Quick Pumpkin Spiced Latte Tiramisu Cups

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October 6, 2016

I’m all about recipes these days that are six ingredients or fewer and take no time to prepare. Here is my latest creation, a no-bake dessert that takes 15 minutes to prepare and it can feed a lot of people.

This dessert also incorporates three of my favourite things: Tiramisu, pumpkin pie and pumpkin spiced lattes. After prepping this quick visual recipe image below, I realized I forgot one ingredient…the sugar! Duh! No big deal, it’s included in the printable recipe below! If you guys want to take this recipe up a few levels, add some crushed Amaretti cookies on top. Divine! Taste and texture – a perfect combination!

Another great feature about these mini desserts are that you can make them ahead of time (the night before) and have them ready to go when you need them!

Just to show you how easy this recipe really is, I did up a short YouTube video. Check it out! I have also included the recipe below.

I really hope you try this recipe out – it makes for a fantastic end to your Thanksgiving meal and the presentation is very pretty as well! Happy Thanksgiving!!

Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream

3/4 cup sugar

1 (8-ounce) container mascarpone cheese*

1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree

3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 teaspoon each cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg)

2 (3-ounce) packages halved ladyfingers

Fresh mint and cinnamon (garnish)

3 Tbsp rum or bourbon (optional)

crushed amaretti cookies (optional)*

*Mascarpone cheese (Italian cream cheese) and amaretti cookies (Italian macaroons) are available at many supermarkets and Italian markets.

DIRECTIONS

ONE: In a stand mixer, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form, set aside. In a separate bowl, add mascarpone cheese, brown sugar, pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice; beat just until filling is smooth. Fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin filling.

TWO: Fill mini dessert cups by adding a layer of the filling to the bottom of each cup, then dip the lady finger cookies into the espresso and add a layer on top of the pumpkin filling in each cup. Add another layer of the pumpkin filling on top of the cookies, add a garnish of cinnamon and mint (and crushed amaretti cookies if you have them) and serve. You can also make these mini desserts ahead of time and keep them covered and refrigerated until needed (up to 24 hours).

Julie Miguel is an iRun food contributor, where you’ll find a selection of weekly. She is a home cook, and food influencer and has worked with a national television, print and online media outlets. You can also follow her food discoveries and travel adventures at Daily Tiramisu.

Four Marathons, Scored a BQ for 2017, Now a World Marathon Major

By

AttheRaces

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October 6, 2016

By Jen Wilson

Normally when a course is described as “flat” it’s in an aspirational way, much like tiny homes are called “cozy.” But when it comes to the Berlin Marathon, flat really does mean pancake, making it the easiest marathon I have ever run.

My husband and I decided to register for the Berlin Marathon as our first anniversary celebration. With our goal races for the year behind us, this was a sightseeing trip and a chance to experience a World Marathon Major.

I’d already completed four marathons, and am on my way to Boston 2017, so I thought I knew what was in store for Berlin. I was wrong. With more than 40,000 runners from 122 countries, this was a race on steroids. Packet pickup was a bustling and well-organized event, while the sprawling expo was a little overwhelming for me after flying all night. I still managed to score a souvenir tank from the massive Adidas pop-up — a worthy stop for any visitor.

It felt like the whole city was involved in the marathon lead-up. There were race wristbands and jackets and tees on every street, and on Saturday we even saw a little of the roller-blading race – an event I hadn’t realized I existed, but was really cool to watch, with the fastest skater finishing the 42.2 in just under an hour!

Race day was overwhelming, in a good way. Walking through the Brandenburg Gates to the bag check area and stopping for photos in front of the Reichstag felt absolutely surreal. The weather was crisp and sunny, and as an added perk, the race organizers were even handing out plastic blankets and ponchos to keep runners warm for the start. Massive television screens broadcast the start line festivities way off in the distance. The music swelled, the elites took off, and we slowly inched our way to the start. By the time we were actually beginning our race, the lead pack had already covered more than 5K.

Runners speed toward the Grosser Stern, a large victory tower in the middle of a roundabout in the Tiergarten, a massive public green space. The race splits in half around it, with a seemingly never-ending stream of runners in both directions.

While the flat course made it easy on the legs, the crowds were another story. With no concrete goal in mind other than fun, I hadn’t changed our corral to reflect my most recent PB. This was a mistake. Turns out that even at the front of the corral, you will always end up running at the pace of the back of the corral. The first few kilometres were a slow slog, with the entire pack actually coming to a standstill at one point. It was nearly impossible to break free and hit my goal pace without being bumped, tripped or coming up against a sudden walker.

