Races filling fast: Last Chance Half, Resolution Run

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

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

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

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

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:

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


2. Emily Young of Edmonton with 260 points


3. Krista Petersen of Edmonton with 209 points


4. Lisa Harvey of Calgary with 200 points


5. 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:

1. Brian Torrance of Edmonton with 542 points


2. Matthew Norminton of Edmonton with 537 points


3. Kurt Wotiuk of Edmonton with 356 points


4. Niall McGrath of Edmonton with 259 points


5. 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