By Leslie Ann Bent
The heavy rain in the wee hours of Saturday morning had me a bit worried about how our 4th annual Around the Bay (ATB) simulation would turn out. By 9am, the rain had subsided but the cold fresh air was ever present and our hearty west coasters came out in full anticipation of a great club event.
Around the Bay is one of Canada most famous races, and is the oldest race in North America – 129 years young this year. It’s held on the last weekend of March each year and attracts a broad field of runners from elite to first-timers. The categories STARR offered were the same as Hamilton’s ATB race – 30km for solo, 2-person relay (15km/runner) and 3-person relay (10km/runner). Runners, joggers and walkers were all welcome to come in person or do their sections as virtual. Five 3-person relay teams, two 2-person teams and 2 solos made up our 2023 field. We also had 3 members out cheering, taking photos and sending off the runners. Transition area got a bit cold waiting for teammates to hand off, but no one seemed to complain.
Like every year, we had a few last-minute changes due to illness. A special thank you to Claude, David and Marika for offering up your legs to fill in the gaps.
Congrats to everyone who participated. It was so rewarding to see so many members out on the Goose.
