Calgary Road and Track Report

Running for a Cause

2010-06-05T20:39:00.002-06:00

Running for a Cause

You race for a variety of personal, social and competitive reasons, and one of them probably includes a race tied to a charity you're connected to in some way. You might be one of those people with tears in your eyes crossing the finish line at the Run for a Cure with a big heart on your back and "I"m running for ... my mom!" written in black pen. You might be showing up for the Rock the House Run because a friend of a friend of a friend's kid got sick and they stayed at the Ronald McDonald House once. Maybe running charity races is your way of donating to charity: everyone wins.

On the eve of the biggest race in Calgary (I wrote this May 29th) I thought I would mention a few other races you might want to sign up for while you're swept up in the moment.

June 13th is the date for the 5k/8k Betty's Run for ALS. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease. There is no known cure or effective treatment.

Support the Kipnes Centre for Veterans by racing the Run for the Brave, 5k and 10k, in Edmonton, August 14.

On August 29th the Calgary Women's Run 5k and 10k race will donate the proceeds from their race to the YMCA Calgary School Support Program.

Help the Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Edmonton by running the 5k Run Wild for Wildlife Fun Run on October 23rd in Hawrelak Park in Edmonton.

Doctors Without Borders provides emergency health and medical assistance to populations in danger in more than 70 countries. On November 6 the Run Without Borders offers and 5k and 10k race.

Sign up for Sight Night, an 8k run with proceeds to support the Alberta Sports and Recreation Association for the Blind. November 20.

And this is just a small local sample. Feel free to link to your favourite charity race below. (Other links will be deleted.)

Calgary Police Half, Stewart Cup, November Races

2009-10-27T08:55:00.008-06:00

Calgary Police Half - April 25, 2010
Registration starts January 2, 2010 for walk-in registrations at either Tech Shop, and online registration starts Jan 30, 2010. The half marathon is capped at 2500 entries and the entry fee is $60.

Team Elite Speed Theory
Local triathlon store Speed Theory is looking for some age group competitive triathletes to sponsor for 2010. You should have a couple years of tri racing experience and be "energetic, personable, knowledgeable and successful." What you'll get is some free product, support and discounts. Contact Darcy Bell at Speed Theory before November 13. Provide a 300 word cover letter and your athletic resume.

The Stewart Cup, Oct 31
On Saturday dozens of Calgarians head to Edmonton's Hawrelak Park for a few loops around the duck pond. You can pre-register online or pay $20 on race day. The race starts at noon. This is an open cross country race for all ages and abilities.

November Races
There are 6 races in all of Calgary in November. The Last Chance Half Marathon is sold out, Nov 15. The Calgary Roadrunners Club is hosting the Edworthy Park Cross Country 4k/8k on Saturday Nov 7 and the Okotoks Cross Country 4k/8k on November 21. Both races start at noon with a potluck lunch in a nearby hall afterwards. The Run Without Borders is an untimed 5k/10k on November 7 at 9am, and the 5k/10k Miles for Moms is Saturday November 14th at 10am. The Jingle Bell Walk & Run for Arthritis is Sunday November 15 at 9am at Heritage Park.

December Races
It's a quiet month for local racing, so take advantage of the few races we have in November. The Santa Shuffle is a 5k on December 5th. The Resolution Run is a 5k at 6pm on December 31. The Calgary Roadrunners host the Silver Springs Cross Country 4k/8k on December 12 at noon.

The Calgary Roadrunners Race Calendar has a decent selection of 2010 multisport and ultramarathon dates listed. Suggestions are always welcomed via their online contact form.

Races filling fast: Last Chance Half, Resolution Run

2009-10-06T13:43:00.002-06:00

I'm guessing there's less than 100 places left for these Calgary races.

Last Chance Half. November 15, $50 gets you a shirt and great post-race meal
5k Resolution Run. December 31, $45 gets you a running jacket

BYOB: Bring your own Bib Number

2009-10-02T21:18:00.002-06:00

The bib numbers from the few races I've run are on the wall behind me. I write the date and the time on the front, and they serve as reminders of what I've accomplished and what those days were like. My first bib has a Footstock logo, the Gord's Running Store logo, a big blue 5K, and the number 1794. My first ever bib number. The other bib numbers go from 74 to 4213.

Numbers in running don't have the same mystique as in other sports. If you walk the halls of the phys ed buildings in your local college you'll see glass cabinets with football jerseys and retired hockey numbers. If you think of professional athletes you can probably pick a number and a player will come to mind. 99, The Great One. 42, Jackie Robinson. 23, Michael Jordan. 19, Johnny Unitas. What comes to mind when you think of Usain Bolt or Steve Prefontaine?

There is a trend in some running and multisport events to put the last name in lieu of a number, but in track and field there is no name on the back. Even when Paula Radcliffe registers she gets whatever bib number is assigned. It's a very small thing towards making long distance running and sprinting a more widely known sport, and maybe it will contribute nothing at all, but I'd like to walk into a jersey store and buy a t-shirt that had Steve Prefontaine's number on the back. Or a singlet with Team Hoyt or Gebresellassie written in block letters.

So, what are some of the bib numbers of famous runners? They vary from race to race. There are some photos of Steve Prefontaine wearing #1005, #229 and #145. Usain Bolt wore 2163 in the last Olympics. Roger Bannister broke the 4 minute mile with #41 on his chest. Grete Waitz set the women's marathon record in 1983 wearing 318. The first Olympic gold medal for a black African went to Abebe Bikila wearing #11. When Kathrine Switzer was attacked by Jock Semple for being a woman (gasp) running the 1967 Boston Marathon she had bib 261. Ed Whitlock was 73 years old when he set an age-group marathon record of 2:54:49, wearing #73.

It's possible for the race directors to customize competitor numbers. At the larger races they reserve the first 100 numbers for the elite runners and they "seed" them based on what that runner has earned. (Which is why so many marathons have the front pack wearing 1 and 2 and F3 while you're wearing 21435.) It's possible that you could ask for 1014 because you're a Frank Shorter fan, or 14778 because that was Ryan Reynolds' number in the NYC marathon last year.

I think more than a few t-shirts would sell with a simulated Marine Corps Marathon bib with 29157 on the front and "Oprah Winfrey" on the back. NYC Marathon 30972 on the front, Sean Puff Daddy Combs on the back. Joe Strummer ran a marathon with bib 1918, Katie Holmes ran NYC with #127, Gordon Ramsay wore 32915 and Will Ferrell wore 9999. Legendary computer scientist and mathematician Alan Turing ran a 2:46:03 marathon in 1947 with bib #140.

Some races allow you to bring your own timing chip, some races reserve certain race numbers for elite runners. Maybe some races will allow you to bring your own bib (it's just a piece of paper, after all), or at least request a meaningful number. (I don't recommend using your bank card PIN.) Maybe some day someone will see a 60-year-old Bernard Legat lining up at the front of their local 10k and recognize him by number 1113.

Pick a number higher than 100 (usually these are reserved) and ask for it every time you run a race. Most of the time you won't get it. Maybe some day there'll be a foam hand waving at the finish line with 5252 on it, and you know they're waving for you.

250 marathons, Last Chance Half, and Ekiden is Back in Banff

2009-09-29T20:39:00.002-06:00

One of the half marathons that some Calgarians look forward to is the First Half Half in Vancouver. The 2010 version has been unfortunately cancelled due to the Olympics conflicting with the race route/venues.

The Harvest Half Marathon (Oct 3) has reached capacity. The Last Chance Half Marathon (Nov 15) has sold 300 out of 500 entries and will sell out before the race date. There are no confirmed dates for any Calgary half marathons, but the next one is probably February or March.

Starting January 1, Cochrane runner Martin Parnell is going to attempt to run 250 marathons in 365 days to raise $250,000 for Right to Play. Five days a week he'll run 42.2k, as well as the Woody's Red Deer Marathon, the Calgary Marathon, and the Footstock half marathon x 2. Check out the Red Rock Runners website for more information.

The Banff Ekiden Relay Road Race is back! After a one-year hiatus, this very popular relay takes place October 17, 2009. Register online or through Strides Running Store.

Fall Race Schedule, 5k, 10k, half-marathons, trail, XC

2009-09-05T11:41:00.004-06:00

Halloween decorations are in the stores, the kids are back in school, so it must be time to plan your fall race schedule. Let's break those races down by both distance and running surface. The best place to run a race is debatable, but most people find it luxurious to run on a road that has been closed to cars. Road racing offers wider starts, better surfaces (sometimes), and usually bigger crowds. Closing down a public road isn't cheap so there are fewer of these to go around. The next most popular running courses are on the pathway systems by the river or around Glenmore. These are cheaper to manage and they're good for smaller races, but they never close the pathways to the public and the starts and finishes can be pretty tight. If you have to pick between a race that starts at Eau Claire Market and a race that starts in the middle of an intersection, pick the road race. If you have something against flat courses, if you think running up a hill is where you have the most fun, then cross country trail racing is for you. These courses vary a lot from a couple laps around Confederation Park to running up and down the slope of a river bank on an icy goat trail. Whether it's road, pathway, or cross country, you should try some of each.

Another strike against pathway races is they tend to be out-and-back courses. This means you run out to some distant point, then turn around and run back the same route. This is somewhat interesting because you get to see the leaders (especially if you never get to see the leaders), but the preferred course is either the point-to-point (like the Boston Marathon) or the loop (New York City Marathon).