After a few more kilometres of fighting the current, I finally gave up any dreams of a speedy time and instead focused on enjoying the race — and there was lots to enjoy. There wasn’t a single stretch without enthusiastic crowds cheering in many languages, with many yelling “Lauf, Jennifer!” You couldn’t pass a music station before hearing the next one. There were runners repping crews from all over the world, and some really inventive costumes, including a presumably sponsored guy wearing a beer bottle. There was even a Red Bull station (the race guide promised it was diluted, but I didn’t try it) which was a new, and very sticky, race experience for me. The energy was high, the crowds were fantastic and the route wound through tree-lined streets and past historic buildings and high-end shopping.

The first few kilometres of the Berlin Marathon are truly special. Of course, the finish line was something extra special. Clearing the last corner and seeing the horses on top of the Brandenburg Gates – the first landmark I spied at the finish line – was an amazing final energy boost. I didn’t expect to be emotional at the finish line, but I couldn’t help but tear up as I came through the historic landmark, past bleachers of crowds, and finished with tens of thousands of other runners. Then it was on to the medals, which are the perfect souvenir thanks to ribbons the colours of the German flag.

It’s easy to see why Berlin is considered one of the world’s best marathons. A great course, enthusiastic crowds and impeccable organization make it truly a bucket-list-worthy trip. (Registration for 2017 opens on Oct. 19).

A Runner’s Survival Guide for Thanksgiving

By

Nutrition

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October 6, 2016

Quick! Run to your cupboard of running fuel and grab all the gels packets you have. Gather all the gel you’ve been given at all the races that you’ve done, as well as you regular fuel. Count them all up. You need 40 of them for this exercise.

Now over the next six or seven hours, one by one, eat all 40 of them (feel free to wash them down with some water if you need).

As absolutely ridiculous as this may sound, many of us will consume the equivalent on our Thanksgiving holiday. Between the appetizers, sweets, turkey, gravy, veggies, potato, squash, pie and, of course, a couple cocktails, it’s common for Canadians to consume upward of 4,500 calories over the course of a day of Thanksgiving celebration. For those of you who are driven by data, it would take the average runner completing approximately 55 kilometers of racing to burn the calories from this single day of (over) consumption.

As runners who are committed to our improvement in performance, there are a few things that we can keep in mind heading into this great North American tradition. By following a few simple suggestions, you will be able to keep things well in control.

Build your Thanksgiving meal around your veggies. This is a simple trick that many of you likely follow on a day to day basis but have a bit of a brain fart when it comes to hanging out with family over the long weekend. Your vegetables are high in nutrients,vitamins and, generally speaking, good choices in the Thanksgiving spread. Fill up the majority of your plate with the multiple vegetable options.
Go skinless. By picking skinless meat you will be eliminated many of the unwanted fat calories that are found in the roasted bird. Brown or white doesn’t really make a difference at this special time of the year.
Gravy goes straight to the waistline. If your turkey is floating down a gravy river on your plate you’ve over done things. Remember why gravy tastes so good, it’s made with all of the fat drippings that have slow roasted themselves over the course of seven hours. Of course it tastes good!
Keep it to one plate. Second servings will be your nemesis at Thanksgiving dinner. Think about whether you are truly still hungry before you waddle up to the kitchen counter for more deliciousness.
Your training shouldn’t stop. Just because it’s Thanksgiving, you want to maintain your training program. Many who are participating in a fall race are either peaking in volume or going into a race taper. Try not to sabotage weeks (or months) of commitment in a single day.

Remember that the traditional Thanksgiving meal means stuffing the bird, not yourself. And Happy Thanksgiving from iRun!!!

The Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race – Yes, that is the correct amount of zeroes

By

Ravi Singh

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October 5, 2016

Suprabha Beckjord fuels during the Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race. The race is a repetition of a single half-mile block for as many as 51 days.

Runners, especially those aspiring to long distances, have to get comfortable with tediousness, knowing that we’ll be spending a long time doing something very repetitive. There are lots of ways to prevent the monotony from breaking you down, one of which is to plan a route that offers varying scenery and helpful distractions along the way. Repeats around the block or the track can induce boredom very quickly.

The Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race is not just a test of endurance and determination, but also of one’s tolerance of that boredom. The race, which covers the twice the distance from Boston to Miami, is mapped around a single half-mile block through Queens, New York, which participants repeat from 6 a.m. to midnight. Runners are given 51 days to complete the challenge.

Atlas Osbscura, in a profile of Suprabha Beckjord, who has completed the race 13 times, describes the ways in which the organization of the race and the strategy of participants varies from a mere 100-mile ultra:

“Most people end up buying a dozen pairs of shoes, 15 pairs of socks, 25 shirts,” says Sahishnu Szczesiul, the race’s official timekeeper. Plus, he continues, the race doesn’t stop due to weather—”Some people have two to three different kinds of umbrellas, for lighter or heavier rains.” Diet is vital: “After three weeks, you start to lose a little bit of body fat,” Beckjord says. After that point, a runner holding a cup may well be sipping on pureed avocado, or even heavy cream.

The article also notes that if you add up the distance that Beckjord has completed in her 13 years of competing, she’s run the circumference of the earth twice.

Check out the full piece in Atlas Obscura. If you’re a recent marathoner looking for a new challenge, perhaps this is it.

Ravi Singh

Anything Can Happen: From Burgers and Beer to the Chicago Marathon

By

AttheRaces

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October 4, 2016

I am running a marathon.

Are you kidding me? A marathon. I never thought those words would ever leave my mouth and one year ago I was adamant that it would never happen.

But low and behold I will line up in Corral E on Oct 9th and run 42.2kms through the streets of Chicago.

Puke.

This is my journey.

A year ago I was “training” to run my first half marathon. I had been running for the better part of a year, but injured on and off for most of it. I really didn’t have a real grasp on what actual training meant. My nutrition was horrid. I would run 5k to justify eating all the things. Burgers, fries, downed with a beer.

I ran the Scotiabank Half Marathon on Oct 18th. No race plan and an unrealistic goal of under 2 hours.

Started the race off injured and ended with a pulled hamstring.

I finished in 2:18.

But once I had finished. I was determined to do it again, but better.

I knew this time that in order for that to happen some things needed to change.

I gave myself time to heal (with the helping hands of Brittany Moran and the Runners Academy).

I gave myself a new goal.

The goal was to train. Train myself to be a stronger, healthier, faster runner.

Things I knew: I needed more strength training in my life. I needed to change my lifestyle. I needed a new diet.

And I needed to work for it.

First up was diet.

To begin, I woke up Jan 1st and decided to stay sober, for awhile.

I decided to drink my coffee black.

No sugar.

Limited dairy.

Limited bread.

All the protein (meat, beans, eggs) and all the good fats and good carbs.

I was diagnosed in October with hypothyroidism so I cut out all the veggies that were bad for my thyroid (kale, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, spinach, cabbage).

I ate all the other veggies. A lot of veggies.

Having healthy snacks and meals prepped really helped with staying on track.

What I found was the longer I ate healthy the less I craved the deep fried goodness.

Next up was strength and training.

I scheduled exercise like I would a doctors appointment or my job.

Running was my priority.

Which meant I spent a lot less time with some friends. I bailed on most plans. But I needed to set up a routine.

But then something great happened. I made some new friends. Friends with the same priorities. Friends that challenged me.

Up next was a goal race.

The Toronto GoodLife Half Marathon was it. May 1st. Giving me 4 months to improve my half marathon time by 18 mins. Huge goal. But obtainable.

Next up was a training plan.

I followed all of this strictly for five months.

I crossed the line at the GoodLife Half Marathon at 1:47:09.

Just over 30 mins faster then seven months prior.

I had gained a whole new respect for my body. I wanted more.

During the last month of training for the half my race wife and I decided to do something crazy. We put our name in for the Chicago Marathon lottery. If our names were drawn we would run a marathon this year.

Well, on April 21st at 6:30am I got the email. I had got in and so had Tara.

Holy shit, we are running a marathon.

June 20th, 2016

Our wonderful coach KC had customized training plans for us. Laid out day by day. Exactly what we needed to do. No turning back now.

I would like to take a minute to discuss the importance of a training partner.

She gets it. She is my other half. She talks me off the wall daily. We spend most days texting back and forth about the most ridiculous things. She makes me a better person and a better runner. She is beside me and we don’t even need to talk. Just having her there makes every run easier. She is the reason I am where I am today. About to run a marathon.

