Along the MGT recently in Toronto, I wasn’t recognized but my shoes were. I was wearing the ASICS NOVABLAST 5 and their magenta good looks and familiar heel stack stopped another runner in his tracks. “Are those the new NOVABLAST?” he asked me, and he was eager and excited and I could instantly tell that he was a fan of the ASICS line. Indeed, I was wearing the NOVABLAST 5. “I am wearing the NOVABLAST 5,” I told him, “and let me tell you something—they’re great.”
A huge perk of editing iRun is testing out sneakers and the NOVABLAST 5, with its midsole foam and mesh upper, run like a dream. With the TCS New York City Marathon still in my legs, I was sheepish to lace back up my shoes. I saved the NOVABLAST 5 for this very moment: something comfortable and energized, soft and responsive. I knew I wanted to handle my kilometres gingerly. The NOVABLAST 5, turning heads in Toronto, had me running on clouds.
There’s an 8mm drop on the NOVABLAST 5 and the shoe weighs 8.6 ounces, which is half an ounce lighter than the last iteration of the popular shoe. Rarely do I wear a running shoe also as a walk-around sneaker, and I don’t advise runners to try this. You want to save your running shoes, generally, for your runs. But for some reason—maybe their looks, maybe the fit, maybe the cushioning—I started to wear the NOVABLAST 5 all over town. The shoes feel good on my feet.
Other features worth mentioning are the new outsole designed for maximum energy return. Not surprisingly a trampoline inspired the shoe’s design and you can feel that in the springiness of each step. There’s good breathability and the shoe is tough. Eventually, I got my nerve back and returned to (some) workouts with BlackToe Running and the NOVABLAST 5 felt good doing 800-metre repeats at my 5K pace, even if I wasn’t trying to go blazing fast.
ASICS has really stepped up its game in 2024 and you can see the results at races and amongst your own running crew. The florescent design of their METASPEED series were everywhere this year and it’s on the heels of those big releases that the NOVABLAST 5 arrives to great fanfare. I found the shoe good for long runs and speed work and, even once, eliciting compliments from a stranger one cold Sunday morning on a run.
Be sure to check the closest running retailer about these shoes that drop December 17, 2024.
Anyone who has participated in the Vancouver Half Marathon, 21k de Montréal, lululemon Edmonton 10K, the Scarborough 5K or any of the other Canada Running Series races, understands the magic. Behind that community, is the true connector, one whose magic for putting on world-class events is unparalleled, but also hard to put your finger on. Rachel Munday, Executive Director of the Manitoba Marathon, got closest with: “Charlotte is a bit of a unicorn.” Peeking behind the curtain of Canada Running Series, we investigate the magic of National Event Director Charlotte Brookes.
As over 20,000 runners and walkers at the 2022 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon anxiously fidget in their corrals, Event Director Charlotte Brookes is waiting on a tractor trailer stuck on Lakeshore Boulevard. Her zone leader, Cory Freedman, an experienced race director heading Toronto Women’s Run Series, is shuffling the vehicle along and waiting to give Charlotte the all clear. What makes Charlotte special is that in this moment, she is with Cory at the same time as she is with those 20,000 athletes, at the same time as she is connected with her announcer who will start the race, at the same time as she is connected with the police forces supporting runners along their journey to 21.1 or 42.2km. Amidst the angst and anxiety, the wizard behind the curtain of the Canada Running Series Race Command Centre and all Canada Running Series events, Charlotte, remains calm, cool and collected, and connected.
THE POWER OF LOVE: Charlotte Brookes with our man, Bernard Abarquez.
Cory recounts this story as the clearest example of Charlotte’s magic, a testament to the fact that she has done it all in the running event industry. Charlotte worked her way up to operating a Race Command Centre (hidden away in a secret location, it is the communication hub for the race), but started by putting race bibs and safety pins together for her father, CRS founder Alan Brookes, at the ripe age of four. In the intervening years, Charlotte has worked help desk, registration, water stations, volunteer check-in, permit and government liaising and when the time calls for it, to this day, still unboxes 20,000 medals for events. Cory says, “It’s what the job takes to do, and she does it all. And that’s what makes her unique.”
Back at the race, when the roads were clear and Cory gave the go ahead, it was Charlotte connecting to everyone, giving them the green light. This wizard of the Canada Running Series Race Command Centre is not the charlatan of Oz, but instead just Charlotte, who has the brains, courage and most importantly the heart to ensure that each of those 20,000 athletes, 3,000 volunteers, each of her 15 Canada Running Series employees—and each of the nearly 100,000 spectators—has a joyous, memorable event.