5ks
Most of the 5k races also offer a 10k version, and the Dino Dash (Sept 6) and the Sheep River Road Race (Sept 7) have both distances. These are both great road races. Do both if you can, or alternate and do one each year. They're both well-organized and offer chip timing and have a good post-race vibe.

On Saturday, Sept 12 you could run the Stepper Homes Step to Fitness, which is the only local 5k that day. On Sunday Sept 13 you have to pick from the Bow River Run (a loop pathway run starting in Bowness Park), the 5k version of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Half Marathon in Canmore (road, paths), the Mayor's Recreation for Life Run in Airdrie (paths), the Terry Fox Run (Eau Claire), or the new Tuscany Race in NW Calgary.

On Wednesday evening, September 16, the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists has their 21st annual CSPG / CSEG Fun Run along the Eau Claire Pathway.

Sept 20 has the 5k Allies for Autism Family Fun Run/Walk (a loop in the NW along the river pathway). On Friday evening, October 2, the Ambulance Chaser's Charity Run starts at 7pm for a twilight river pathway run out-and-back.

Sunday October 4 : The justifiably massive CIBC Run for the Cure starts from Southcentre Mall. On October 11 you can run the Thanksgiving Memory Walk & Run on the Eau Claire pathways, and run in costume on Saturday October 24th at the Halloween Howl.

In November there is the kid-friendly Miles for Moms on Nov. 14 and the Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis on Nov. 15th.

The last 5k of 2009 is the Santa Shuffle Fun Run & Elf Walk on December 5 at 10am on the Eau Claire pathways.

10ks
Most of the 10ks are part of the same races as the 5ks. The loops are bigger or doubled, or the turnaround point is farther down the pathway system. All the September 5k races above also have a 10k version. The Dino Dash Road Race (double loop, Sept 6) and Sheep River Road Race (longer loop, Sept 7) are both on roads. The Step to Fitness 10k runs Sept 12, and there are 5 local 10ks to pick from on Sept 13: the Canadian Rocky Mountain Half Marathon 10k in Canmore, the Bow River Run (longer loop on pathway), the Terry Fox Run (pathway loop from Eau Claire), the Mayor's Recreation for Life Run in Airdrie (out and back on pathway), and the inaugural Tuscany Race.

The Calgary Corporate Challenge 10k Run is a road race looped course on Sept 20 at 9am and starts at the Red and White Club near McMahon Stadium. The Allies for Autism 10k is also Sept 20. Melissa's Road Race is Sept 26, and you can probably find runners dropping out of the 10k or half marathon distances if you look at some online boards and forums.

Most of the October 5k races also have a 10k distance. The Ambulance Chaser's 10k on Oct 2, the Thanksgiving Memory Walk/ Run on Oct 11, and the Halloween Howl Howl Oct 24.

There is one 10k in November and none confirmed for December. The Miles for Moms 10k is Nov 14.

half marathons
Nothing says fall running like a great half marathon through parks and streets when the leaves are changing colours. One of the prettiest has to be the Canadian Rocky Mountain Half Marathon in Canmore on Sept 13. It's more than a little hilly, and a mix of non-descript streets and stunning pathways. On the same day you could drive to Edmonton for the Rotary Run for Life half marathon in Stony Plain. There are two half marathons on the same day near Edmonton on Sept 20. The St. Albert Fall Challenge is a course along the Sturgeon River pathway system, and the Edmonton 21 is on park roads and trails by the river. In Banff, Melissa's Road Race is on Sept 26.

There are three fall half marathons in Calgary and area, why not run them all. The Canadian Rocky Mountain Half (Sept 13), the Harvest Half Marathon (Oct 3), and the Last Chance Half Marathon (Nov 15) are all very different races. The Harvest Half is a road and river pathway course that has a few hills and some very nice scenery in the Fish Creek area. The Last Chance Half is a smaller race from Eau Claire with a pathway route all around the downtown pathways on both sides of the river. These are very good races.

On October 4 you can visit BC for the Fernie Half Marathon. It looks like a nice scenic out-and-back looping course that follows the river.

There are no nearby marathon distances until the spring. There are some fall / winter ultra marathons, though.

trail and cross country (XC) races

You might need to invest in some cross-country shoes or running spikes for some of the hillier or icier races listed below. There is a lot of variety in terrain and elevation change for cross-country racing, so adjust your time expectations downward.

The first open (ie. not just high school or college athletes) XC race in Calgary is the SAIT/CALTAF Open XC Meet on Sept 12. Entry is only $6 or $10. Although these races are open to anyone, they are split by gender and distance. Women traditionally will run the 5k XC at 12:30pm and the men run 8K at 1:30pm. This is the beginning of the XC season for high school and college students, so expect some high drama as these young athletes try to impress their coaches or gauge their fitness levels. This race is open, so you're welcome to run with them. The race is at Hawk Ridge Centre, so I imagine it will be an open park course with some trails.

There is one race left in the 5 Peaks Alberta Series, which takes place Sept 12 in Canmore at the Nordic Centre. There are four distances: 1km children's challenge, 6.8 k, 11.5k and 21k. Expect some challenging hills and rocky bits.

Head to Radium Hot Springs for the 10.8k Headbanger Trail Challenge on Sept 26. Or try a local trail race in the Canada Olympic Park hillside, the 1k, 3k, and 5k Waldorf School XC.

The Calgary Roadrunners has a 10-race cross country series that starts on Oct 3 with the River Park Classic XC. Like most of the CRR XC races, this one has a 4k and 8k distance, with a 1k kids run. There is a river crossing, which might get to be waist deep in places, so expect to get your shoes wet.

On October 10 you could try the much more sedate U of C Open XC Meet, which takes place at Canmore Park in the NW. This is very much a speed event, so while the hills will be rolling and the trails not too technical you will get mowed down by a Dino or two. The 5km women's race is 12:30 and the 8k men's at 1:30pm.

Head to Camrose the next weekend for the Augustana Open XC on Oct 17. This will be a hillier course on the ski trails with a 5k and 8k version.

Every year the Stewart Cup moves between Edmonton and Calgary, and this year the Stewart Cup Memorial XC Race is Oct 31 at Hawrelak Park in Edmonton. The college kids will be looking to shine on this wide looping course near the river, but you can also run in any age group.

It should be late fall still when the CRR Edworthy XC Race takes place November 7 in Edworthy Park. There is a huge hill to climb, and a 4k loop that you run twice if you run the 8k version.

Athletics Alberta has a Saucony Run Alberta XC Series which concludes at Goldstick Park in Edmonton with the Series Champ XC. 12:30 5k, 1:30 8k, and awards at 2:30pm. The full 6-race series is SAIT/CALTAF, Macewan, UofC, Augustana, Stewart Cup, and the Saucony Series Champs.

The last CRR XC of 2009 is the Silver Springs XC on Dec 12 at noon. 1k kids race, 4k and 8k loops. This is a pretty course beside the river, with some very thin trails in usually snowy conditions.

For more information and schedule updates, visit the Calgary Roadrunners Race Schedule page, which is often updated and check out the fall issue of Impact Magazine, or the Athletics Alberta website and calendars.

Timex Road Race Series nears the end of season

2009-08-30T18:11:00.002-06:00

There are three more races left in the Athletics Alberta Timex National Road Race Series, which is 12 courses around the province starting with the St. Patrick's Day Road Race in March and ending with the Melissa's 10k in September. Timex and Athletics Alberta are tracking the results from pre-selected races and awarding points for overall wins (100 pts), second place finishes (94 pts), 49th place (2pts), and everything in between. Even just finishing a course gets you 1 point. Plus, you're competing against your age group and gender, so you have more chances to pick up some cool prizes.

Is it too late to get started? The season is almost over, right? Well, the top 4 women have 200-283 points, so in 3 races you could get into the mix. The bottom of the Top 10 men starts with 202 points, but you still might break the top ten in your age group. Especially if you're over 40.

Of course, there are some actual races you have to run and do well in. The next race is the Dino Dash September 6th, which starts near McMahon Stadium and runs a nice 10k road course around the U of C campus and ends on the Foothills track. (There's also a 5k version but it's not included in the Timex series.) On September 13th head north for the 10k Rotary Run for Life in Stony Plain, which is a suburb just west of Edmonton. The last race for points in the series is the long-since-sold-out Melissa's Road Race in Banff on September 26. Scour the Calgary Roadrunners, Melissa's, and Running Room websites for people who are dropping out and looking to sell their bibs. It happens. Race changes are allowed Sept 16-20 only.

The Timex series ends in Edmonton with the 26th Annual Fall Classic 10 miler on October 18. Unfortunately, the day before in Toronto the Timex National Road Race Series has the overall final with the Oasis Zoo Run 10k. This is also the 2009 Canadian 10km Championships, so you could toe the line with some serious distance runners.

The top 5 road racing women in the province (at least based on these first 7 Timex-qualifying races) are:

Krissy Dooling of Edmonton with 283 points (based on only 3 races)

Emily Young of Edmonton with 260 points

Krista Petersen of Edmonton with 209 points

Lisa Harvey of Calgary with 200 points

Tara Struyk and Chantell Widney, both of Edmonton, with 194 points each

Also in the Top 15 for women are Calgarians Lindsay McLaren, Lisa Benz, and Jenny Godley.

