2024
0

Toronto’s The Running Physio Announces Partnership with Canada Running Series for 2024 Season

By | General, Oasis ZooRun, Spring Run-Off, TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Toronto Waterfront 10K | No Comments

Ontario’s premier rehabilitation centre for runners will help guide athletes from their training plan to the finish line for the Spring Run-Off, Under Armour Toronto 10K, Oasis ZooRun, and the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

TORONTO, CAN (February 12, 2024) – The Running Physio, Toronto’s one-spot-shop for runners looking to recover from injury or train for a race, will be partnering with the Canada Running Series (CRS) for the 2024 editions of the Spring Run-Off, Under Armour Toronto 10K, Oasis ZooRun and the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. The clinic – operating since 2016 – has treated over 6000 runners since its inception and provides physiotherapy, registered massage therapy, running analysis and customized training programs to runners of all levels.

The Running Physio will be providing training recommendations, mobility and stability exercises, and run form tips to participants leading up to each race. Their team will also be available post-race to provide hands-on therapy to athletes, and for runners attending the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, they will be providing free run form analysis and massage during Expo hours. With over 50% of runners experiencing an injury during their running careers, having The Running Physio available at each race is a perfect partnership.

“We couldn’t be more excited to have The Running Physio’s support at our Toronto events in 2024,” said CRS National Event Director Charlotte Brookes. “As a past client of the Running Physio during my running journey, I know first hand how important their services and support are to reaching your full running potential. We are thrilled to see what we can build together to elevate the event experience this year.”

With an increasing number of runners looking for specific services available to help guide them through injury, The Running Physio has seen more and more people tired of hearing “just stop running” from their physician. With a deep-rooted philosophy that “anyone can run”, the clinic emphasizes teaching clients how to listen to their bodies to push harder when they can, and pull back when they are teetering on trouble. 

Boston Marathoner and Ironman athlete Lauren Roberts is a Physiotherapist and Owner of the clinic. “With over 50% of runners experiencing injury during their running career, we created our business to be able to keep people moving – regardless of their abilities or goals. Whether you are looking for advice on shoewear or to set a new Waterfront Marathon PB, we can help you. It’s a really fun environment – our team really loves working with motivated patients.” 

Registration is now open for the 2024 season. The Spring Run-Off is April 6th in High Park, the Under Armour Toronto 10K is June 15th, the Oasis ZooRun September 14, and the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon October 20. 

For more information on The Running Physio, please visit www.therunningphysio.ca. 

For more information on Canada Running Series events, please visit www.canadarunningseries.com.

 

For press inquiries please contact: 

Canada Running Series: Damien Hope |damien@canadarunningseries.com | 416-944-2765 x508

The Running Physio: Lauren Roberts| lauren@therunningphysio.ca

###

About Canada Running Series

Canada Running Series is Canada’s premier road race series, offering seven annual events nationwide. Since 2017, CRS’s flagship event, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, has served as the Athletics Canada National Marathon Championship race and has doubled as the Olympic trials. In 2023, CRS raised over $3.5 million for over 200 local charities through the Charity Challenge.

Using innovation and organization as guiding principles, Canada Running Series stages great experiences for runners of all levels, from Canadian Olympians to recreational and charity runners. With a mission of “building community through the sport of running,” CRS is committed to making sport part of sustainable communities and the city-building process.

About The Running Physio 

The Running Physio is a well-established Physiotherapy clinic in Toronto providing Physiotherapy, Running Analysis, Run Coaching and RMT services for people who love to move. The clinic takes pride in maintaining a reputation for effectively treating runners of all levels and abilities with precision and confidence. With personable and highly-trained staff, high-end equipment and private rooms, The Running Physio has treated over 6000 runners in Toronto and the GTA since 2016.

Physiotherapist and Clinic Owner Lauren Roberts grew tired of hearing “I tried physio before but…it didn’t really help”. She set out to create a clinic with a mission to develop a safe space where clients are listened to and provided with a step-by-step plan to get better and get back to the things that make them happy. As a female-run, family friendly clinic with a continuous drive to do things better, The Running Physio has challenged the traditional physiotherapy service industry in a continuous pursuit to connect with people and help them achieve their goals.