What people don’t realize is the amount of work that goes on by Charlotte behind the scenes and that proverbial wizard’s curtain. After the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic waned and rumblings began about races returning in Canada, it was Charlotte and her fellow race directors connecting on Zooms, figuring out the safe return to racing. According to Athletics Ontario’s Sheryl Preston, Charlotte was invaluable in her insights and leadership. Sheryl is blown away by Charlotte’s passion. “She gets the running community, she gets how important the running community is. She is a hero to me.”
PLOGGING TO THE RESCUE: Brookes, far right, plogging with Ian Cater, far left and Quinton Jacobs, centre. All heroes of the running world.
There it is again, that heart. It was also in these moments that Charlotte’s thoughtfulness and ability to connect thrived. Even though some of the challenges brought on by COVID subsided, this culture of sharing and connection between running race directors—led by Charlotte and the Canada Running Series—continues. “The key to Charlotte’s ‘success’ is that she has this very special gift of being able to build teams on many levels and she is open, inclusive and supportive,” continues Cory. “She wants everyone to be the best they can be, to produce the best race they can, to provide the best experience to all runners, regardless of if she owns the events or not. It only strengthens running as a whole.”
Dione Mason, Race Director and Founder of the Toronto Carnival Run, agrees. “Years ago when I approached Charlotte to learn more about the running industry I came away with so much more than logistical management tips, but a keen understanding of the strength of ‘we,’ and the positive impact we can make in people’s lives. This is a reason why CRS continues to be so successful, not just as an running event planning company, but leaving a legacy to improve our humanity.”
This is where the mystery and magic lie: in how Charlotte is able to spread joy amongst the running community. How does the wizard do her good work? Charlotte’s mother tells the story of a 10-year-old Charlotte captaining the help desk at the Spring Run Off and as she was heading to the start line, she stopped to say hi to her daughter. Watching Charlotte navigate this long line of new registrants, she reflected, “They came up, told her what their problem was and she fixed it and she just kept going. She never got startled—and she was just ten years old!”
RUNS IN THE FAMILY: Brookes grew up in the culture of the running world and immediately took to it like a champ.
A key component of the 2022-24 resurgence in running across Canada is the quality of races executed by Charlotte Brookes. In the words of Kirsten Fleming, Executive Director of the Calgary Marathon: “The running industry is stronger because of her.”
And while Canada Running Series operates 11 races across Canada in 2024, many of which sell out by race start, Charlotte continues to be involved in many, many more as a race director, as a resource, as a connection. Some of these include the hardest moments faced by race directors across Canada. Rachel Munday spoke about the difficult 2022 race when they had to halt the Manitoba Marathon part way through due to extreme heat and humidity. Leading into the race and making preparation plans, during the execution of the race and in the follow-up communications, Rachel received support from Charlotte. Both Cory and Kirsten Fleming of the Calgary Marathon also detailed the number of hours put in by Charlotte, spending time at other international running events to learn and supporting existing races—theirs included—to ensure the safety and joy of their participants. If you ask Kirsten to sum it up, the magic of Charlotte (“one of the most generous humans I have met”) is her “humble wisdom,” her openness and collaborative culture and that “nothing is left behind the curtain.”
Truly Canadian from coast to coast, Charlotte has spent time in the Maritimes with the Blue Nose Marathon. Perhaps the humility and kindness come from her Maritime connections, as this is where the Brookes clan hails? Regardless, according to Blue Nose Marathon Executive Director Sherri Robbins, the maritimes is another example of where Charlotte’s magic shines: “Jumping right in and helping wherever is needed, problem solving, tearing down a site, working in the rain, Charlotte is not above getting her hands dirty,” she says. “My staff raved about her for days.”
Does this come from her time in the sport, growing up with her father in the running industry? Does it come from experiencing every aspect of race management, learning how to navigate the chaos that is inevitably going to come? Does this come from her post-secondary learning in Human Resources, as evidenced by her retention of clients and the Canada Running Series personnel?
Does this come from her brains, her courage, her heart?
Or does it come from a combination of these and more? That magical quality that cannot be clearly articulated by all those participants, spectators, race directors, sponsors, race organizations, employees, this magazine article writer, and other race directors, but is felt at every event that involves Canada Running Series. Reflecting on the qualities that have made her a pillar in the Canadian running industry, Charlotte says, “The people part is a big thing for me, relationships and just having authentic connections is what drives me in what I do. Just that empathy or being able to work with people positively. That’s something that’s always been who I am as a person and that’s translated and grown through the events.”
That is the magic of Charlotte Brookes, the wizard of joy, evidenced in her words and actions: connecting, and heart.
I recently ran the TCS New York City Marathon in 3:20 and beat my goal by roughly ten minutes but, somewhere lost in the celebration was a question: was my goal too soft and should I have tried for 3:15 and could I have pushed harder, hurt more, and run faster, pushing myself closer to the edge? Of course it’s an answer that’s hard to decipher and each runner needs to decide for themselves how much they’re willing to suffer, for how long, and how much they’re willing to risk. Will you try this spring to push yourself further than you’ve ever gone, risk injury or, perhaps, pulling yourself off the race course and having to walk before the finish line? Each runner, when assessing their goals for the new year, needs to first determine how much time will you commit to your hobby, how much sacrifice will you make with your diet and how intense are you willing to be?