The top 5 road racing men in the province (at least based on these first 7 races) are:

Brian Torrance of Edmonton with 542 points

Matthew Norminton of Edmonton with 537 points

Kurt Wotiuk of Edmonton with 356 points

Niall McGrath of Edmonton with 259 points

Art Vriend of Red Deer with 237 points

Also in the Top 15 for men are Calgarians Duncan Marsden, Ed Bickley, Andrew Carruthers, Travis Cummings and Mario Festival

Dino Alumni, Ironman Calgary, Women's Run

2009-07-23T22:36:00.001-06:00

The Dino Track & Field Alumni Association is having an event August 8th to raise money for an endowment/scholarship fund for the underfunded Dinos track teams. The Back on Track Bash takes place at 6pm at Glenmore Athletic Park. Your $25 ticket included a BBQ, possibly a band, and there will be some fundraising raffles. Contact backontrackbash@gmail.com for more information and tickets. Even if you can't make it, donations are being accepted to the University of Calgary Track & Field program.

Another U of C Track fundraiser is the 5K/10K Dino Dash on September 6th. This is a great road course around campus, and registration is only $30 before August 1st.

The first ever Ironman 70.3 triathlon in Calgary is coming up August 2nd. The winner of last year's Ironman Hawaii, Craig Alexander, is competing. So is 11-time Ironman Champion Lisa Bentley, along with many other professional triathletes. The race has recently sold out, but if you'd like to volunteer contact Ironman Calgary as soon as possible.

Next week the Running Room starts a FREE walking / running clinic for breast cancer survivors, and they're looking for some instructors for these clinics. The clinics are 10 weeks in duration and have a goal of completing the CIBC Run for the Cure in October. Contact your local Running Room for more information.

The 31st Annual Calgary Women's Run is a 5k/10k course taking place August 30th. The early bird price of $35 ends July 31, and there is a $200 cash prize for the 10k winner.

Earle Connor on Fan 960 Calgary

2009-04-03T20:56:00.007-06:00

Okay, this is a little late notification, but I only heard it this morning. From 9am - 11am on Saturdays legendary Olympic skiier (and former Crazy Canuck) Jungle Jim Hunter has a very inspiring radio show on the local sports radio station. On tomorrow morning's show he interviews local paralympian sprinter Earle Connor. You can listen live online also at www.fan960.com

More info on Earle Connor at Agenda Sport

More info on Jungle Jim Hunter at JungleJim.ca

Podcasts of the Jungle Jim Hunter Show :
:: March 28th edition (this is not the Earle Connor show, it is not posted yet)

Timex Road Race Series starts March 15th in Calgary

2009-03-07T17:33:00.004-07:00

The Timex Provincial Road Race Series kicks off in Calgary next weekend with the St. Patrick's Day 10K. How the series works is there are 12 road races from March to September throughout the province that are tagged by Athletics Alberta and Timex as qualifying for an overall age-group year-end award. Each race scores you some points based on your time and position and the more races you're in the more points you get.

Last year the top woman was Krissy Dooling of Edmonton, then Heather Price of Canmore and Lisa Harvey of Calgary. Lindsay McLaren and Nancy Alingsangan (both of Calgary) placed 6th and 8th respectively. For the men the overall winners were Brian Torrance of Edmonton, Paul McCloy of Calgary, and Matthew Norminton of Edmonton. More Calgarians: Ed Bickley was 4th, Jeremy Deere was 6th, Richard Kellet was 7th and Geoff Hopfner was 10th.

If you think road racing series championships is just for the kids, this is the age group breakdown of the top 10 in each gender. F20-29: 1, 7, 9, 10. F30-39: 3, 5, 6, 8. F40-49: 2,4. M20-29: 9, 10. M30-39: 1, 3, 6. M40-49: 2, 7, 8. M50-59: 4, 5.

So, the trick is to attend as many of the following races as possible, make sure you're in the correct distance for scoring, and rack up some good age-group times. This year there is also a Corporate Team Challenge, which is a way of uniting 5 to 20 of your co-workers to compete in 5 selected races.

The races are the Original St. Patrick's Day Road Race 10k, March 15th in Calgary. Registration is $45, which gets you a t-shirt and a chance to win your weight in beer.

Race TWO is the Lethbridge 10 Mile Road Race, April 18. Entry is $32 with a first place prize of $250.

Race THREE is the St. Albert 10 Miler, put on by the St. Albert Road Runners & Triathlon Club, which is unfortunately the day after the Lethbridge 10 Mile, April 10. Double the prize money for the winner though, while entry fee is $45 for now.

Race FOUR is the half marathon at Woody's RV World Marathon Weekend in Red Deer, May 17. Entry is $60 until March 17 and $70 or $80 afterwards.

Race FIVE is the 10k at the HSBC Calgary Marathon Weekend, May 31. Entry is $40 and includes a sleeveless technical shirt. There is a stunning $1000 award for fastest male and female, with prizes for 2nd through fifth as well. There's also $300 for the fastest master (40+) male and female, plus $500 for the top Canadian.

Race SIX is the Little Big Run 10k in Edmonton, also on May 31.

Race SEVEN is the 10k at the Footstock Race Weekend, June 13 in Cochrane. Entry is $40 until March 13, then $50 or $60 afterwards. This year the 10k does NOT start with a big hill climb, instead it is an out and back along the shale pathway by the river.

Race EIGHT is the 15k Canada Day Road Race in Edmonton, July 1. Entry is $45, and the course starts and finishes at the Legislature Grounds.

Race NINE is the 10k at the ING Edmonton River Valley Family Festival, August 15. I think it gets such a long name because they split the marathon and half onto a different day from the 10k. Entry is $30.

Race TEN is the 10k distance at the Dino Dash in Calgary, September 6. Registration is not up for this year, but last year the entry fee was $25 for early bird and $35 for regular.

Race ELEVEN is the 10k distance at the Stony Plain Rotary Run for Life, September 13. Registration and entry fee information is not on their website yet, but last year there were $300 prizes for first place male and female.

Race TWELVE is the 10k distance at Melissa's Road Race in Banff, September 26, which is of course sold out. There is no waiting list, but if you hover around some online forums in September people will start dropping out of the race and wanting to sell their bibs.

The series concludes with a 10k in Edmonton that isn't scored, but after the race the Timex Series awards will be given out. More information can be found at the Timex Series Alberta website.

Melissa's Road Race, registration Feb 25

2009-02-24T09:03:00.002-07:00

Registration for the 30th Annual Melissa's Road Race starts tomorrow, Feb 25, and is only available online. There is a 10k and 22k distance, both cost $45. The race is September 26, 2009, in Banff, and is capped at 1500 runners. If you don't register early tomorrow morning, online only, you will have to wait for people to start bailing out in September.

Calgary Women's Run, Free Garmin stuff, Frozen Ass 50

2009-02-08T10:15:00.004-07:00

The Calgary Women's Run has a new group of co-race directors to ensure there is a 31st annual women's only 10k race in Calgary this summer. They have moved the race away from the end of May towards the end of August, with an exact date not confirmed until the permit gets approved.

The Arbour Lake Triathlon had a solid 9 years of operation in the city's northwest, but is now relocating. Check out the multisportcanada website for a new date and location.

The HBC Run for Canada 10k is cancelled this year. According to the website they are "looking to focus [their] efforts and resources" to some "new Olympic-specific" programs and fundraising.

The movement of the Calgary Marathon to the end of May has had a small ripple effect. The Try This Triathlon moved up a week to May 24th.

If you live near Calgary and can get to Cochrane once a week, Dynastream (a subsidiary of Garmin) is looking for some heart rate monitor and GPS testers. You need to be able to run comfortable for 30 minutes, commit to 12 hours over 6 weeks and you get some free Garmin merchandise.

The first ultramarathon of the year in Calgary is the Frozen Ass 50, which runs on Monday Feb 16. Entry is available at Gord's Running Store. The distance is a mere 50k, but there is also a 25k version for those of you who missed out on the Hypothermic Half.

The first race of the Timex Series Alberta is the Original St. Patrick's Day 10k on March 15th. This year the Timex Series has a corporate team challenge, which is something like the Corporate Challenge but spread out over the year. And only running. No bathtub racing.

If you're thinking about running the Calgary Marathon, the full distance is 80% sold out already!

There are two remaining winter cross country races left in the Calgary Roadrunners XC Grand Prix. You don't need to be a member to enter, the fee is $10 or less, and you get to romp around some fields and hills for around an hour and join the optional potluck lunch afterwards.

For a full 2009 season of running dates check out the Calgary Roadrunners Race Schedule.

Powderface, Canadian Running Magazine, Footstock

2009-01-14T21:38:00.000-07:00

The Calgary Police Half Marathon is April 26, and registration is still available. The half-marathon is $60 and you have to register in person at the Tech Shop. About 50 in person spots are available. If you miss out, wait until the week before the event as people start bailing.

Pick up the January/February issue of Canadian Running magazine for a couple pages on the Powderface 42 (registration opens January 18). Gord Hobbins of Gord's Running Store is interviewed for the Winter Running Guide story. There are some good book reviews, and an interview with the director of Saint Ralph. If you haven't, get a subscription to keep that magazine viable.

The Calgary Women's Race is looking for a new race director. You would get some assistance from the Calgary Roadrunners Club, so you wouldn't be entirely on your own. You could co-direct with someone else. Contact the CRR for more details.

