Last weekend, my aunt had asked me to join her in running the
Annual Sport Chek's Mother's Day Run. I figured running with my aunt (my mom's sister) was a great way to kick-off Mother's Day! My aunt's husband's company was a big sponsor for the race, so I got to join their "team" for the run.
This was the 39th year for this run! And it showed! I knew it would be a packed event, so I got up early, took the bus to the train station and then the train to Chinook Mall, where the race started and finished. It was a windy day and not as hot as the day before, and I was glad I wouldn't be running in the hot sun again.
When I arrived at the venue, I made my way over to the VIP tent where I enjoyed a nice hot cup of coffee. I took some before photos with my aunt Max, and her husband Barry (who was running the 10k), then made use of the porta potties. There was also the option of using the washrooms inside the mall, but that seemed like an unnecessary hike away.
There was so much going on before the races even started: bouncy castles and craft tables for the kids, a pre-race warmup put on by GoodLife Fitness and even a Tim Horton's tent, plus tons of other sponsors. I felt kind of bad that I hadn't brought Jim and Sully even though they were fast asleep when I left the house. Next year, I'm making the whole family do this run! There are even a few different race distances for little kids.
We lined up for our 5k run just before 9a.m. It was so packed and seemed to take forever to finally cross over the start line, but eventually we did get moving. I didn't go into this race with a plan, I was just there to have fun, and even though my aunt kept telling me I could run ahead of her, I didn't, because she was the whole point of why I was there! My aunt used to run a lot, but do an injury, she hasn't been running like she used to, so I followed her lead. We did 10s and 1s the whole time.
The first bit of the race has you work through the mall parking lot, and then you head into the residential streets before finishing the race along McLeod Trail. There were so many people running that the crowd never dispersed as much as I'm used to at other races, but the energy was great! And there were so many people on the streets cheering everyone on, and even some small bands. There was a water station at about the half-way mark too.
I thought this sign on someone's balcony was so sweet!
It was a great run - I felt really great the whole time and I definitely could have ran faster, but I had so much fun running and chatting with my aunt the whole time. Our chip time was 41:52. Barry kicked ass at his 10K though - clocking in at 47:48 and 10th place in his age category and 112th place overall!
As we wove our way back to the VIP tent, I made sure to stop and grab all the food and drink options that were presented to us. I think this was the best post-race drinks and snacks I have ever seen. Back at the tent I helped myself to a bacon and egg wrap from Sunterra, some fruit and more coffee! How will I ever run a race again and not be privy to the VIP tent?!
Anyway, I highly recommend this race if you are local! It's a great event, very well organized, and supports a good cause. This year, all proceeds went to support the NICU units at the hospitals in Calgary. It's also very family friendly - there were tons of people pushing strollers and also young kids running/walking the 5k. As well, if you wear your race t-shirt or bib, you can take public transport to the event for free that day!
I'm already looking forward to doing this run again next year with the whole family!
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