“You might be able to run further and faster without hurting if you train consistently and prepare yourself physically and mentally,” says Joe Chappell, a longtime run coach whose athletes include the elite runner Rachel Hannah, and who’s been in the sport for twenty years. “There’s an element of training that I call ‘The Grind,’ which is part of the process, but if you find yourself struggling during training for multiple days, the program you’re training with isn’t for you.”
Training and racing comes down to personal choices, but the sooner you commit one way or the other, the happier you’ll be. Neither decision is particularly loftier and I’d rather run for another ten years than have one great race under three hours and never run again. It’s a question of expectations and desire, and also lifestyle choices. Are you willing to give up the pub, the root beer, the Sunday morning brunches for an extended period or do you want to knuckle down and see how much you can get from your body? The answer, usually, is moderation. But Joe said I could, even at 50 and after cancer surgery, get down again beneath three hours. It’s just that when I look at 2025 I’m not sure I want zealous dedication to be my main thing.
As you assess your options for spring races, look back on your results and training of the past few years. Are you happy with your performances? Your level of training and the time you spend on your sport? The most important thing about goal setting is to be realistic. Nothing turns runners off more than failing to achieve an impossibly difficult goal.
GOOD DAY AT THE RACES: Wedding picture of run coach Joe Chappell and his elite racer wife, Rachel Hannah.
“Coaches like to talk about the ‘Sum of all Stresses,’ and that means the accumulated challenges a runner might be facing in their lives, which has to impact running performance,” Chappell says, adding that sometimes in a group run, a runner you usually beat can find an advantage when you’re fretting about work, exhausted or just feeling beaten down by life. “A lot of ‘hurt’ can become mental, which is another reason why a runner is best advised to try a longer training period, so as to account for down days, or even weeks. We’re not only training our bodies to run further and faster in practice, we’re training our brains to respond to the up and down nature of the work.”
I’ve had bad races where I’ve had to walk and I’ve also leaned on my age as a reason why I can’t run as fast as I once did. I also seem to lack the killer instinct I once had, where I’d compete in races like the 2013 SeaWheeze Half Marathon in Vancouver and scream during the last 5K of the race. That race I finished in 1:23:06 and finished seventeenth, but I didn’t have kids yet and actually had something like, ‘Live or Die on this Day,’ as my mantra. Is it lazy that today I’d rather, certainly, live and have craft beer and oysters after my race? Can’t I do both? And ultimately that’s the quandary: we want our PB and to eat it too. We want Personal Bests and accolades on Sportstats, but are we willing to run 100K weeks? In the wintertime? Willing to risk 100K weeks because we know we exist amidst the spectrum of injury?
Every runner should be thinking about this now. How much should running hurt is directly parallel to, How badly do you want it? Think about your spring goals then work back to what the actual training to achieve them might look like. And also weigh out the risks. Breaking three hours again boggles my mind and Joe thinks I can do it, but I know I’m running the Ottawa Marathon with Mark Sutcliffe and I know I want to run Chicago next fall. This might not be the season for me to try something radically hard. Does that idea excite you in your own life? Think about what you need to do to make yourself happy, remain engaged with your running and set yourself up for a long-term chance to succeed. Coach Joe says everything with training is about keeping the running engaged.
“Gadgets, new phones and shoes, none of that will exactly make you faster, but if it gets you excited and gets you training or meeting a group to run, if it gets you to bed earlier, then whatever it is is worth the money because it provides that spark,” says Chappell. “A spark is what you need to maintain a long-term relationship with running, so if that’s chasing a PB or else choosing to run slower and view running as something you enjoy for the camaraderie and festivities, then both decisions are good. Ultimately, the decision to hurt in running is something every runner needs to choose on their own.”
Just an easy drive from Toronto (it will take you about four hours), the Detroit Free Press Marathon needs to be added as a destination race on your bucket list. I’ve run the marathon twice now (in 2019 and again this year) and it’s now one of my favourite races. Here’s why you should register for the race (besides the marathon, the race also offers an international half-marathon, a U.S.-only half-marathon, a marathon relay, a 5k, a 1K and a few kids events) and explore Detroit.
STREETS OF GOLD: Our author at the Detroit Marathon.
The race is extremely well organized.
You’ll find detailed maps in the race kit and online, plenty of signage throughout, lots of space so there’s little to no bottlenecking or lines for anything—for someone like me with little sense of direction, I was able to easily find everything from the efficiently run bag check and my corral to the “runner reunite” area. Everything went super smoothly. There are plenty of porta-potties at the start area and also a number of places near the start line where you can hang out inside to keep warm (I waited in the lobby of the Westin where there was no line for the women’s washroom and then even found a spot to sit and relax before the start time). Score!