Cochrane's race weekend in June, aka Footstock, has opted out of the full marathon for 2009. Their longest distance will now be the half marathon, which is run mostly on the shale pathways near the Bwo River. The small-town hospitality is great, and the 50 people who ran the marathon will still enjoy the shorter distance.

coming up
Jan 16 - Golden Bear Open (indoor track)
Jan 18 - Houston Marathon
Jan 24 - CRR Twelve Mile Coulee XC 8k
Feb 7 - CRR Nose Hill XV 8k
Feb 15 - Hypothermic Half Marathon (sold out)
Feb 15 - Austin Marathon
Feb 16 - Frozen Ass 50
Feb 21 - CRR Weaselhead XC 8k
Mar 7 - CRR Fish Creek XC 8k
Mar 15 - CRR St. Patrick's Day 10k
Apr 5 - Glencoe Icebreaker 10k
Apr 19 - Airdrie Half Marathon
Apr 20 - Boston Marathon
Apr 26 - Calgary Police Half

see the Calgary Roadrunners Race Schedule for more events

2009 race entry deadlines

2009-01-02T07:56:00.003-07:00

Here are some useful deadlines for some upcoming road races.

The Frozen Ass 50 takes place on Feb 16, has a $30 fee until February 7 and then goes up to $50. The event is capped at 125 people who will run to Chestermere and back (50km).

The St. Patrick's Day 10k is March 15th, and registration is $35 until January 14th and $40 or $45 afterwards. Around 1200 are expected to complete the 5k or 10k course.

The Glencoe Icebreaker 10k runs April 5, but you need to pick up at entry form at the Glencoe Club or the Tech Shop starting Jan 7 and enter in person at the Glencoe Club Sports Office on January 19th at 5:30am.

The Calgary Police Half Marathon is April 26, and registration starts January 9th at noon. You may register in person starting January 2 at the Tech Shop (one week before online registration). The race is capped at 2500 people and entry is $60.

Almost 50,000 people will run the Bloomsday 12k in Spokane, Washington on May 3rd. Online entry is available and entry is $15.

The Vancouver Marathon is also May 3 and the earliest deadline was December 15th. The marathon is now $100, the half is $70 and the 8K is $35. Pay before March 20 or the marathon increases to $125.

The Ottawa Race Weekend Marathon, half, 10k and 5k are May 23 and 24th. Registration for the full is $75 and the 10k is $30 until February 15th.

The Calgary Marathon is May 31, and the earliest bird entry fee deadline is January 30th. You save $5 to $15 if you can register before then. Almost 800 people have already signed up for the marathon, half, 10k or Timbits marathon. The full marathon is $75, rises to $90 in February, and $120 on race weekend.

The Banff-Jasper Relay is June 6th, and the entry fee has just gone up to $1,351.50! Really. It's split up over your relay team though, so it's not so bad.

The Powderface 42 is a trail marathon that takes place near Bragg Creek on July 12. Registration starts January 18.

Online registration starts today for the 125km Canadian Death Race, August 1-3. Entry is $250 until March 1.

Calgary's first Ironman 70.3 is the same weekend. Entry is also $250, and registration is still available. The race is capped at 1700 entries.

coming up
Jan 3 - Dino Classic (indoor track)
Jan 10 - CRR Nose Creek XC 8k
Jan 16 - Golden Bear Open (indoor track)
Jan 18 - Houston Marathon
Jan 24 - CRR Twelve Mile Coulee XC 8k
Feb 7 - CRR Nose Hill XC 8k
Feb 15 - Hypothermic Half Marathon (sold out)
Feb 15 - Austin Marathon
Feb 16 - Frozen Ass 50
Feb 21 - CRR Weaselhead XC 8k
Mar 7 - CRR Fish Creek XC 8k
Mar 15 - CRR St. Patrick's Day 10k
Apr 5 - Glencoe Icebreaker 10k
Apr 19 - Airdrie Half Marathon
Apr 20 - Boston Marathon
Apr 26 - Calgary Police Half

see the Calgary Roadrunners Race Schedule for more events

Cross Country and Holiday-Themed Races in Calgary

2008-11-27T11:03:00.004-07:00

recent events
Nov 8 - CIS XC Finals
Nov 9 - Last Chance Half
Nov 22 - Okotoks XC

A couple weekends ago the U of C Dinos Cross Country teams headed east to compete in the university national cross country finals in Quebec City. Last year the Dino women's team finished 2nd place overall in the country, behind the Guelph team, and this year they finished 3rd, but still beat all other western teams to retain the Canada West banner. Team Captain Heather Sim placed 8th overall, which earns her a spot in the 2nd All Canadian Team. The men's team finished 5th overall, but also returned with the Canada West banner. Rookie Nyial Majock finished 5th overall and fellow rookie Gavin Hamilton placed 8th.

This weekend some of these university cross country athletes will be headed to Guelph for the open national cross country championships. The under-19 junior women run a 5k cross country course Saturday at 10:30am, followed by the junior men (8k) at 12:45. The senior women run the 7k course at 1:30pm and the senior men run 10k at 2:15.

On November 9th 489 people completed the Last Chance Half Marathon, the last longer distance run in Calgary until the Airdrie Half or the Police Half in April. The two fastest men completed the course in under 1:20, with Darcy Bell winning in 1:15:45.6 and Graham Diehl in 1:17:44.5. The fastest women were Jenny Godley in 1:28:50.6 and Michelle Milot in 1:32:01.6.

Last weekend the Calgary Roadrunners Club hosted their 4th (of 10) 8k winter cross country races, this one in Okotoks. Ken Myers won the 8k in 30:22, followed by Andrew Carruthers in 31:00. The fastest women were Shari Boyle in 35:09, and Lindsay McLaren in 36:37. Ninety-nine runners completed the 8k course, and 27 ran the 4k course.

A note to the runners over 30: I hope you know there's an indoor track season coming up, and there is a masters category and even if you're not a lightning fast 15-year-old, there's room on the track and very little age-group competition. I wouldn't say it's for everyone, but if you run intervals already, if you think you can bust out a decent 3k track time and don't mind running in circles for 15 minutes or less, then give the Dino Opener a shot on December 6th. The entry fee is inexpensive, especially compared to 5k or 10k races, and it's warm inside the Jack Simpson.

There are a few holiday-themed races coming up. The Jingle Bell Run for Arthritis is a 5k and 10k run starting at the Red and White Club at U of C this Sunday. Online registration is $45 for adults and the race starts at 9am. Package pickup is Saturday at the Tech Shop downtown. The Santa Shuffle is December 6th is a 5k run to benefit the Salvation Army. Registration is $25 and the race starts at Eau Claire Market at 10:00am. On December 14, the Catch the Elves 10K Run is a benefit for Muscular Dystrophy Canada. Registration is $35 if you register by November 30. The race is also at Eau Claire Market. The last of the holiday events is the Resolution Run, which is a 5k on December 31 at 6pm. This event is sold out.

The next Calgary Roadrunners 4k/8k Cross Country race is Saturday, December 13th at noon in Silver Springs. The entry fee is $10 for non-members, $7 for CRR members, $5 for students, and the 1k kids race is free. The race director is also collecting donations for the Kerby House senior centre.

coming up
Nov 29 - 2008 AGSI Canadian Cross Country Championships
Nov 30 - Jingle Bell Run
Dec 6 - Santa Shuffle
Dec 6 - Dino Opener
Dec 13 - Silver Springs XC
Dec 14 - Catch the Elves
Dec 31 - Resolution Run
Jan 3 - Dino Classic

Moose Mountain, Dino Dash, Melissa's update

2008-09-04T08:38:00.000-06:00

Loves them fall races! Remember to bring your gloves.

Moose Mountain, Sept 6
On Saturday the epic Moose Mountain Trail Races start at 9am for the 29k run up Moose Mountain and 11am for the 16k jaunt on Telephone Loop. These are awesome trail runs just west of Bragg Creek. Online registration is now closed, but you can register at package pickup on Thursday 4pm-7pm and Friday from 4pm-6pm at Gord's Running Store or an hour before each of the races. Entry fee is $45 and includes a lunch.

Dino Dash, Sept 7
If you want a nice flat 5k or 10k with wide open roads and chip timing, this is a great opportunity to run your guts out and accomplish a great personal best. I like running on the Bow River pathway system, but a wide open road closed to traffic gives you more wiggle room and makes the day seem more like an event. The race starts at 11am on Saturday, so expect some sun. Online registration closes today, $35 adult, $25 kids, but you can register at package pickup at Strides Running Store Friday from 4pm-8pm and Saturday from 9:30am-4pm.

Canmore Rocky Mountain Half, Sept 7
Online registration has closed, but you can register for the half, 5k or 10k at package pickup Sept 4 from 10am-7pm and Sept 5 from 10am-6pm at Gord's Running Store, or in Canmore at Lawrence Grassi Middle School on Saturday from 11am-7pm.

Melissa's Road Race, Sept 27
This is a landmark half marathon and 10k, which always sells out. Race entry is transferable though, and is allowed from Sept 17-21 only by email or fax. So, if you need to find someone to buy a bib from, or someone to sell it to, find a message board like the Classifieds page on the Calgary Roadrunners website and arrange something.

If you'd like to run the 10k for free, the Running Room is looking for pace bunnies for the 10k. Email Jacqui Allison at jallison@runningroom.com.

Harvest Half, Sept 27
If you're all trained up for a half marathon but you can't get into Melissa's, the Harvest Half has a nice tour through Fish Creek Park, and you can save $10 if you register on or before this Saturday. Plus, it's an hour closer to home, there's no Banff Park fee to pay, and you and 500 other new friends have a nice early 7:45 am start.