 

Dec 05 2023
0

New partnership between Canada Running Series and CelePLATE

By | Eastside 10k, General, Oasis ZooRun, Spring Run-Off, TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments

CelePLATE becomes the official personalized medal engraving provider for all Canada Running Series events through 2024. 

TORONTO, ONTARIO, December 5, 2023 – Canada Running Series (CRS) is pleased to announce a new partnership with CelePLATE, a new Canadian, female-owned business offering personalized laser etched inserts for the back of participants finisher medals.

Participants have the option to purchase an engraved plate which fits nicely into the recess on the back of their race medal or the ribbon clip which is secured onto the ribbon with a custom-made clip. Participants simply collect their race medal at the finish line and their personalized CelePLATE will arrive in the mail within two weeks, laser engraved with their name and finish time.

Expanding on their commitment to sustainability, Canada Running Series is delighted to be working with CelePLATE. “With most of our participants residing in Canada, participants will receive their engraved plate in just a few days and with a much shorter travel distance using a local, Canadian company,” said Charlotte Brookes, National Event Director of CRS. 

“CelePLATE is thrilled to partner with Canada Running Series, providing their participants the opportunity to enhance the race experience and celebrate their achievement with a custom plate insert. With the endorsement of Canada Running Series, a world-class running event organization, CelePLATE is poised to grow our brand presence within the Canadian racing community and play a part in recognizing the hard work and dedication that goes into training and participating in a race.” Chief CelePLATION Officer, Tara Melville adds.

Registration for Canada Running Series 2024 events is now open. Visit https://canadarunningseries.com for more information.

###

About Canada Running Series  

Canada Running Series is Canada’s premier road race series, offering seven annual events nationwide. Since 2017, CRS’s flagship event, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, has served as the Athletics Canada National Marathon Championship race and has doubled as an Olympic qualifier. In 2022, CRS raised $4.2 million for over 240 local charities through the Charity Challenge. 

Using innovation and organization as guiding principles, Canada Running Series stages great experiences for runners of all levels, from Canadian Olympians to recreational and charity runners. With a mission of “building community through the sport of running,” CRS is committed to making sport part of sustainable communities and the city-building process. 

Media Contact:
Ian Cater
Senior Manager of Marketing & Partnerships
ian@canadarunningseries.com 

About CelePLATE

CelePLATE is proudly Canadian. Founded by Race Director and Co-Owner of Run Well Events Inc., Tara Melville, CelePLATE was created to offer Canadian events, from running to triathlon, an alternative to using an overseas supplier for personalized medal inserts. As a Canadian company, orders are delivered quickly, with sustainability in mind. CelePLATE’s head office is located near Guelph, Ontario. 

Media Contact:
Tara Melville
Chief CelePLATION Officer
CelePLATE
tara@runwellevents.com  

 

Apr 10 2023
0

Announcing the Elite Field for the 2023 21K de Montréal

By | Elite Athletes, Spring Run-Off | No Comments

21K de Montréal – Liste des Départs Élites

Femmes/Women’s Start List

Bib Number First Name Last Name City Province
F-3 Colleen Wilson Deep Cove NS
F-4 Janie Grand'Maison Montréal QC
F-5 Jennifer  Barron Paradise  NL
F-6 Nadine Frost-Corinaldi Ottawa ON
F-7 Julie Lajeunesse Lachine QC
F-8 Ann-Rebecca Drolet Montréal QC
F-9 Emma Ollivier Montréal QC
F-10 Alex Hynes Ottawa ON
F-11 Catherine Thompson Halifax NS
F-12 Rebecca Pieterson Ottawa ON
F-13 Andrea Hill Ottawa ON
F-14 Anne-Marie Gauthier Quebec QC
F-15 Kathia Rached Montréal QC
F-16 Anne Johnston St John’s NL