Beers to You: Celebrating after finishing the Detroit Marathon with the official Marathon beer.
With just one small entry to get into each corral, I did have to wait in a crowd on the sidelines til the race actually started before I could move into the starting chute (but that’s on me–I probably should’ve headed to my corral earlier). On the race route, I didn’t need a port-a-potty so I didn’t notice if there were many along the course. There are kilometre markers for every 5k, but I only noticed one of them because I was also quite focused on my pace and relied on my Apple Watch Ultra to check what distance I was at. At the end of the race, the finish chute had plenty of volunteers handing out the medals, water, bananas, chocolate milk and heat sheets. Then it’s a short walk to Campus Martius, where there was a fun after-party with live music on stage and a bar selling drinks, including Motor City Miles, the official marathon beer from Eastern Market Brewing Co.
The city’s spirit will inspire you.
Detroit is an underdog and the people here are hardworking and proud, and there’s something to this toughness that’s inspiring—you want to fight harder for that PB, to go faster and be stronger. The city filed for bankruptcy in 2013, but it’s on the rise; last year it’s population grew for the first time since 1957 and there’s a lot of development taking place, including a revitalized waterfront and the opening of Michigan Central (an abandoned historic train station that’s been transformed into an innovation hub for events, restaurants and art installations). The Motor City exudes a resilient attitude that’ll motivate you.
The spectators and volunteersare awesome.
There are spots where you’ll find lots of spectators (at the finish line as expected, but also at the tunnel exit), there are spectators scattered along pretty much the whole route, even at some of the more industrial areas at the beginning of the race and on the tree-lined residential streets. They’re an enthusiastic bunch–lots of cheering and funny signs. There were lots of volunteers at the hydration stations, ready to hand you a cup and share some words of encouragement. I have never run a race where spectators and volunteers cheered me on by name as much as I have this marathon and I appreciated it every single time. There are even stations where you can grab a beer, a pickle shot and other snacks like pretzels and gummy candy.
The Bridge is Over: Nothing quite like sunrise at the Ambassador Bridge.
The views into Windsorare spectacular.
This Ambassador Bridge doesn’t normally allow pedestrians so you get this unique opportunity to go on foot over this bridge at sunrise—it makes for a magical view at the beginning of the race. This is one of the few races during which you run into another country and there are lots of smiling agents at the border high-fiving you. To run back into the U.S., you run the Underwater Mile through the tunnel (be aware it can get a bit hot and stuffy in the tunnel) and it’s fun to see the border line for Canada and the U.S. in the tunnel (some runners stop here for a photo opp). Tip: If you use an eSim rather than “roam like home” for your smartphone, you likely will have to change your settings for race day. I usually travel using an Airalo eSim, so the morning of the marathon, I decided to switch on my usual cellular network and also turned on data switching (given that the route does bring you into Canada) so that I would have uninterrupted service for the entire race.
The route is flat and fast.
Other than the Ambassador Bridge, when you exit the tunnel and a short incline at the end of the Dequindre Cut, the marathon route is very flat. Online, the Detroit Marathon has been on lists as amongst one of the fastest routes in the U.S., with an elevation gain of 67 metres and elevation loss of 67 metres. It’s scenic, too; there are also a few parts of the route that take you on tree-lined residential streets—with the leaves turning colours, it makes for a pretty run (and, mentioned above, the epic Ambassador Bridge crossing). The time of year also means there’s a decent chance you’ll have good weather for the race. This year, it was about 6 Celsius when the race started at 7 a.m., a mix of sun and cloud, and it warmed up to a pleasant 18 degrees or so by the time I crossed the finish line
The Bling Thing: Karen Kwan, smiling after her marathon with her medal.
The medal and finisher t-shirt are pretty cool.
I typically don’t find medals or race t-shirts all that special, but the Detroit Marathon seems to often have great ones. This year’s long-sleeve t-shirt has a fun graphic of the bridge on the back and the medal is a nice weight and features Canada on half of the ribbon with the U.S. on the other half (that said, I have seen some runners disappointed that the medal is almost identical to the ones from 2023).
You get to explore Detroit post-race.
Conde Nast Traveler named Detroit as one of the best places to go in North America in 2024 and if you’ve never been to the D, you’ll quickly discover there’s plenty to enjoy while in the Motor City.
Crash Pads: Room at the Godfrey Detroit Hotel.
Where to stay: The Godfrey Detroit takes you just outside of the downtown core to Corktown, a charming historic neighbourhood with cobblestone streets (plus directly across the street is Ottavia Via restaurant, perfect for some pasta pre-race if you can snag a table). The modern rooms are spacious with comfortable beds and C.O. Bigelow-stocked bathrooms, and in the lobby, you’ll find plenty of runners, medals on, relaxing post-race watching the big-screen TVs.