August and Sept Races and Cancellations

2008-08-06T15:57:00.005-06:00

August is a relatively quiet time for running in Calgary. There's a post-Calgary Marathon hangover, which is followed by some excitement about the end-of-summer and fall races. Melissa's, Moose Mountain, The Dino Dash, the Victoria Marathon. Fall is a nice time to run.

This weekend the high school track kids have their last meet of the season in Medicine Hat during the Alberta Summer Games. And there might be a few local masters track athletes going to Spokane this weekend for the USATF Masters Championships. The U of C Dinos are building up their endurance for the cross country season which starts in September and culminates in CIS Cross-Country Championship November 8 in Quebec City.

Race Cancellations
The Cross Calgary Relay and Ultramarathon was scheduled for August 16th, but it has been cancelled due to low registration. According to the website the organizers will be reworking the date and format for next year.

The Banff Ekiden relay has also been cancelled this year. From what I can tell this was an event put on by the Banff Centre and in the past couple years they've hired Magma Event Marketing to run the race, but this year it is canceled entirely. No idea about the future of the race.

The Canmore Challenge was scheduled for June, pushed back to September and now it is cancelled for this year. Hopefully it and the Ekiden will be back next year. Putting on a race takes a lot of time, dedication, money and volunteers to make it happen, so hopefully the absence of these races will cause some kind of outpouring of support for them next year.

Rock the House Run, Aug 17
If you have kids and those kids like dogs and you think you and your kids can run 5k (or 10k), this is the race for your family. The race starts and ends at Ronald McDonald House by the Children's Hospital, has live music, and after the races are done there was a SuperDogs show! More than any other race I've been to it had a festival atmosphere.

The Robert Hamilton Memorial Road Race, August 24
If not the oldest race in Calgary, this 5 Mile and 10 Mile event is one of the more competitive. Expect around 150 people to be at the early 8am starting line and the leaders to include some of the fastest people in Calgary who are looking for a good late-summer workout. This race also skews to the masters, so if you've been running for 20 or 30 years you'll feel right at home. Beginners are welcomed as well. The cost is low and the race perks are few. They also distribute running socks instead of t-shirts.

The Sheep River Road Race, Sept 1
Another long-standing race, this time in Okotoks, running along the pathway system by the river. The 10k route has a prettier out and back course along the river than the 5k route, which is more of a jaunt through the suburbs. The post-race awards and refreshments are in the school gym and lots of kids show up for this one so it has a good family atmosphere.

Moose Mountain, Sept 6
16k of hills and mud, or 29k of dirt roads, goat trails, steep climbs and the most incredible mid-race view of any race in the Calgary area. Around 100 people head out to Bragg Creek for a long run up a mountain and back. This is definitely an accomplishment.

Dino Dash, Sept 7
5k or 10k on a nice flat course on wide open roads. The race is chip-timed and finishes on the Foothills track with an announcer calling out your name. If there is any race that is setting you up for a personal best, this is it.

Canmore Rocky Mountain Half Marathon, Sept 7
A beautiful and hilly half marathon run through Canmore pathways and roadways. It's not an easy run, but the setting is amazing.

CSPG 10k, Sept 10
An evening 10k in the heart of the city. About 150 people will show up, including a bunch running the 10k in under 40 minutes. They have a 75 minute cut-off time and a post-race pizza party ...

Lost Soul Ultra, Sept 12
50k, 100k, or 160k! Part of the Alberta Ultra Series, and expecting more runners this year than usual.

Five Peaks, Canmore, Sept 13
The Five Peaks is a great trail running series, and this one will be awesome. This includes a 21k course, which will be hilly and really tough compared to a flat half marathon.

Bow River Run, Sept 14
Start and finish in Bowness Park, 5 and 10k, a little hilly, but it could be worse. The 10k is 2 loops. Nice environment to run in, close to the river.

Terry Fox Run, Sept 14
If the course hasn't changed it's not a great run so much as it's an awesome cause. The race is very open to participation, so expect dogs and kids on scooters and rollerbladers and baby chariots to clog the pathways for an hour. Don't expect a personal best 10k, just go to support a great event.

Melissa's, Sept 27
A classic race that is always sold out, and this year is no exception. 10k and 21k routes. This is the year I find out for myself what all the hype is about.

Harvest Half Marathon, Sept 27
A nice fall half marathon that has a few hilly roads and lots of lovely Fish Creek paths. Hundreds of people who aren't going to Banff will be running this one because the next half marathon isn't until November.

River Park Classic XC, Oct 5
The return of a classic cross country trail race that features two crossings of the Elbow River. You won't need a life jacket, but expect to get wet to the knees (or higher) a couple times.

Royal Victoria Marathon, Oct 12
The course, the volunteers, the organization ... this is considered one of the best races in western Canada.

Okanagan Marathon, Oct 12
If you are unable to get to Victoria ...

I'm sure I missed some, so let me know if I have. In this list there should be one of your favourites, or a new favourite. If there's a weekend with two races, run the Saturday one easy and go for the social atmosphere and run the Sunday one hard. Or run the Saturday one competitively and the Sunday one as a recovery run.

If you've never run any of these races, then volunteer for one and see what it's all about.

Five Peaks Sundre, Bragg Creek Days Fun Run, Open Minds 10k

2008-07-18T08:12:00.002-06:00

This weekend there are three smaller races to run in the Calgary area. We won't see anything on an epic scale like the the Calgary Marathon until Melissa's Half in September.

Five Peaks, Sundre, Saturday, July 19
Probably the toughest and most scenic run will be the Five Peaks in Sundre, which is a hilly cross-country series, and this instance is about an hour northwest of Calgary. Registration is still available.

Open Minds Walk & Run 10k, Saturday, July 19
About 200 people should line up for a 5 or 10k in Edworthy Park, which probably means a nice run along the river on the pathways. Registration is still available, package pickup is today at Eau Claire Running Room from 4pm-8pm.

Bragg Creek Days Fun Run 10k, Sunday, July 20
This will be the smallest race of the weekend, but there's nothing else on Sunday and Bragg Creek is such a nice place to visit. Despite the intention of the race to raise money for building more trails in the hills, this should be a flat, pretty course.

The following weekend has nothing nearby. There's a half marathon in Wainwright though.

The next biggest thing is in Invermere, BC, with their Loop the Lake ultramarathon / marathon / half / relay, August 9. The ING Edmonton Marathon is August 16, the same day as the Cross Calgary Ultra. August 17th has the 2nd running of the 10k/5k Rock the House Run, which is a flat loop starting at the Children's Hospital. And the last race in August is the Robert Hamilton Memorial Road Race on August 24. It's a 5 Mile and 10 Mile, or approximately 8k and 16k, and should get about 200 people.

Last year the Rock the House Run had lots of fun stuff for kids, including a stage where bands played, a few demonstration races by the SuperDogs, and I think there was an inflatable bounce room. This year they're expecting more kids, more fun, and more people.

After the spring and summer marathons, there is a lull while people are going to start building their base of long runs in preparation for fall cross country and marathon season. It's a good time to get in on some of the free group runs around the city. There's a good list of them at the Calgary Roadrunners Learn to Run Blog.

SAIT Trojans XC Coach Position

2008-05-08T13:44:00.002-06:00

SAIT Trojans

SAIT Trojans cross-country coach Stephen Ames is looking for his replacement for this fall's season. I imagine it's because of his continuing commitment to the Calgary Spartans track & field club. I don't know what the qualifications are, but I imagine some coaching experience would be necessary. This doesn't look like a full-time job, and it might only be for this first semester since I don't think they have an indoor track team. But I really don't know. Stephen would know, and you can email him at d-coach@telus.net

Outdoor Track, Five Peaks Starts Now, Mother's Day 10k

2008-05-07T08:43:00.000-06:00

Tonight at Foothills Track, U of C

Weather permitting, there's an entertaining night of high school track this evening at the Foothills Track. This is the second half of the Dino High School Challenge, and a bunch of meet records were re-set on Thursday, May 1. There's 800 competitors lining up tonight to set some more records. The show starts at 5pm with an hour of hurdles and pole vaulting. Unlike the indoor track events in the winter there's a grandstand for seating and a wild noisy atmosphere.

At approximately 5:50 the 800 meter heats start, and at 7pm the 200 meter dash. The 3000m is set for around 8pm, with the last event, the boys 15 and under 3k starting at 9:10. While the running events are going on the track, on the field the pole vault starts at 5, along with the high jump, triple jump, shot put, discus and javelin. Hopefully the announcer will keep your eyes on the events that are reaching their critical points. That final jump. That third throw. There are no qualifying heats for each events, so every race is that kid's one shot at a medal, a provincial record, or a personal best.

There's a complete list of events on the Dino High School Challenge event page, and a list of competitors on the Entry List page. It's hard to tell from the entry list who the club kids are, but they're the ones training 4 or more times a week with the Spartans, the Calgary International, CalTAF, the Warriors, UCAC, etc., and they're the ones with the most reasonable shot at winning an event. If someone without a club affiliation places well in their event, you might see a club coach or two cruise by afterwards with some "congratulations" and invitations.

At around 8:20, Grace Kary is running the 3000m, and 15 minutes later Ciara Kary is running the same distance. In each race their might be a Mikaela Hannam who challenges the lead, but it also might be like the fall cross country series where Grace and Ciara led their races from the start and held on for a clear win. They'll be in orange ABE shirts. At 6:15 watch Mihai Prajea in the 800m, and again in the 200 m at 7:25. Gareth Hadfield is running the 800 at 6:40 and the 3000m at 9:10pm.