Hommes/Men’s Start List

Bib Number First Name Last Name City Province
1 Marc-Antoine Senneville Trois-Rivières QC
2 Benjamin Raymond Laval QC
3 Robert  Kajuga  Ottawa ON
4 François Jarry Lachine QC
5 Pierre-Yves Normandin Québec QC
6 Marcel Mongeon Hamilton ON
7 Jean-Samuel Lapointe Québec QC
8 Louis-Philippe Garnier Montreal QC
9 Hédi  Sonnallier Montréal QC
10 Glenn Vanobost Nukerke Oost-Vlaanderen
11 Arnaud Francioni Montréal QC
12 Félix-Antoine Bédard Montréal QC
13 ianis Garé Montréal QC
14 Timothé  Dumont Montréal  QC
15 Mehdi Takatri Montréal QC
16 Jacob  Cameron Ottawa ON
17 Julian Meyer Vancouver BC
18 Remi Leroux Waterloo QC
19 Zed Roy Longueuil  QC
20 Doan Tran Montréal QC
21 Fabien Filoche Longueuil QC
22 Adrien Durand Saint Vincent de Paul Nouvelle-Aquitaine (France)
23 Baghdad  Rachem Verdun QC
24 Nicolas Paradis St Bruno QC
25 Brian Byrne London ON
26 Alvaro Cueto Saint-Hubert QC
27 Frederick Jouin Montreal QC
28 Jean-Marc Thériault Repentigny QC
29 Laurent Liska Montreal QC
Mar 23 2023
0

Announcing the Elite Field for the 2023 Spring Run-Off

By | Elite Athletes, Spring Run-Off | No Comments

Women’s Start List

Bib Number First Name Last Name City Province
F-1 Erin Mawhinney Hamilton ON
F-2 Alexandra Lucki Toronto ON
F-3 Laura Desjardins Toronto ON
F-4 Salome Nyirarukundo Ottawa ON
F-5 Heidi Ohrling Collingwood ON
F-6 Olivia Roussel Toronto ON
F-7 Asia  Dwyer Toronto ON
F-8 Madeleine Sumner London ON
F-9 Laurel Buchanan Toronto ON
F-10 Stephanie  Ryall Hamilton ON
F-11 Bridget Leon Mississauga ON
F-12 Allison (Ali) Drynan Toronto ON

Men’s Start List

Bib Number First Name Last Name City Province
1 Jeremy Coughler Thamesford ON
2 Ehab El-Sandali Durham NC
3 Rob Kanko Dundas ON
4 Kyle Grieve Toronto  ON
6 Mitchell Ubene Hamilton ON
7 Graham Baird Pickering ON
8 Robert  Kajuga  Ottawa ON
9 Dylan Alick Mississauga ON
10 Miles Avalos Toronto  ON
11 Matthew  Viveiros Etobicoke  ON
12 Samuel Kinahan Toronto ON
13 Brandon Raftis Toronto ON
14 Robert  Lawand Toronto ON
15 Matthew Lozano Ajax ON
16 Zach  Frangos Toronto ON
17 Alex Cyr Toronto ON
18 Caleb Beland Sudbury ON
19 Daniel Fournier Toronto ON
20 Aaron Manning Toronto ON
21 Paddy  Birch Toronto ON
22 Timothy Fowler Toronto ON
23 Shinsuke Adachi North York ON
24 Kevin Beatty Frankford ON
25 Jose Fuentes Hamilton ON
26 Robert van den Heuvel Woodbridge ON
27 Philip Oreopoulos Toronto ON
Mar 18 2020
0

Postponement Details for the Under Armour Spring Run-Off

By | Spring Run-Off | No Comments

Thank you so much for your patience as our team worked on the postponement of the 2020 Under Armour Spring Run-Off. First off, let us say that we are as disappointed as you are that we won’t be running in High Park on April 4th, but the safety and well-being of our participants, volunteers, event staff, spectators, families and the community at large is always our top priority. 

Instead of it being our opening race, we are looking forward to closing out the Canada Running Series season in High Park on our new date of November 7th. In place of cherry blossoms, we’ll get to see the fall leaves turning in Toronto’s most beautiful park.  

What does this mean for your registration? You have two options, each including a free Virtual Race to keep your training enthusiasm high:  

  1. Postpone your race to this fall. Date: Saturday November 7th, 2020.
  2. Defer your race to next spring. Date: Saturday April 10th, 2021.  

Both options are free of charge. You have until Thursday, April 16th at 11:59 p.m. EDT to decide which option works best with your schedule. Once you’ve made your choice, follow these steps to lock in your new race date:  

  • Log into your Participant Dashboard (http://raceroster.com/signin) 
  • Use your email associated with your Race Roster account, 
  • Select ‘Yes, I have a Password’ and enter your password 
  • Click on ‘edit registration data’ 
  • Update your selection by picking the postponement date or deferment date. 
  • Get ready to run your Virtual Race!  

