Sarah Moncada is the Central Canada Marketing Manager for Circle K and a Toronto-based runner. When she learned about an opportunity to bring her twin passions together—her job and her sport—she couldn’t resist bringing her company onboard as not only a sponsor of next month’s Toronto Marathon, but as a vocal supporter of running, the race and spreading her joyful message of healthy living. We caught up with Moncada and learned about all the great things she has planned for the Toronto Marathon, Circle K, training runs—and beyond.
What does running mean to you personally?
There are three words that describe what running means to me: Strength, Gratitude & Community.
Love that.
Right? Running has taught me that we—all of us—are capable of anything we set our minds to. I take this lesson and apply it to every aspect and every situation in my life; personal and professional. People ask me all the time, “how do you run for 3 hours straight?”, “how do you get through it?” Running for three to four hours is a constant battle between thoughts that tell you to stop and thoughts that push you to keep going. A real mental game you can win if you can generate more “keep going” thoughts than “stop” thoughts. My “keep going” thoughts are often daydreams of all the things I want to do in the sport; make it to Boston, run marathons around the world, run an ultra-marathon… and the list goes on. The sport of running is what Simon Sinek would call an ‘infinite game.‘ There is no end, there is no winning. The goal is to continue playing and to keep getting better. I strongly believe in the power of our thoughts and their ability to take us where we want to go if we let them. This sport takes a great deal of mental strength, perseverance and persistence, dedication, and consistency. Results don’t come easy, and motivation isn’t always there so you need to fall in love with the journey and keep moving forward.
What is your plan for race day?
We have created twelve versions of cheer posters that we will be handing out at kit pick up on May 5th and 6th at the Queen Elizabeth Building to take back to your cheer squad.
To say thank you to friends/family for being so supportive Circle K will also be giving spectators a little treat. Spectators will be able to scan the QR code on the back of the cheer posters to redeem a free water bottle, slice of pizza or bag of chips.
What do you want runners to know about Circle K?
I simply want runners to know that we’re here for them. We’re on your route, we have what you need, when you need it. You can rely on us.
What kind of items do you sell that runners might like?
Circle K offers all the pre, mid and post-run fuel that runners are looking for. Energy drinks, sports drinks, protein milk, protein bars and so much more. From Powerade, Biosteel, B-Fit, Reign Energy, Action Water, Prime Hydration, Roar Organic, KIND bars, RX bars, Bake City protein cookies, Grenade bars, Larabar, Bananas… the list goes on.
And lastly, you have 700 stores in Ontario and you’re introducing Circle K to runners at the Toronto Marathon. Where do you go from here? What’s next? How does Circle K intend to stay involved with runners, and our sport?
I want to stay close to the running community. We plan to show up, support and provide value wherever we can and in any capacity. Stay tuned…
Registration is now open for the first Circle K training run on April 19. Click https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/613355020377 to register now! First 100 people only. See you there!
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