The Art of the Matter: Dig the Diego Rivera mural at the DIA.
What to do: Music lovers will not want to miss the Motown Museum and for some gentle active recovery after the race, stroll through the Detroit Institute of Arts to take in pieces by Picasso, Monet and the incredible Detroit Industry Murals by Diego Rivera. If you’ve got great weather, keep those legs moving by checking out the street art in Eastern Market and the Belt.
Eat Your Heart Out: Celebrating at Buddy’s Pizza with the Detroit Free Press Marathon medal.
Where to eat: The only problem when it comes to food in Detroit is narrowing down where to eat. For carb-loading before the race, there’s Ottavia Via across from the Godfrey Detroit, but there’s also a great tagliatelle with meat sauce at Alpino, where the cuisine is centred on dishes from the Alpine region. For your post-race lunch, if you want to go with something that’s a Detroit specialty, get yourself to Buddy’s Pizza, the birthplace of Detroit-style pizza. They’ve been slinging the square-cut, caramelized-cheese crust pies since 1946.
Then for a decadent dinner, you can’t go wrong with Le Supreme (located in the Book Tower) for bistro classics including escargot, foie gras and filet mignon. Follow it with cocktails upstairs at Kamper’s Rooftop Lounge, where you’ll get a fantastic view of downtown Detroit and then head over to the charming Candy Bar in The Siren Hotel. This cozy pink cocktail lounge, with its stunning oversize chandelier, has been named the most beautifully designed bar in Michigan and its intimate atmosphere is perfect for toasting your race over inventive craft cocktails.
My two favourite athletes from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games were Ethan Katzberg and Mohammed Ahmed. They competed in different events—Katzberg, the hammer throw, while Ahmed ran the 5,000m—and had different results. Katzberg took gold and Ahmed, who was tripped in his heap, didn’t medal. Taken together, both have important messages on how to train, compete, and keep finding new finish lines.
“If you let yourself feed into nerves, imposter syndrome can follow and you wonder if you’re ready,” says Katzberg, the 22-year-old from Nanaimo, BC, who threw his first 16-pound hammer in Paris 84.12 metres, securing gold at the start of his event. “When the stadium’s full, it doesn’t matter if it’s one person in the audience or 70,000—you have to ignore it and focus on doing the same thing you’ve done: forget where you are and focus on what you know how to do.”
It’s amazing how applicable Katzberg’s feelings from Paris are to runners embarking on their own race. Nerves are natural. You wonder if you’re ready. Suddenly, you start feeling weird leg pains and you’re sleepless, agitated and scared. For Katzberg, who’s built like Thor and eats bison, he learned early on that you have to take a big day seriously. But not so seriously that you can no longer breathe.
“The massiveness can capture you, be ready,” he says, and shares his approach to training. Odds are if you’re reading this you have already completed your big event of the fall. Did you reach your goal? What could you do differently in 2025? As runners, a new race is always dawning. Katzberg takes big training blocks and breaks them down. “A year or even six months is too long to train for, so I’ll look at it as a series of two-month intervals, then break that down into a series of weeks,” he says.
ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN: Moh Ahmed didn’t have the dream race he’d trained for yet responded with grace when things fell apart.
For us, that could mean first focusing on core strength, then endurance, then speed. If you ran in fall and will (eventually) pivot to spring race goals, cut your training down into chunks.
“You don’t learn a lot from winning, you learn a lot from losing,” he says, which means the Olympics might not have taught him that much (he won). But for us, to hedge, if your race doesn’t go well, it’s not a complete stinker. Focus on what you can change for the spring.
Mohammed Ahmed has had plenty of time to learn. In his race, Ahmed was caught in a swirl of runners and tripped—at the height of his power on his biggest day, he had his race taken away from him. “Such is life,” he wrote on Instagram. “Much to my dismay, I’m forced to watch from the sidelines. We fall, stumble and get knocked down. But damn, we don’t gotta stay there for too long, do we?”
Ahmed, reached in the midst of his training for the World Championships next year in Tokyo, was inspiring with each word he said. “I find humbleness sexy,” he told iRun, and unpacked that statement: always an underdog since moving from Somalia to Canada, where he didn’t speak the language and had never attended school, Ahmed expects life to be hard. His work ethic, effort and consistency is his unfair advantage against his competition. Ahmed, silver medalist at the 2021 Olympics and Canada’s record holder at indoor and outdoor 5,000m, and outdoor 10,000 metres, has learned to stay in the present.
At each workout, he’s concentrating on where he is, that moment. “Love the process and enjoy the pursuit of the goal, then keep repeating what works,” says Ahmed, top ten in the world since 2016 and still showing up every day. “Being consistent day in and day out and paying attention to details is hard, but it’s a recipe for winning. People like to pretend that running is an easy sport. But what I love most about it is that it’s hard.”