Five Peaks Sunridge, May 10

On Saturday the first Five Peaks trail race gets started near Sherwood Park, near Edmonton. This is a great 14k or 7k hilly course and a great alternative to running on sidewalks and pathways. Adjust your expectations if you've run a few good 10k times, because the difficulty of the terrain will set you back more than a few minutes. The race starts at 10am, and registration is still available for this and most of the races.

Mother's Day Run & Walk, May 11

Aside from the Calgary Marathon, this is probably the next biggest race in Calgary. There's a 5k and 10k and $1000 for first place, so expect the city's best road racers to show up for this one. Jeremy Deere is back to defend his long-standing reign as first on the podium, while Nathan Kendrick and Darcy Bell have a reasonable chance of upsetting. I'd also look at the guys who won the recent Calgary Police Half as solid contenders for this one. If Ciara Kary is running the 5k I'd put her down for a medal.

Results

Apr 20 - Tour de Airdrie, results
The third annual half marathon in Airdrie was won by Cochrane triathlete Joel Wilkinson in 1:33:40 for the men and Cheryl Melody in 1:40:26 for the women. Despite blowing snow and reduced visibility. Around 200 people made it out and finished the half marathon, 10k and 5k courses. Now if they could only change their name so it doesn't sound like a bike event.

Apr 26 - Rocky Mountain Soap Women's Run 5k/12k, results
Almost 600 women were in Canmore for the 11k and 5.5 women's only courses, which is a great turnout for a debut race. Doesn't hurt that you're running in Canmore, which is a great running environment. If you don't have the Canmore Challenge or the Canmore Rocky Mountain Half Marathon on your list, then you should add this one in for next year. The 11k was won in 45:27 by elite Toronto marathoner Nicole Stevenson, followed by competitive nordic skiier Magi Scallion in 47:30 and Lynette Van Damme in 50:36.

Apr 27 - Calgary Police Half, results
The Calgary Police Half had almost perfect weather and no wind for once. 1900 people finished the half marathon, won by Scott Jensen in 1:13:56, followed by Graham Diehl in 1:15:10 and Travis Cummings in 1:15:50. The first female was Shari Boyle in 1:22:07, followed by Danelle Kabush in 1:25:44 and Erin Sask in 1:30:00. No results were kept for the 500 people who ran the 5k.

May 1 - Dino High School Challenge, results

If you're going to the second part of the Dino High School Challenge thie evening, you should pick through the results page from last Thursday, find the kids who ranked in their events, and watch them again tonight. Those are the front runners. Then look at tonight's entry list and pick out the kids from your high school and cheer them on. Bust out that old orange Centennial jacket you bought in 1990. It could be awesome.

Several meet records were set last Thursday : Danielle Kendall in the Girls 16 & under 400 m ran 59.07. Aviva Mulloy in the Girls 16 & Under High Jump tied Tara Dressler's 1.50 m. Nicki Barlow in the Girls 18 & Under 400m ran 59.69. Nikki Meyer in the Girls 18 & Under Long Jump posted 4.95m. Alex Fox in the Girls 18 & Under Discus Throw measured a 33.21m. Ryan Wilkes ran 11.61 in the Boys 15 & Under 100 m. Brandon Schmidt threw a Javelin 47.41m in the Boys 15 & Under category. Michael Barrett reached 3.60m in the Boys 16 & Under pole vault. Joel Dueck threw the javelin 50.70 for the Boys 16& Under record. Joel Mills reached 3.40m in the Boys 18 & Under pole vault.

And most are back for more. Daniell Kendall is running the 200m tonight at 7:15. Aviva Mulloy is trying the triple jump at 6:30. Nicki Barlow is running the 800m at 5:50. Nikki Meyer is in the triple jump at 6:30 and the 80 meter hurdles at 5:30. Alex Fox is shot putting at 7:30, and javelinning at 6:30. Ryan Wilkes is in the 200m at 8:00pm. Brandon Schmidt is in the triple jump at 7:00pm. Michael Barrett is triple jumping at 5:00pm. Joel Mills is high jumping at 7:30.

May 3 - Big Run Theatre Calgary, results

This was a great morning for a run, and nice to get out on another part of the Bow pathway, with three race distances starting in Bowness Park. It was a tough and hilly course though, and the 10k route and half marathon both had to negotiate the Silver Springs hills. The half marathon was won by Anton Nel in 1:24:11, followed by Pauline McLean in 1:25:14. The 10k was won by Mike Mokievsky-Zubok in 43:36 and Julie Kemp in 44:51 won the women's event. The 5k was won by 60-something-year-old Barrie Dargie in 19:16, while the first female was Rachelle Dion in 24:20. This race replaces the Banff Calgary Relay Race that previously served as a long-standing, well-loved fundraiser for Theatre Calgary.

Coming Up, some local and national events

May 7 - Dino High School Challenge, 5pm-8:30pm, Foothills
May 10 - Five Peaks, Sunridge
May 11 - Mothers Day 10k
May 17 -18 Calgary Spring Challenge track
May 18 - Woody's RV Marathon, Red Deer
May 24 - Five Peaks COP
May 24 - Blackfoot Ultra
May 24 - Foothills Academy Walk Rock and Roll
May 24 - HS City Championships
May 25 - New Balance series 1 track meet
May 25 - Calgary Women's Run
May 25 - Ottawa Marathon
May 24 - Blackfoot Ultra
May 31 - pacekids Race for Pace, 5k/10k

If you have 10 seconds on Saturday ...

2008-04-25T09:54:00.000-06:00

Dino Indoor Challenge, April 26

This is the last indoor track meet at the Jack Simpson until the fall. There are not a lot of college or masters athletes competing this weekend, but there are a few notable exceptions. There's a full performance list at the link below, but I'll point out a couple of the highlights. Maybe you can stop by for an event on your way to picking up your race package for the Police Half.
www.uofcathletics.ca/perf_list_dic_08.htm

The morning starts off with a pretty competitive bunch of races, the men's and women's 16+ 60 metres, which are exciting to watch. After that at 10:15 you can watch Calgary Roadrunners masters sprinter Betty Dargie, who is 65, run a 60 metre sprint against 72 year old Mary McCarron-Egner. Dargie ran the 60m in 9.71 in Edmonton a buncha weeks back, so she'll probably be under 10 seconds again. Following that race is the men's masters 60m, with Brian Harries, Christopher Coy, Eugene Yuen and Earle Connor, and the oldest one in that group is merely 52.

So, that's about 5 minutes of your morning, but if you're picking up your race package in the afternoon Donna Dixon is running the 600m at 1:10pm. The times for these races are somewhat flexible, so you'll want to get there a little early and watch some of the other races. Especially if you've never done it before. There will be hundreds of elementary, junior and senior high school kids all freaked out and ready to explode and that's fun to be around.

If you haven't got a bib for the Calgary Police Half, it's too late for the half, but there are 100 5k bibs you can pick up at package pickup at the Tech Shop. I know, it's not the same, but it will still be fun. Or why not register for the 5k, run the half, and get the worst 5k time ever! That sounds like fun. Or volunteer. Volunteers are still needed to keep the hordes on the right path.

www.calgarypolicehalf.ca

See ya out there.

Europe, Glencoe, St. Patrick's Day, Roger Davies

2008-04-17T13:32:00.000-06:00

Since some of the Calgarian athletes I've been in contact with have been traveling around a bit I thought I'd expand my horizons a bit in the Calgary Road and Track Report.

Boston Marathon
We'll start with world headlines, and the 112th running of the Boston Marathon, which is on Monday April 21. I'm sure a lot of local runners are heading there for the weekend. This is merely the longest running, most competitive, highly anticipated marathon of the year. In the world. And you can watch it live on Versus.

St. Patrick's Day
On March 16th there were two St. Patrick's Day runs in this city, but the one I went to was the "original" one that starts at the Red & White Club by Foothills Track. 623 people finished the 5 or 10k course in snowy and windy conditions. The winner of the 10k was Matthew Norminton from Edmonton in a time of 32:57, followed by Nathan Kendrick in 33:32 and Elmostafa Asnam in 33:43. The first three women in the 10k were Lindsay McLaren (38:37), Kari Elliot (40:15) and Janice Patterson (41:44). The 5k was won by Stephen Machowski in 20:34, followed by Matt Hall in 21:03 and Nicolas Wang in 21:52. The female 5k winner was grade 10 student Ciara Kary in 20:38, followed by Grace Kary in 21:14 and Orlagh O'Kelly in 22:18.

Glencoe Icebreaker
The next 10k was the sold out Glencoe Icebreaker on April 6. 492 people finished this race, which was won by Jeremy Deere in 32:21, followed by Like Way in 33:52 and Paul McCloy in 33:56. (McCloy ran 35:35 at St. Patrick's Day and finished 5th.) A couple of rookie Dino Track & Field athletes medalled for the women's 10k. Jessica O'Connell was first in 36:57, and Faye Stenning was third in 39:21. In secod was triathlete Rosemarie Gerspacher in 38:28. O'Connell says she runs only one road 10k each year, and last year she had the same time exactly. Gerspacher was second last year as well.