We made sure to get in at least one run a week together, usually 3-4.

I also can’t stress the importance of a run crew. The Foodrunners and the NRC kept me accountable. These two crews help mould me into the runner I am today. When people believe in you and motivate you, anything can happen.

So when people tell you that training for a marathon takes over your life, you don’t ever really believe them until it does. Marathon training took over my life.

I decided to adopt a 80/20 mentality when it came to eating and drinking. I had become somewhat of a hermit during my half training and it was now summer and I needed to see my friends. I wouldn’t drink the nights before my long run. I would eat well 80% of the time. It helped keep me sane.

My average week went like this: Monday track: Speed work, Tuesday 10k, Wednesday 10k: Foodrunners, Thursday Crosstrain: HIT & Run, Friday 10k, Saturday long run, Sunday rest.

I managed to still have a summer. I went to Wayhome, got drunk and missed my long run, but managed to still run 7k every morning to the lake and back. No regrets.

I worked Boots and Hearts, but managed to run 24kms across Oro Medonte on my 5th wedding anniversary.

Run where and when you can. Fit it in and don’t beat yourself up if you miss one. Advice that stuck with me this cycle.

Every long run was my longest. It made every one special. Pushing harder then I ever had before.

Our 30k long run was just that. Special. Somehow getting to 30k gave me the confidence I needed. After that run I actually believed I could not only cross that finish line, I could actually race this marathon.

Then came the 32k run from hell. We suffered and suffered, and called an uber the minute we hit 32. I questioned everything.

But we learned. Maybe.

I made the mistake of eating a ton of dairy before our 35km long run and I drank a couple glasses of bubbly. Well I paid for that. Dearly. Thank god for random porto pottys. But we made it through with the help of our wonderful pacer Inge who sang and kept us occupied the whole way through.

Lesson learned.

The 37km run. 5 kms less then a marathon. The one we were terrified for. It’s amazing what the mind will let your body endure. This was the easiest run of them all. We had fueled properly, we had hydrated well and we had slept the night before.

We were ready.

All the sweaty, sometimes hungover track sessions have given me the speed I crave. The slow and steady long runs have given me the confidence that my body could endure the pain of 3+ hours of running. My beloved HIT and run sessions have given me a strong core and muscles in my legs that I didn’t know existed. This whole training cycle has changed me. Marathon training changes you.

Then comes the worst part of training. The taper.

Trusting your training. Trusting that your body is ready. This is the hardest part of the whole cycle. Believing that you have done all that you could do.

Well here we are 5 days away.

Wish me luck as I am about to leave it all on the course.

Clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose.

In Case You Missed it…

By

AttheRaces

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October 2, 2016

gun-runners-blog-header — Julius Arile, the subject of the popular documentary "Gun Runners" will chase a new personal best at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 16th. Image via Canada Running Series.

Ravi here with a roundup of some interesting, inspiring, and perhaps odd stories from the world of running you may have missed recently.

Man running 401 marathons in 401 days to start Bournemouth Marathon (via Bournemoth Echo)

Marathon runner Ben Smith, 34, will start the Bournemouth Marathon on October 2nd, which will be marathon number 398 of his attempt to complete the equivalent of 401 marathons in 401 days. Through his efforts, Ben has already raised £165,000 for two charities focused on anti-bullying.

Polish Runner Radzikowski Wins 245.4km Spartathlon Race (via Greek Reporter)

Andrzej Radzikowski is the winner of the 2016 Spartathlon. The race runs 245km from Athens to Sparta, retracing the journey taken by Pheidippides in Herodotus’ account of the Persian Wars. According to Herodotus, Pheidippides was sent to Sparta to seek support for the Battle of Marathon. Radzikowski crossed the finish line 23:01:13. Greek Yiannis Kouros has the course record of 20:25:00. Kouros has won the race four times. His victories also happen to be the four fastest times in the race’s history.

Moncton runner finishes Montreal 5K with doctor who saved his life (via Canadian Running)

Last year, Stephane Demers suffered a cardiac arrest near the finish line of the Montreal Rock n’ Roll Marathon. Demers lacked a pulse for eight minutes and was considered clinically dead. This year, Demers returned to the race, running the 5k alongside Dr. Francois de Champlain, who saved his life following his collapse in 2015. At the finish line, Demers was presented with two medals, one for the 5K, and the one he didn’t quite get around to collecting for his half marathon the previous year.

