Along the western shore of Lake Simcoe, this well-organized event features a half, 10k, 5k and a kids race option, primarily travelling the beautiful waterfront in downtown Barrie.
Last summer, I ran the half here and tore my medial meniscus and strained my ACL, effectively ending my summer running season. I’ve managed to come back stronger since but not wanting to rush my recovery from Georgina, I signed up for the 5k to run with my son Zachary.
Course: Closed city roads with ample police presence at major crossings. For the 5k and 10k routes, they are a simple there-and-back, with some crossover of lanes and mixing of groups with almost zero elevation. For the half, the route does extend further into residential areas, similarly blocked of traffic, but introducing more elevation. All routes are fully open to the elements with little shade, if any.
On-course Support: From what I saw, water stations at approximately every 3k, with Gatorade at the later stations for the half.
Surface: Clean pavement for the majority of the road surface, minimal cracks and the usual manhole access covers. Some mixed use asphalt and pea stone trail for the larger distances.
Weather: A mix of sun and cloud, with some light rain for the tail end of the 10k and half runners, the temperature was cool, ranging between 6-10° however the strong wind blowing from the North East made it feel a lot cooler and battered you on the return stretch for each race.
Atmosphere: Approximately a 2,500 turnout combined across the races, with a good deal of friends and families cheering on competitors at the staging area and Start/Finish. The 5k route had a sprinkling of various supporters with signs and lots of energy. For a cold windy morning, the crowd certainly helped runners keep their energy levels up.
Post-race: Finishing in the same tunnel as the start, a decent runway afterwards to catch your breath, grab your medal and work your way to the water station. Back at the stage, amongst the vendors and music, there was ample nutrition offered, with pizza, bananas, apples, granola bars, and sugary drinks. There were also lots of places to sit and rest, as the staging area doubles as a small amphitheater.
Overall: For the size of the crowd, this is a well organized road race utilizing a beautiful route along the Barrie waterfront. All the volunteers were friendly and encouraging, the parking was ample and free, and the race marshals helped ensure the kids had a great start, taking the front row at the beginning of the 5k and hyping them up.
Personal: While I tried to talk some strategy into Zachary before the race, he just wanted to run on his own. He took off fast with all the kids at the front however, he was the only one who really managed to maintain his pace after the first 500m. Even though I passed him near the halfway turn around point, he held on to that pace with the headwind the whole back as well.
I had enough left in the tank for a final kick, passing 5 competitors in the last 200m and finished just 31 seconds ahead of Zachary. It seems that my days as the fastest in the household are severely numbered 😍
Zachary: 19:51 (Personal Best!) | 18/813
Patrick: 19:20 | 13/813
I’m so proud of Zachary hitting his 2025 season goal of a sub-20 5km and amazed that he managed it on only his third 5km race this year!
Having that strong finish made my morning and the excitement from Zachary hitting his goal just amplified it. We checked if they had age group awards, as he would have been 2nd or 3rd in under 19, however, awards ended up being split between 39 and under and 40 and older. Accepting that he wouldn’t be on the podium we began looking for friends, until they called my name over the loud speaker to come to the stage to accept the plaque for 2nd place in the Men’s 40 and older. I hadn’t even considered my finish being in the top contention but I hastily dropped my sweats and proudly showed my team jersey in acceptance!
It was a huge day of celebrations for our family, with my daughter also winning her dance competition, and I’m truly thankful that I was able to bounce back from the injury a year ago and have a great race alongside Zachary.
Post-race posing