Spring Trio
On April 13th about 200 people showed up to run the Spring Trio, which was one of 3 distances along the Bow River Pathway. The 5k was won by Jan Pedder in 18:10, followed by Doug Owen (18:23) and Fraser Mills Connery (18:48). The 5k female winner was Ciara Kary in 19:00, followed by Grace Kary in 19:45 and Kari Elliot in 20:26. The 10k was won by Ken Myers in 33:49, who outkicked Graham Diehl (33:55) and Ryan Murray (36:25). Diehl was leading most of the race until the final push to the finish. Jannelle Morrison won the women's 10k in 38:29, followed by Nik Vogler (40:42) and Louise Taylor (43:57). The 15k distance was won by Simon Massey in 57:28, second was Geoff Badger in 58:52, and Phil Ukrainetz was the only other person under an hour in 59:43. The first female in the 15k was Janice Patterson (1:04:56), followed by Nancy Alingsangan in 1:06:23 and Ann Van Damme in 1:10:42.

Ski 2 Sea Relay
On April 6th Ken Myers was in Kelowna for his leg of the Sea 2 Ski Relay, which is an interesting team relay race. The first person to start is on a ski hill (Big White) on downhill skis. The second leg is a cross country skiier, followed by a mountain biker, and a road cyclist. Then runners like Ken Myers had a 14.5 k run to hand off to a kayaker who finishes the course in Okanagan Lake. Myers and his team finished second overall in 2 hours, 59 minutes and 13 seconds, exactly 4 minutes back of the leaders. There was also an opportunity for a half dozen people to work the course on their own, and the first one to complete it did it in 4:22:44.

Edinburgh, Scotland
On March 30 three local runners were in Scotland for the World Cross Country Championships. Calgary Spartan (and now first year student at Dalhousie University) Peter Corrigan was competing in the Junior Men 8k. He qualified for this race by placing in the top 6 at the Canadian Cross Country Championships in December in Guelph. The overall winner was Ibrahim Jeilan of Ethiopia in 22:38, and Corrigan placed 66th in 25:27. Representing the Calgary Track & Field Club was grade 12 student Nyial Majock, who placed 60th with a time of 25:19. In the senior women's race Calgary Spartan Lisa Harvey placed 77th with a time of 29:00. First place went to Tirunesh Dibaba in 25:10.

France!
A week later the World University Cross Country Championships were held in Mauquenchy, France. Peter Corrigan qualified for this race at the CIS Nationals in Victoria in November. The overall winner of the men's race was Najim Elqady of Morocco in 36:14, while Corrigan was 64th in a time of 40:01. Also from Calgary was 4th year Dino Heather Sim who placed 46th with a time of 25:07, a couple minutes back of Faye Fullerton of the UK who finished in 22:36.

Athlete of the Week
This Friday, CTV news has a local septagenarian distance runner as their Athlete of the Week. Roger Davies says he will be on around 6:50 on Friday. Awesome.

This Weekend's Races
There are two races this weekend, and one stairclimbing fundraiser. The Lethbridge Kodiak 10-4-2 should be a pretty competitive race, and the Tour de Airdrie half marathon in Airdrie is the opposite. The Airdrie race also has a 10k and 5k distance, and I think it's their third year and they're not attracting a huge crowd yet. It should be worth checking out though.

Climb for Wilderness
On Saturday is the Climb for Wilderness, which has a bunch of different ways to participate. The cool factor is you're allowed inside the stairwell of the Calgary Tower. The bummer is you have to climb up it. The crazy thing is some people pay $100 for the privilege of climbing up it multiple times. Plus, there's a race version, which happens at 8am. A group of runners runs 1k and heads up the stairs and the first one to the top wins. I imagine they have the 1k loop just to thin the crowd out a bit before they hit the doorway all at once.

Two Weeks from Now
The following weekend has two great events. The Rocky Mountain Soap Women's Run is great because any time you can run in Canmore or Banff it's memorable, and the always sold-out Calgary Police Half is on Sunday, April 27. Even though it's sold out you can still buy a number off someone via the Calgary Roadrunners website. There's about 20 people who have since been forced out of the race.

Apr 19 - Climb for Wilderness, 1k run + climb, or climb as many times as you can in 5hrs [200]
Apr 19 - Lethbridge Kodiak 10 Mile, 4 Mile or 2 Mile [400]
Apr 20 - Tour de Airdrie half marathon 5k 10k half [400]
Apr 26 - Rocky Mountain Soap Women's Run 5k/12k, Canmore [300]
Apr 27 - Calgary Police Half [2500]

May 1 - Dino High School Challenge, 5pm-8:30pm, Foothills
May 3 - Big Run Theatre Calgary 5k/10k/21k
May 7 - Dino High School Challenge, 5pm-8:30pm, Foothills
May 11 - Mothers Day 10k
May 17 -18 Calgary Spring Challenge track
May 24 - Five Peaks COP
May 24 - Foothills Academy Walk Rock and Roll
May 24 - HS City Championships
May 25 - New Balance series 1 track meet
May 25 - Calgary Women's Run
May 31- pacekids Race for Pace, 5k/10k

CIS, Fish Creek, St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-15T20:31:00.000-06:00

The nation's best college track and field athletes met in Montreal last weekend for the 2008 CIS Track and Field Championships. The U of C Dinos had a good showing, finishing second overall as a team for the men and 4th for the women. Individually, Amonn Nelson was first in the 300m in 38.23, Holly Ratzlaff was first in the 600m with 1:30. 21, Sam Effah was first in the 300m in 34.23 and first in the 300m in 34.23. Trent Ratzlaff was first in the 600m in 1:18.61.

On Saturday the Calgary Roadrunners hosted the last trail race of the winter season, with an 8.8km hilly, icy and technical course in Fish Creek Park. The men's winner was Andrew Carruthers in 36:25 and the women's winner was Shari Boyle in 42:08.

Upcoming Races
On March 16th at 10am the Calgary Roadrunners and Strides Running Store present the St. Patrick's Day Run, which is a 5k and 10k race that starts the Athletics Alberta Timex series. The premise is that Athletics Alberta, the governing body in this province for road and track races, selects 10 races around Alberta, like the Dino Dash 10k and the St. Albert 10 Mile and if you pre-register with Athletics Alberta for the series you collect points in your age group, redeemable at the end of the season for swanky prizes. More information on that is at: http://www.athleticsalberta.com/main/index.php?TimexSeries It starts with the St. Patrick's Day 10k and ends with Melissa's Road Race 10k in Banff in September.

There is also a competing St. Patrick's Day race, put on by the Running Room. Same day, slightly earlier start at 9am, runs on the Bow River pathways instead of the roads. All the Running Clinics of the past couple months have been gearing up for this one.

As far as I know, that's it for March. The next big race is the Glencoe Icebreaker, a 10k road race April 6 that usually sells out and a lot of competitive people show up for it. Probably the biggest early spring races are the St. Patrick's Day 10k, the Glencoe Icebreaker, the Police Half, and the Mother's Day Run and Walk.

On March 30, Calgarian Peter Corrigan is competing for Canada in the World Cross Country Championships in Scotland. He earned his way to the world's by placing top six at the Canadian national cross country championships in Guelph in December.

On April 6, track Dino Heather Sim is competing for Canada at the 16th World University Championship in France, which she earned with a 6th place finish at the CIS cross country championship November 10 in Victoria.
The next Calgary Road and Track Report will be in mid-April.

Upcoming
Mar 16 - St. Patrick's Day 10k [1000]
Apr 6 Glencoe Icebreaker 10k
Apr 6 Hustle for Hunger 10k 5k - www.runningroom.com
Apr 13 Spring Trio 15k/10/5k - http://www.springtrio.ca [150]
Apr 19 Climb for Wilderness www.climbforwilderness.ca
Apr 20 Airdrie Half Marathon 10k 5k www.tourdeairdrie.com
Apr 27 Calgary Police Half + 5k www.calgarypolicehalf.ca

Athletics Alberta - www.athleticsalberta.com
Dinos Track Bulletin - http://www.uofcathletics.ca/bulletin_31.htm

CanWest, Geoff Kerr, Weaselhead

2008-02-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

Last weekend at the Saskatoon Fieldhouse the U fo S Huskies hosted the university Canada West Track and Field Championships. 24 Dinos headed out to compete in everything from the shot put to the 3000m race, the 60m hurdles to the pole vault. 120 other competitors from universities in Winnipeg, Regina, Edmonton, Victoria and Saskatoon toed the line as well, competing not just for individual medals but the overall team medals. The U of C was ranked first overall for their women's team, so expectations were high. The men's team was ranked fourth and ended up a few frustrating points out of first.

To get to the CanWest finals the Dino athletes had to either reach a varsity or national standard at some of the track meets in the past couple months, or they had to be expected to score points for the team. The first 6 people across the line score points, starting with 7 for first place, and ending with 1 point for sixth. You also medalled in your event if you were top 3. So, lots of chances to medal or score points, especially if you're in multiple events.

In the women's 1000m Heather Sim won in 2:54.90, followed by Rachel Romero in 4th and Valerie Hurdle in 5th. 12 points for the Dinos women. The men's 1000m had Scott Nicol in 5th in 2:29.97 and Madison Theriault in 6th for 3 points. In the women's 3000m Jessica O'Connell was 2nd in 9:49.81 for 5 points, and Geoff Kerr was 3rd in 8:43.70 for 4 points. That trend of women scoring more points than men in the same events continued for the some of the weekend, although the men were 1 and 2 in the 300m and 600m. The women's team capped the weekend with a great 4x800m relay win, and the overall points-leader CanWest banner.

