Anyone at the TCS Waterfront Marathon last week in Toronto likely saw the Day of the Dead booth because it was excellent, colourful, and appealing to the eye. As participants wandered past their area—conveniently located directly across from our own—a screen revealed their faces as a skeleton. Suddenly, runners emerged like characters out of Coco and it left everyone excited about their Day of the Dead event on October 28 in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood.
“We have a close relationship with the running community and we want to build awareness of our brand,” said Rafael Chavez, an event organizer we spoke to before the family friendly 9K fun run, in which participants can run against a variety of skeletons and are encouraged to race in costumes. “Day of the Dead is the biggest holiday in Mexico and we want to share the fun and excitement with as a many runners in Canada as we can.”
Traditional races offer bananas and bagels but the crew behind Day of the Dead race promise an entire Mexican marketplace with food and drinks and delectable costumes. Last year, the team held their first event and received twice as many participants as expected. This year, with additional fanfare and lots of expo excitement, it’s easy to imagine a thousand runners all dressed up like Day of the Dead extras having the time of their lives.
“The Day of the Dead is about remembering, laughing, telling stories and acknowledging when your soul goes through the otherworld before reaching heaven,” Rafael says. “I think a 9K fun run for the whole family will be a huge hit with runners across the country and it’s great to launch around Halloween. This is only the tip of the iceberg of what’s to come.”
To sign up for one of Canada’s coolest fun runs, please click here.
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