GOLD MEDAL MOMENTS: Katzberg, after winning the Canadian Gold.
For whatever reason, hearing Ahmed admit that running is hard came as a relief to me. You can train, avoid French fries and buy super shoes, and still bonk at a race you’ve done ten times. Running is hard. And throwing hammers like Ethan Katzberg is beyond what most average people attempt. But the Canadian Olympians are no different than you: they get nervous, they train, they try to avoid junk food and they compete. Then they do it again and again.
“My gramma used to share a Somali saying with our family, ‘abandon that which has departed and ponder on that which is yet to come,’” Ahmed says. “If you’re on a boat in the middle of the ocean and it hits something, you swim. You have to keep moving forward so you work hard. Nothing is guaranteed.”
There are lots of different races. But there is only one TCS New York City Marathon.
It’s hard to describe what makes the TCS New York City Marathon so unique, but it begins with crowd support. Given the enthusiasm of the sideline supporters, the event feels more fun than your typical race: the energy from the crowd makes it almost feel like a Macy’s Day Parade. Each borough that you run through seems to want to give runners their best chance to succeed. And, since the spectators are having so much fun, it’s hard not to have fun alongside them.
The whole thing felt like a gift.
The morning routine, however, is a challenge on race day, so be prepared to get up early in New York, hurry up—and then wait. I did not have a PB in mind and only wanted to run gracefully. That takes a lot of pressure off, especially when you’re constantly tweaking what to wear, eat, hydrate, and how to find one last bathroom break. On Sunday, I experienced so many early morning different emotions that by the time I made my way to the corral for the starting cannon, I was 100% ready to race.
I consider that luck.
Like always with races, the actual running bit after so much time in preparation comes as a relief.
Brooklyn, where the run really starts, is unbelievable. Everyone in their life should be gifted the experience of racing through Brooklyn at the TCS New York City Marathon. All I can say is I felt like Travis Kelce after the Super Bowl. I don’t think I’ve ever smiled so much during the marathon. I also highly recommend running without music, because the block parties and stoop jams provide such diverse soundtracks that it’s a shame not to soak everything in.
The experience is visceral, massive, emotional, huge.
Queens is just a short bit of the race and then, after going through a long bridge at mile 15, the race sort of starts at the back half when you enter Manhattan. How to put this in words? You’re in a tunnel for about 15 minutes and, when you get out—at least when I ran on Sunday—the sun is shining and crowds are cheering and it’s like the darkness opens up to the promised land.
I sped up my pace.
Hitting all of the water stations, I cruised up First Avenue and all the way to the Bronx where, OK, for me, the work part of my New York visit began. Now it’s no longer a parade, it’s time to work. Roughly I had the runner’s high for 80% of my race and the last twenty percent, grit. I think all racers would take that breakdown. So, when the race got tough, I had my mantra kick in: a little more, a little more, a little more. And that’s all it is. Keep pushing and hustling and trying not to fall too far off pace and, slowly but surely—the miles keep ticking down until it suddenly happens all at once—now you’re on the perimeter of glowing Central Park and can feel the finish line vibes. It’s deep and magical and when I’m asked why I run, well, it’s this: I feel alive, tired, exhilarated, emphatic and depleted, all at once.
OVER TIME: More than 50,000 runners competed Sunday at the TCS New York City Marathon.
I could not pick up my pace as I closed in on the finish line. I didn’t throw up my hands or scream or yell. I ran with everything I had, which wasn’t much after 42 kilometres, but the wheels didn’t fall off and I made it through the chute and got a medal placed over my head. I enjoyed myself for the long run and, when I had to, buckled down and finished the job.
The TCS New York City Marathon is one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors and each of those events have their own distinguishing virtue. Berlin, where Natasha Wodak set the record, is fast; Boston is like a marathoner’s Olympics because you have to qualify to get in. There’s Chicago, which is flat, and Tokyo, which, being Japan, is an opportunity to see the world in your race shoes. People love the TCS London Marathon, which is in spring, and now Sidney just came onboard as an Abbott World Major, and who doesn’t want to race Australia? But New York is New York: a marathon that feels like a celebration, a race with crowd support that everyone in life deserves, but only us New York runners get to receive. I’d run the TCS New York City Marathon once before. In my mind, I keep running it again and again.
New Balance recently hosted the Canadian Fresh Foam X 1080v14 Launch Party in Toronto to kick-off the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon weekend and iRun was there. After demoing the shoe and introducing Canadians to the fourteenth iteration of one of running’s all-time most popular models, runners mingled, snacked and generally left the event inspired for race day (in addition to being informed of a great new training shoe).