What is a Virtual Race? 

A virtual race is completed at a time and place of your choosing. You will run or walk the race distance that corresponds to the distance you signed up for – either 8K or 5K – and once complete, you will visit Sportstats to upload your race time. Your finishers medal will then be mailed out to you! Kids Run participants can also enjoy their own virtual race, complete with medal mailed out to them, but we do not require them to upload their time to Sportstats. 

We will have more information regarding the virtual race, such as the timeline you need to run it in, available in the coming weeks, so watch your inbox for that exciting announcement! 

If you’ve been fundraising, the good news is fundraising will remain open until the fall.  Every dollar you’ve raised so far will still go to support discovery and innovation by the scientific and clinical teams at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.  

Whether you choose to run this fall or next spring, we’re here to support you. Our customer service team is ready to answer your questions and to make sure you’re set up to have a great race experience. You can reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook Messenger, Instagram or at info@canadarunningseries.com any time.  

Entries are non-refundable as per our refund policy. You can find our full registration policies here. 

The excitement of running through High Park in the fall, or next spring is something we hope carries you through training until your feet hit the start line.   

Mar 05 2020
0

Under Armour Ambassadors Give Spring Run-Off Training Tips

By | Spring Run-Off | No Comments

Before you take the thousands of steps you need to cross the finish line, you’ll have to do some planning. We’ve reached out to Under Armour ambassadors – Kevin Yeboah (Personal trainer), Ruben Rapetti (Professional chef) and Laura Sanhueza-Miller (Ironman participant and running influencer) – to provide their best tips to prepare for race day. Whether you’re new to running or just looking for tips on how to improve your time, below are a few ideas to help achieve your spring running goals.

Nutrition

The key to any fitness goal is to complement your training with a balanced diet. Ruben suggests ditching those white sugars and opting for a more balanced mix of complex carbs, vegetables and protein like chicken or tofu. The night before the race, load up on carbs! You’re going to be expending more energy than usual, so heavy pastas will help keep you going. Ideally, Ruben recommends aiming for a 3:2 complex carbs to protein ratio. The morning of the race, leave yourself at least a 1.5 – 2-hour window to eat. You want to be able to fuel your body but if you eat too close to race time, your body is going to expend its energy trying to digest. Hydration is also key! To ensure your body is ready to perform, you should be drinking 2 – 3 litres a day.

Training

If you’re new to running, it’s best not to wake up on race day and hope for the best. Starting your training several weeks prior will help ensure your goals are met. To avoid injury and carefully increase mileage, Laura suggests the following steps:

  1. Warm up with an 8-minute brisk walk to get your muscles moving
  2. Light jog for 2-3 minutes, followed by a 5-minute brisk walk (repeat 3-4 times)
  3. Cool off with a brisk 5-minute walk
  4. Finish off with static stretching – holding each stretch for 30 seconds.

As the training continues, you can steadily increase the amount of running by 1-2 minutes each week and decrease the amount of walking.

Kevin suggests adding in weight training in between running days. Try for 3 days a week, with 1 day focusing on upper body, 1 on lower, and 1 on a full body routine. Keep weights light and reps high! He also recommends wearing training shoes like the UA Project Rock 2 for gym sessions instead of running shoes so that you can maximize ground contact and get superior stability.

Under Armour shoesMotivation

The hardest part of the race won’t be the actual running but rather staying motivated. Laura is all about vision boards. Set your goals and grab some images on the internet to stay inspired. If crafting isn’t your thing, Ruben suggests setting a playlist of songs you love. Putting your phone on shuffle risks playing a song that will lower your energy and you want to ensure your energy levels are always at their best. Organization is also key to success! “Plan out your schedule ahead of time,” says Kevin. “Write things down and set small, achievable goals.” By writing down your goals and results, you’ll make yourself accountable and be able to see the progress you’re making in real time. Check out Under Armour’s HOVR Machina running shoes which are digitally connect to MapMyRun. The shoes provide real time results so you know how you’re tracking against your goals.

Final suggestions

Kevin – Before a race – don’t eat spicy food!

Ruben – Enjoy yourself!

Laura – Run for you and get after it – that medal has your name on it!

Read the official UA Spring Run-Off Training plan here and show us how your applying these training tips on Instagram with #TheOnlyWayIsThrough and #UASpringRunOff.