“Gun Runner” to race Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (via Canada Running Series)

Julius Arile, the subject of the popular documentary "Gun Runners" will chase a new personal best at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 16th. Image via Canada Running Series. — Julius Arile, the subject of the popular documentary “Gun Runners” will chase a new personal best at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 16th. Image via Canada Running Series.

Julius Arile, the subject of the documentary “Gun Runners,” a favourite at the Toronto Hot Docs Festival, will join fellow Kenyans Isshimael Chemtan and Gilbert Kirwa at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 16th. Arile spent his youth among cattle rustlers, raiding farming communities in northern Kenya and stealing their cattle. Running came into the picture when the Kenyan government offered cattle rustlers amnesty in exchange for a pair of shoes and a track suit. Arile has since established himself as a major distance running prospect, posting a time of 2:10:03 at the 2013 New York Marathon, finishing in fourth.

Ravi Singh

“I used to hate running,” iRun and Sportstats CEO says. “Now I’m hooked.”

By

Why I Run

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September 28, 2016

I started doing triathlon events in 1989 and was hooked for life. This was a long time before I got into the timing business. I progressed normally through the sprint events to Olympic to eventually attempting my first Half-Ironman event in 1992 and a full Ironman in 1993, completing at the same time my first marathon.

I use to hate running back then. I was a good swimmer, a good biker, but I always suffered on the run. I was racing 15 times per year and only running during the triathlon events I was doing. During the last two years towards my Ironman journey, I started working with Sportstats in 1992 and eventually acquired the company with my life partner Isabelle in 1995. We tied the knot in 1997 and had our first child in 1998. As the business and the family grew rapidly, so did my weight gain. In 1993 I was around 180lbs and in pretty good shape at 23. I could swim 4km in about 52-54 minutes, bike under 5 hours and run a sub 4-hour marathon off the bike.

The motivation for doing another Ironman did not come until 2000 after we had our second child and Isabelle also started racing triathlon. I registered for Ironman Florida 2001—1 year in advance. I was over 210-pounds at that point and decided to give it a go. I recall enjoying the training, but as soon as that event was done, the motivation for swimming, biking and running faded away.

Our business at that point had grown from 42 events in 1995 to about 150 events in 2001. At that point we had more than doubled the size of the company and by 2007 we had doubled it again to 300 events. We also moved out of the home office to a warehouse location with more staff/space at that time.

I tried running again in 2011 when I was lucky enough to get a spot for me and Isabelle in the New York City Marathon. I actually really enjoyed getting back into shape (215lbs to 190lbs by the Marathon). The experience of running that event was incredible and definitely one for the bucket list. Soon after the appetite for running and motivation faded away once again.

Our business was also booming: growing to 500 events in 2012 to 600 events in 2013 and 800+ events by 2015, all by rapid growth and acquisition. On January 1^st, 2015, I stepped on the scale and for the first time ever saw 230 pounds. It is at that moment that everything changed. I decided to that I would get back in shape, eat better, sleep better and start running/racing again. I signed up right away for a Ironman 70.3 in August to keep me motivated all summer.

It’s at that point as well that I cut 100% of my soda intake (from 3-4 per day to 0), reduced sugar and processed foods.

Racing a few events in 2015 and seeing many of my friends that were racing back in the 90’s still at it kept me motivated. In December of 2015, I joined the 100 run-in-100 days program develop by my friend Dev Paul. He created this about 10 years ago for us Canadians needing a little motivation to run in snow and cold winters. I was able to complete about 70 runs out of the 100 days and actually planned for and looked forward to each of my runs.

For the first time I can say I am finally enjoying running. I did my first interval with Rick Hellard’s Group of Zone3sports a few weeks ago and did not die. I was able to drop 50 pounds (230 to 180) over the course of 18 months racing and training again. The motivation is there and I’m looking forward to several more years of keeping fit and improving my running.

The speed is finally coming back. I competed in a local sprint triathlon last weekend (The Canadian) put on by our friends at Somersault and was able to have the fastest swim and bike time and ended up second overall—just nine seconds back. My run is finally coming together: running sub-5min-per-km off the bike.

I am managing to run 3-4 times per week right now and yes, I love running—I am hooked. And if I want to do better in 2017 in Triathlon I got the nail the running part. I am healthier, fitter and enjoying all of this once again. I am finishing writing this on a flight to Vancouver to meet with our Sportstats West team for the day and then off to Kona for the Ironman World Championship.