Geoff Kerr's 3rd place finish in the 3000m was way off his personal best of 8:09.52 that he ran last year at this time. While his achilles wasn't bothering him leading up to the race, his calves weren't ready for the intense abuse of running that hard for that long and he ended up 21st in the 1500m the next day.

"The 3000m was first," writes outgoing team captain Kerr in an email. "I wouldn't describe it as a great race, but as good as I could do. I wasn't able to get up onto my toes which was very frustrating. I was lucky that the pace was fairly slow, and that allowed me to hang on. The cross training had the aerobic system ready to go, and so I was able to finish 3rd. The 1500 was the next day. I wasn't sure if I was going to run, because of the pain in my achiles and both calves, but we were in the run for the team title, and so Doug and I decided to give it a shot. The lower legs just gave out on me. The AT [athletic therapist] thinks I mildly strained both calves at some point in the race. I was forced to swallow my pride and finish basically limping on the track.

"As for the whole weekend, we had some great performances, although the guys came out agonizingly short of a team title. I wish my last Dinos race had gone better, but such is sport. I came into the program and there was never even talk about team placings because we were so far down the rankings, but this year it was the goal, and next year I believe the boys will come home with a banner for the first time in a decade."

The CIS National Championships are 9 days away in Montreal. The roster is posted at www.uofcathletics.ca/roster_CIS_08.htm . There is also some post-race analysis from the Dinos on this page: www.uofcathletics.ca/Varsity%20team%20information.htm

Keeping with the indoor track theme, this weekend there are the Alberta Provincials in Edmonton. Most of the varsity athletes are sitting this one out, either because they're saving their legs for CIS or they're already in transition to a rest period after the indoor season. For some people, like 74-year-old Roger Davies, this is the start of a season that ends in Regina in August with the Canadian masters championships. This weekend he'll be entered in the 3000m and the 1500m, as will fellow septagenarian Helly Visser. A lot of the younger competitors will be high school students like Mihai Prajea, Gareth Hadfield, Grace Kary, and hundreds more.

There was another event last weekend, the 9th trail race for the Calgary Roadrunners. The usual scenic, hilly, Weaselhead route was altered due to construction in the area, so the 90 people who turned out for a lovely spring-like afternoon run had a relatively flat course to follow. This brought out some competitive ire in the middle of the pack runners who spend a lot of time battling hills in other races, ended up running harder and faster than usual. Further evidence and photos can be found: http://completerunning.com/dawn-on-the-run/?p=1002 and http://completerunning.com/running-downhill/ and http://www.calgaryroadrunners.com/thumbs.php?item=57 The race was won by Andrew Carruthers in 23:57 for the men and Shari Boyle in 27:00 for the women.

On March 16th is the original St. Patrick's Day Run, which is a 5k and 10k race that starts the Timex series put on by Athletics Alberta. The premise is that Athletics Alberta, the governing body in this province for road and track races, selects 10 races around Alberta, like the Dino Dash 10k and the St. Albert 10 Mile and if you pre-register with Athletics Alberta for the series you collect points in your age group, redeemable at the end of the season for swanky prizes. More information on that is at: http://www.athleticsalberta.com/main/index.php?TimexSeries It starts with the St. Patrick's Day 10k and ends with Melissa's Road Race 10k in Banff in September.

There is also a competing St. Patrick's Day race, put on by the Running Room. Same day, same distance, with more corporate weight behind it. While it might seem that a city of 1 million people is big enough to support 2 similar races on the same day, the original St. Patrick's Day Race attendance will probably lose half its entrants to the Running Room race. What was once easily manageable with 1500 entries might mean belt-tightening with 700 entries. Still, 700 is a nice race, but will it be enough to close the roads around the campus and hire all the police to keep cars off the route? Time will tell.

The last two weeks of March are wide open for a race. And April has 6 good races, ending with the sold out Calgary Police Half. Also in March is the last Calgary Roadrunners trail race, this time in Fish Creek. This is open to anyone who wants to run a 4k or 8k trail run, and the fee is $7 for members and $10 for non-members.

Upcoming
Mar 1-2 Alberta Provincial Championships [300]
> Mar 6-8 CIS Championships, Montreal [24 from Calgary]
Mar 8 - Fish Creek XC [100]
Mar 16 - St. Patrick's Day 10k [1000]
Apr 6 Glencoe Icebreaker 10k
Apr 13 Spring Trio 15k/10/5k - http://www.springtrio.ca/ [150]
Apr 13 Hustle for Hunger 10k 5k
Apr 19 Climb for Wilderness http://www.climbforwilderness.ca/
Apr 20 Airdrie Half Marathon 10k 5k http://www.tourdeairdrie.com/
Apr 27 Calgary Police Half + 5k http://www.calgarypolicehalf.ca/

Athletics Alberta - http://www.athleticsalberta.com/
CRR XC Grand Prix - http://www.calgaryroadrunners.com/xcsched.php
Dinos Track Bulletin - http://www.uofcathletics.ca/bulletin_26.htm

About the Calgary Road and Track Report
The CRTR is not directly affiliated with the Calgary Roadrunners Club, the Calgary Spartans, the University of Calgary Dinos, the Running Room, Athletics Alberta, or any other club or organization. This report is an independent source of information about running. The purpose is to give Calgarians information about upcoming race events and recent results. This may include interviews with race directors and elite athletes.

About Gabino Travassos
Among other things, Gabino is a recent running convert with 15 races completed. His best was a 41:45 10k in August.

Facebook, injuries, Dinos

2008-01-29T20:39:00.000-07:00

There are a few things going on locally in Calgary in the running world. The most urgent this week is the online registration for the Calgary Police Half starts on Friday Feb 1 at noon. It will probably be sold out (2500 entries) by Saturday morning and 1000 more people will be looking to buy entries closer to the actual event in April. Later in February the same thing will happen with Melissa's Road Race (half marathon) in Banff. There are a couple of events in the entire year where people would probably camp outside to buy tickets if they could. Instead they just try and remember the date to register online. There are Facebook pages for these events to remind you.

Speaking of, I started making Facebook event pages for all the upcoming events that don't have one. And then I invite all my friends. It's halfway useful. (Or really annoying.)

This weekend there are no local road or trail races that I know of, but there's an indoor track meet on campus on Saturday, the Jack Simpson Open. This is mostly sprinter's showcase, but there is a 1000m race that should be interesting. This weekend some of the Dinos are going to Winnipeg for the Cargill Games, but some will be hanging back and running 5 laps of the indoor track.

As I mentioned before, the Jack Simpson Gym is not designed with spectators in mind for track events. That doesn't mean there won't be 100 parents and friends scattered around the track yelling and freaking out. They just have no place to sit. And no real great vantage points. It's still worth going if you've never been. Admission is free. A race schedule will be posted online on Thursday along with a list of combatants.

The weekend of the 9th is another Dino track exodus, this time to Regina for the Queen City Indoor Games. This should be a big one as everyone is running out of chances to qualify for the Canada West Championships (Winnipeg, Feb 22-23) and the CIS Nationals (Montreal, March 6-8).

Which brings me to injuries. Last year Geoff Kerr was first in the 1500m and 3000m at both Canada West and CIS Nationals, but over the Christmas break he injured a leg and his first race back might be at CanWest. He's been doing the pool running and cross training to keep his fitness up, but it's hard to tell what will happen. Last summer Olympic 1500m hopeful Malindi Elmore was in a foot cast and this fall/winter she's been working to get herself back into competitive shape. After one uninspired race in September second year Dino Mark McConnell has yet to get back on track, spending most of the cross country and probably all of the indoor season in rehab. In the summer rookie Jessica O'Connell was injured and had to ease up in some of her races, but seems to be running fine now. Same with 4th year Heather Sim.

On Feb 9 there is the 7th of 10 winter trail races that the Calgary Roadrunners put on, this time at Nose Hill. Last year this 8k jaunt around the park had to contend with a foot of snow, which was beautiful. On Feb 23 the Roadrunners do it again at the Weaselhead. There is a 4k and 8k course, it starts at noon, and is followed by a potluck lunch.

The Hypothermic Half is the first half marathon in Calgary of 2008, and it sells out in 2007. A bunch of people head to Vancouver on Feb 10 to instead run the First Half Half, which is also sold out.

Feb 10 might also be a reason to head to Edmonton for the Alberta Indoor Provincials, which is mostly shorter distance events like the 400m, 800m and the middle distance 1500m.

There is a group of races in this province called the Alberta Ultra Series, referring to a bunch of races longer than marathon distance. The first of the series is the Frozen Ass 50 on Feb 18, which starts at the Canoe Club, heads south to the Glenmore Inn and follows a running path out to Chestermere and back. The cap for this race is 75, and they should reach that.

In recent events, the Calgary Marathon has a new race director: Cheryl Lowery. She's been organizing about 5 races a year, including the Kananaskis 100 Relay and the Last Chance Half Marathon. It should be in good hands.

Upcoming
Feb 2 - Jack Simpson Open, 60m, 4x200m, 1000m, 400m [300]
Feb 2 - Cargill, Winnipeg [300]
> Feb 8-9 - Wheat City, Regina [500]
Feb 9 - Nose Hill XC [100]
Feb 10 - Hypothermic Half - [500]
Feb 10 - First Half Half - Vancouver [2000]
> Feb 10 - Alberta Indoor Provincials, Edmonton
Feb 17 - Austin Marathon
Feb 18 - Frozen Ass 50 [75]
> Feb 22-23 - Canada West Championships, Winnipeg
Feb 23 - Weaselhead XC [100]