Micah Powell leads the warm up for the guided run to test the New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v14 in Toronto
Following up on the Canadian launch, New Balance will be at the TCS New York City Marathon this weekend, hosting “The Clubhouse,” at 10 Columbus Circle, at Fleet Feet, with Happy Hour, Swag, DJs and a shakeout run Saturday morning with Meb Keflezighi, American 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist and all-around awesome guy.
The festivities begin November 1 at 8am and run through Monday, November 4 at 4pm, when the “The Clubhouse” turns into a “Recovery Zone,” and racers can have their medals engraved. iRun will be by the Clubhouse Saturday around 12:30pm, and many of our friends from BlackToe running the New York Marathon will also be dropping in around that time.
The New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080v14 available now.
Look for a review of the great Fresh Foam X 1080v14 dropping soon at iRun. And if you’re in New York this weekend for the marathon, meet us at The Clubhouse and, together, let’s get psyched.
Different sneakers are designed for different workouts, all aimed to optimize different running thresholds. A complete race requires lots of different training bits coming together. During your training, each workout requires something different—easy runs, long runs, tempo and speed work—and different shoes will help you achieve each individual goal in order to have it all come together on race day. On Sunday, Natasha Wodak won the 2024 Canadian Marathon Championship. Wodak, two-time Olympian, is an ASICS athlete and Canada’s all-time fastest women’s marathon racer. We asked her to look at her ASICS running shoes, and determine how you can best gear up for your next race goal.
JUST LIKE MAGIC: A carbon-plate aids speed and responsiveness in the MAGIC SPEED.
MAGIC SPEED™
“I feel fast in this one,” says Natasha Wodak, of these race day and/or workout shoes, also perfect for tempo runs and interval workouts. “They’re light, bouncy and have a carbon plate.” When you’re looking to feel confident and get down to work, there’s nothing like MAGIC SPEED™.
EVERYDAY TRAINER: The versatile and comfortable NOVABLAST.
NOVABLAST™
A daily trainer, easy/recovery shoe, this model has a springy feel for an energized mindset. “I absolutely love these and I wear these the most,” says Wodak. “They offer cloud-like comfort and responsive bounce-back. Perfect for an energized ride.”
EASY RUNNING: It’s important to have shoes like the Gel-NIMBUS to eat up the kilometres during a race build.
GEL-NIMBUS®
Another great shoe for clocking the kilometres, neutral, soft and comfortable and perfect for the day after a big workout or long run. “I like these for shorter, easy runs on the pavement because they’re super cushioned,” says Wodak. “I also do a lot of walking in these excellent shoes.”
FAST TIMES: Wodak last month after winning the Under Armour East Side 10K. SMOOTH SAILING: The GEL-KAYANO is neutral, comfortable and light. Perfect for almost everyone.
GEL-KAYANO®
A daily trainer which offers a protective feel—cushioned and light—the shoes offer a confident, reliable mindset and a smooth, effective ride. “They begin as a hard-working training shoe, then race shoe, then street shoe, a lawn-cutting shoe, then a shoe donated to Africa,” says Rick Shaver, who owns fifty pairs. “They live a good life, my GEL-KAYANO shoes.”
SUPERBLAST OFF: For a responsive shoe, Wodak uses the SUPERBLAST.
SUPERBLAST™
A super trainer designed for the long run, able to withstand the pounding and perfect for easy or recovery runs, this shoe offers a springy feel and energized mindset. “This is the “biggest” every day trainer—the most responsive and cushioned of all my shoes,” says Wodak. “I save this one for my longer runs.”
SPEED THRILLS: The super shoe from ASICS, the METASPEED series, which earn the highest Wodak praise.
METASPEED™ Series
A fast-feel powerhouse designed for race day and world records, this is the shoe at the end of the rainbow, what you want to be wearing when it’s time to compete. “The supershoe!’ declares Wodak. “They’re super lightweight, cushioned, responsive and that good ol’ carbon plate propels you forward. The best race shoe I’ve ever worn.”
Fifteen runners joined forces with iRun and Athletic Brewing to train for and compete at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon this past weekend and raves were received from the entire team. On a near perfect Toronto weekend with 30,000 participants and spectators screaming at the top of their lungs, it was an extraordinary weekend at the races, put together by the best non-alcoholic drink crew in the world. After the race, our team reassembled to reflect.
TASTES SO SWEET: Hartley, enjoying the fruits of his successful marathon this weekend.
“It was a huge crowd and a perfect day, so much energy on the course and with the spectators,” said Tim Hartley, who works in a Cardiac Rehabilitation program and runs, he says, to slow down getting slower. On Sunday, Hartley completed the marathon. “There were spectators all along the course and there was a group of four runners connected as a train! I crossed the line just behind a couple and so witnessed their marriage proposal at the finish. She said yes!”
“Anything can happen on race day.”
TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK: Antaya, left, with iRun’s Ben Kaplan, and Jen Savage, right. After working together online, it was refreshing for the group to meet at the Athletic Brewing booth.
The race days in Toronto—the 5K was run on Saturday and the half marathon and marathon this past Sunday—were sunny, relatively windless and smoothly run. Elites were resplendent and, reporting from the race course, I can confirm that the weekend was exciting and fun. There were more than 30,000 competitors and Athletic Brewing hydrated runners and their friends both all weekend long and after the race. Kristen Antaya, approaching the finish line below, demonstrated how any day running is a good day.
FINISH LINE FEELS: Antaya, approaching the last 100 metres of her marathon race.
“My race went really well even though I felt undertrained going into it and was worried the wheels would fall off early,” says the runner who attended the race from her home in Halifax, Nova Scotia. “While I fell short of a PR I actually ran seven minutes faster than I ran the Ottawa Marathon earlier this year so overall I’m more than pleased the way everything went.”
Melissa Sweet, who also raced this weekend, sent us this report. “I had a blast!” enthused Melissa, who fell in love with running as a transplant to BC and joined their local running community. “As someone who is not a fan of road running this race may have helped me see things a bit differently. The energy of the volunteers, cheer stations and random people along the course was unmatched! It was so nice to be back in Ontario!” continued Sweet. “I’m an ultra-runner so I’ve run the distance before, but this was my first official marathon and I PR’d it! Shout out to Kristen who came to Toronto from Halifax. We we walked from VIP to the start line together and she definitely helped calm my pre-race nerves!”
ON THE LINE: Jen Savage, just before the starting gun blew, ready for her first half marathon.
That, in essence, is the reason behind the Athletic Brewing team: we know that running is an individual sport, but we also know that running is made better with a community. In the end, running is something each of us have to do by ourselves. But being part of something bigger, adds richness and depth to the entire experience. At the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, the Athletic Brewing race team experienced this in spades. We’ll give team member Jen Savage the last words.
“The race was amazing and there was so much energy from the crowd,” she said. “My strategy was to run a relaxed 10k and then see how long I could hold on after that since over 10k is new territory for me and the plan worked!! After 14K, my IT band started to act up, but I still finished strong at 1:42:37 and I was really happy with how my first half marathon went and was surprised to come twemty-sixth in my age category. I can’t wait to do it again.”
For details on varieties and how to order your own Athletic Brewing, please click here.
How the innovative new GlideRoll Rocker helps the editor of iRun get ready for race day
Evenly dispersed, the foam beneath the Brooks Glycerin Max provides a smooth ride that’s nitrogen-infused, which is hard to quantify but shows up on the run. The cushioning is plush yet the shoe maintains its dexterity, and it’s malleable enough to allow the foot to move. A neutral shoe with a 6mm midsole drop, this sneaker represents comfort and innovation from a 110-year-old footwear brand.
Glycerin Max is designed for the extreme end of the cushioning spectrum and when preparing for races and working in a variety of shoes, the Glycerin Max is perfect for recovery. Leading into my training for the TCS New York City Marathon, I’d never approached such volume: weeks of 100 kilometres at 50-years-old put my ligaments to the test. It was during this cycle that I began wearing the Glycerin Max and I found it a perfect accoutrement to the mileage. With its GlideRoll Rocker, upturned wedges at the toe and heel, where additional DNA Tuned cushioning is stacked, I could transition deftly on my strides.
In addition, when working on Fartleks or interval training, at 10 ounces, I found the shoe light enough to compete. I’d do 18 kilometre sets with 8K mid-workout at half marathon pace in my Brooks Glycerin Max and find the shoe responsive at both speeds. What’s more, a product of Brooks, the number one performance running shoe in terms of 2022 American sales, with 22% market share, the shoe would not only survive a tough workout on Wednesday, but also retain its cushioning when I turned around to run 33K in the Brooks Glycerin Max Sunday morning.
Important to mention, I’ve long believed that Brooks is now making the prettiest shoes on the market, and I know I’m not the only runner who cares about style. I tried the Glycerin 21 with the aqua blue wave and the all-white Ghost Max sneaker and it pained me to wear these shoes running. They looked too good to muss up. Style has come to the races and Brooks may be leaving its rivals in the lurch. It’s no longer enough to make a shoe that’s light, springy and responsive. It now needs to look cool and Brooks is doing a good job at mixing fashion with function so we show up on race day ready for Instagram.
The Brooks Glycerin Max is a giant leap forward for one of the leading shoe brands in the world. If you need a shoe to help you with mileage or to recommend to someone getting into the sport, the Glycerin Max is cushioned and soft, plush and comfortable. It’s fast, sleek and effective for a variety of workouts. It’s a shoe I have no compulsions about to recommend.
For more information on the Brooks Glycerin Max, please see BrooksRunning.com.
Current Issue
Previous Issue
Prior Release