I am looking forward to all my training, runs and everything else. I even plan runs in advance looking forward to new courses, new trails and new events I can do. So to anyone that currently find running hard or is having difficulty getting motivated, set yourself some short time and long time goals, take it literarily one step at a time!

Hope to see you at the races, on the start line this time!

The runner with the most races on Sportstats, reveals all

By

AttheRaces

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September 28, 2016

The incredible Alana Bonner has claimed more races on the Sportstats membership platform than any other runner in Canada. In fact, the next highest number of claimed races is 193. How does she do it? What makes her special? Bonner, who lives outside of Montreal and had her first race in August, 2009, sat down with Ben Kaplan to explain.

iRun: What do you think makes you such a great racer, what’s your secret?

Bonner: When I start liking something, there’s no stopping me.

iRun: Your track record is incredible.

Bonner: I just fell in love with it. I love the prospect of competing, of seeing different cities and meeting different people. I love the atmosphere and it’s a great community. The more people I got to know across the US and Canada, the more it got me wanting to do more and more races, that’s how I got to do essentially one every weekend.

iRun: Do you get nervous before a race?

Bonner: Every time.

iRun: Seriously?

Bonner: It’s always like my first time and I’ve never done this before. I want to do my best and I want it to go well, but you never know. I guess that’s why I get all worked up.

iRun: Did your motivation ever lag, for instance after race number 150?

Bonner: I don’t need motivation, it’s just part of me. I run and I compete and it’s part of me. It’s part of my everyday life and it’s become who I am. The local race announcers all know me because I see them every weekend.

iRun: How do you celebrate after a race?

Bonner: I don’t. My excitement is trying to find races in towns I haven’t been so I can knock them off my map.

iRun: Give us a few highlights from your racing career?

Bonner: For the past two years I’m the age group winner of the greater Montreal running circuit for 30 to 39 year olds, that feels nice.

iRun: You ever run in extreme weather?

Bonner: I run all year round, it doesn’t matter what the weather is. The worst I’ve ever done was the Hypothermic Half this year in Montreal. It was more than minus 30 and before the race started they said they’d give us a time at 10K, but I did the 21. I wore a face mask and looked like a criminal but I finished my run.

iRun: Do you have any favourite runners?

Bonner: Ed Whitlock. I have a picture with Ed from 2014 at a race in Williamstown, Ontario. And Mo Farrah. He’s an unbelievable Olympic champion; Meb Keflezighi, too.

iRun: Ever reach a moment when you thought you would quit?

Bonner: No. Never.

iRun: Never?

Bonner: Sometimes during a race if things aren’t going well, you say, ‘I’m not doing this ever again,’ but as soon as I cross the finish line, I’m looking for the very next race to sign up for. The harder the race is the more I want to sign up for the next one. That’s just the way I am.

iRun: What are your three best tips for running a great race?

Bonner: Let’s see:

Stick to your pacing plan
When it gets tough, trust that it’s going to get easier. There’s always a point, usually near the beginning, where it feels terrible, until you find your proper pace. Just know that when it’s at its hardest, it will get better.
Nothing beats hard work. You can’t cheat in running. If you don’t put in the effort, you’re not going to see the results.

iRun: We work for Sportstats so we have to ask, anything special about Sportstats-timed events?

Bonner: My favourite events are always those that are Sportstats-timed. When I’m looking for events I go to Sportstats website and look at upcoming races. It’s a great platform and I can save all my races at once now with the membership. Sportstats has a really good name in Montreal. I’ve been to events timed by other companies and they were disasters. Sportstats is dependable, and that’s what you need.

iRun: You have 227 events claimed on Sportstats. Think you’ll reach 500?

Bonner: Of course.

iRun: 1,000?

Bonner: I’m not going to stop. It’s just too much fun.

POST SCRIPT: Alana Bonner has become the newest member of the iRun team. If you have any questions, comments or thoughts for Ms. Bonner, email Ben Kaplan at ben@irun.ca and we’ll get answers to your questions on Friday’s blog.

Syrian Newcomers Welcomed to New Community at Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon

By

Ravi Singh

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September 27, 2016

A group of young Syrian newcomers participated in the Rock n' Roll Half 5K this past weekend in Montreal. Participants ranged in age from 13 to 26.

