On May 15th I ran the Mississauga Marathon.
The Southern Ontario area is a strange place for marathons, last year we had the two spring marathons Mississauga and Whitby a week apart (Ottawa has one the week after Whitby) and in the fall two marathons in Toronto three weeks apart (followed by Hamilton two weeks later). Toronto being such a grumpy place, said two marathons that close together was no good, so one of you has to move. So the 2nd Toronto Marathon relented to pressure and said they would move to the spring (the 1st Toronto Marathon then moved into the now vacated 2nd’s spot). Well Mississauga not wanting to be outdone by Toronto had an early bird special of half price for signing up. So naturally I took up the offer. Of course I may have signed up anyway as this would be my 5th year running Mississauga.
Well sure enough planning progresses and Toronto announces they are running their event on the same day as Mississauga. Two decent sized marathons 20 miles apart. Man, they’re really messing with my race schedule.
So training progresses and we finally get to race weekend.
The day before the marathon I help out at the RunningFree booth for 3 hrs. As I was going to go to the race with my group by bus, which always includes kit pickup, I really didn’t need to go to the expo. But I thought I would help out and maybe score some good deals. Crap no extra freebies (other than a promise for a new shirt, when another connection has some made up with his new logo, as he’s already given me a couple with the current logo). I couldn’t even buy any deals as I left my wallet at home. Also let some friends know I would be there, but failed to connect with most of them. Anyway didn’t tire myself out, so good to go for the morning.
Morning arrives too damn early, I have my usual big breakfast of chicken fried rice and meet up with the group to head out at 5:15.
After a quick stop for bathroom break and coffee, we arrive at the start area with just under an hour to spare.
We get off the bus for a quick group picture, but I’m quickly back on as it’s cool and drizzling.
I had dressed to run in shorts and my RunningFree short sleeve shirt, but decided to add my throw away sleeves and a garbage bag to my ensemble. I also decided to run without my glasses.
Spent the remainder of the hour helping some of the less experienced racers prepare. Even loaned out some of my spare gels.
Stayed on the bus until 10 minutes to go. Although leaving it that long made it difficult to work my way through the start crowd and I ended up starting further back than usual. Did say hello to some RunningFree teammates as I made my way through the crowd.
It took me about 3 minutes to reach the start line after the race started, but I used that time to shed my garbage bag.
Race started well, my pace seemed decent, sustainable with a bit of edge to it. I tossed my sleeves at 6k as the drizzle and temps appeared tolerable once I was warmed up.
Garmin is clicking off the kilometres just ahead of the markers, which is not unusual. But I’m running by feel so haven’t looked at it at all. No clocks on the course either (only one I saw was on it’s side, turned off, at 15k). Didn’t even see one at the mats at the relay exchange points. Hit the halfway mat and finally glance at my Garmin. I’m more than 6 mins ahead of my goal. I decide to see how long I can keep it up (pace is less than my PB, but ahead of where I thought I was for preparation).
Race starts to get a little funny after that. Just past 22k we enter into an out and back stretch. A half k later and we’re running into some strange crossover with returning runners on the wrong side of the lane as we go through an aid station. I believe this probably was a result of volunteers not keeping up with the runners. No mishaps at least when I went through.
Along this stretch one of my RunningFree teammates passes me going the other way, but I didn’t see him without my glasses until too late and was only able to quickly wave back to his shoutout.
At 25k we hit the turnaround and turn into an unpleasant NE wind, which we’ll have for most of the way through to the finish. My Garmin tracking matches the 25k with the turnaround, and although I’m not exactly sure which k marker it started at, after this my Garmin was clicking off the k’s after the markers.
On the way back we have taken a side route through a park and when we come out most of the runners around me have avoided doing the crossover and we carry on through the aid station in the correct lanes (the volunteers seem to be dealing with the flow of runners better).
After this we start getting into some rolling stuff and my legs start feeling this and the wind.
At 31k I get passed by the 4hr pace bunny. Crap. My goal was to break 4 hrs. However I don’t let it take control of my race, as I believe I haven’t faded that much and the bunny must be ahead of schedule. I resist the urge to look at my Garmin and continue to run by feel.
A couple of bad stretches, where we cut in towards the lake and the wind off the water, makes me wish I had kept my sleeves. Fortunately this doesn’t last long.
5k to go and I check my Garmin, as planned, and I’m relieved to see I’m still ahead of goal. I try to pick it up a little, but the hammy’s aren’t buying it. 41k and we enter the final loop around a pond to the finish. Seeing the finish area across the pond makes this final k seem really long. But I‘ve caught the 4hr pace bunny, who’s released her charges to finish up and is heading in to finish on pace. So I know I’m going to make my goal. Pass the members of my group, who have completed the half and the faster full runners, who are there to cheer me on and I finish strong.
Clock time: 3:57. Chip time: 3:54
I grab some Gatorade and wait near the end of the chute for one of my group, who was not that far behind me at the 25k turnaround. 20 cold minutes later he finally comes through. In the mean time I’ve shared greetings with several runners I know and some RunningFree teammates who had run the relay, but completely missed a friend, when he passes me in the chute area. I really do need my glasses.
Funny, that not being able to see, (some of the runners I greeted in the chute had passed me after the turnaround, but I didn’t see them, when I passed them in the final stretches), I never had a problem with the course, despite some poor marking in sections. Of course it’s not my first time running this race.
Headed back to the bus after grabbing snacks and a coffee, most of which ended up on my blanket from shivering. Changed in to warm, dry clothes and went back out to cheer on some late finishers and the kids in the 2k fun run.
We did lose one of our group, who after finishing her first marathon, got misdirected and ended up back at the shuttle busses instead of our bus. But she managed to borrow a cell phone and we rescued her for the trip home.
A short stop on the way home and I enjoyed some chicken wings and a beer. Arriving home to dry, bright, windless weather after a drizzly, cool race.
Some afterthoughts:
Garmin reads: 26.21miles/42.18k. Many others commented on their Garmins reading short. Course is certified
Shortage of volunteers – maybe because of the weather or possibly due to two major races the same day. I heard some complaints about aid stations having trouble keeping up (contributing to that weird crossover?), but I never had a problem. And the aid stations were plentiful, just about every 2k.
But the most serious issue was that the two leaders of the marathon were lead off course by the lead cyclist, causing them to cut off about 1-1.5k and end up getting DQ’d.
Hopefully they’ll correct these issues for next year.
But for myself a good race. Looking forward to the next one.
Scandalous! The leaders of the race being led astray! I could understand that in a new race, but this race is now “established” and that kind of thing just shouldn’t be happening.
At last year’s WIN Marathon, I came perilously close to wandering off course, if for no other reason than poor signage and few marshalls. This happens when you’re in the lead, or so far behind the leader there is no one to show the way.
At the Casablanca 8k last year, Jerry Kooymans missed a short turn back which he realized he had missed soon enough. But the damage was done. Up to that point he WAS on pace for an Ontario age record. He was denied that opportunity because of poor marshalling – there was no one there to direct (or even to monitor for cheaters).
So race directors take note…make sure you have marshalls at critical points. And Team Running Free – we all can help by volunteering.