Jasmine P.’s Reviews

Despite the snow, the cold, and a 30 km/h wind, the turnout was amazing. We were among many who dressed up for the event, and it really did feel like a celebration of St. Patrick's Day. There was live music, a few booths, and Lucky Charms cereal boxes for the taking at the end...

Despite the snow, the cold, and a 30 km/h wind, the turnout was amazing. We were among many who dressed up for the event, and it really did feel like a celebration of St. Patrick's Day. There was live music, a few booths, and Lucky Charms cereal boxes for the taking at the end of the race. We received sandwiches and beer at the end, which made for a nice post-run meal as we enjoyed the awards ceremony. This was also the first event I felt truly acknowledged the charity in an effective and fun way.
The course itself was not difficult, given that it was relatively flat and offered a bit of scenery between the highway and trees. I enjoyed the fact that there were pacers who were very enthusiastic and visible throughout the race.

The downside was that the markings for this year’s race distance were short by 0.3 km. I think the second loop for the 10 km run is inaccurate, and perhaps more volunteers on the actual routes would help, as they seemed few and far between.

The race bib pickup was at The Runners Shop, which also had a strong, friendly community of people and staff. It was in an accessible location by car and transit. We went bright and early on Saturday morning, so there wasn't much traffic, and in general, they were very organized.

The race-day crowd was wonderful. Despite the heavy rain for the 5K runners this year, the racers and crowd were in good spirits, cheering each other on. The High Park roads have many hills, most of which were beneficial for running downhill, but the “Kill the Hill” challenge ...

The race-day crowd was wonderful. Despite the heavy rain for the 5K runners this year, the racers and crowd were in good spirits, cheering each other on. The High Park roads have many hills, most of which were beneficial for running downhill, but the “Kill the Hill” challenge during the last leg of the race was a killer. My legs burned immediately. In any case, I still managed a PR, so I was ecstatic and found the course totally doable.

Overall, it was a well-organized event. The racers were split into their corrals. There were many sponsored booths, free post-run refreshments, and the $5 pancakes to enjoy. I will most likely do the run again.

The only downside is that the race pick-up needs a bit more organization, but that’s likely inevitable during the evening pick-up times.