In the last year alone, the St. Jacques Syriac Orthodox Church in Montreal has sponsored and supported 200 families from Syria in making their way to a new life in Canada.

St. Jacques is not just a sponsor, but a gateway for Syrian newcomers into the community, providing support in finding housing, completing required documentation, and creating opportunities to participate in the life of their new city.

Quite by accident, Zeina Malky, and active member of the St. Jacques community, connected with Caroline Lavoie, a publicist for the Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon, and together they decided to arrange participation in the 5K for some of the younger newcomers. Lavoie arranged for free registration for the race, which took place on Sunday.

The group ranged from age thirteen to twenty-six. Zeina said each relished the opportunity to participate and regretted that the race was only 5K, but used the leftover adrenaline to conduct an interview with Radio Canada, during which they performed songs from their church.

The atmosphere along the course, where the group was greeted by cheers, given high fives, and handed water along the way, was for Zeina a chance for them to experience support, love, and encouragement after the incredibly difficult circumstances they’ve lived through.

With newcomers often represented through statistics rather than as individuals, Zeina was grateful for the opportunity for her group of young Syrians “to show what kind of people we are and what our church stands for.” The race, she says, also gave each a sense of pride in their new community and country, one of the younger runners remarking, “We will always make Canada proud because she brought us to her country.”

– Ravi Singh (@ravimatsingh)

DuChene, Hannah, and Sexton to Headline Elite Canadian Women Field at Toronto Marathon

By

Ravi Singh

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September 26, 2016

dsc00712-min — From left: Krista DuChene, Rachel Hannah, and Leslie Sexton, who will be leading the Canadian elite women on October 16th.

This piece is part two of our coverage of the “Meet the Elites” conference held at Toronto’s Marriott Hotel this past Friday, introducing the elite field for this year’s Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (STWM). The first part can be read here. Here, we meet the elite Canadian women who will lace up on October 16th.

Before 2016, the last time Canada sent a runner to the Olympic Women’s Marathon was 1996. This year, two Canadian women stood at the start line in Rio.

Before 2015, a Canadian woman had never won a medal for the Pan-Am Games Marathon until Rachel Hannah changed that fact when the games were held in Toronto that year.

Hannah will return to familiar territory on October 16th alongside Krista DuChene, one of Canada’s women in Rio, and Leslie Sexton, an emerging force in Canadian women’s running.

While Canada has never lacked for female talent in distance running, these three women are at the helm of something of a renaissance that will make women’s running in this country a privilege to watch in the coming years. Given the qualities that each embodies, it’s easy to see why.

Leslie Sexton (centre) will be among the leading elite Canadian women at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 16th. — Leslie Sexton (center) will be among the leading elite Canadian women at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 16th.

Fearlessness

Krista DuChene isn’t cut from a template. She forges her own path, which initially didn’t include running. DuChene – 35th in the Rio Women’s Marathon – played varsity hockey for the University of Guelph and turned to running only after graduation. She ran her first marathon in 2002 in a time of 3:28. As of 2016, she is the second fastest woman in Canadian marathon history and an Olympian, the latter achieved following a broken femur in 2014.

Krista holds a strong sense of confidence in her ability to rise to new challenges. In her own words, “I played hockey with the boys when I was a kid. I’ve never been afraid to be the first person to do something.” Indeed, she was the first Canadian woman to qualify for the Olympic marathon since 1996. Her progression since that first marathon is phenomenal, having taken an hour off that 3:28. Nothing, it seems, makes her want to stop.

In 2013, Krista Duchene became the second fastest Canadian female marathoner when she and Lanni Marchant both bested Sylvia Ruegger's record which stood for 28 years. — In 2013, Krista Duchene became the second fastest Canadian female marathoner when she and Lanni Marchant both bested Sylvia Ruegger’s record which stood for 28 years.

Ambition

With a smile but with no hesitation when asked, Leslie Sexton answers that she is absolutely competitive. She wants the best out of herself. When she ran her first marathon in a time of 2:39, she knew that she had more in her. Last year in Houston, she posted a personal best of 2:33, a performance that gave her validation and signified that, “I wasn’t wasting my time at the distance.”

Leslie draws inspiration from her contemporaries like Lanni Marchant and Kirsta DuChene as well as the growing run clubs across the country, which she says have played a big role in taking women’s running to new heights by allowing women to pursue distance running beyond high school and university. That support powers her own goals, which includes being among the best in her discipline.

She states bluntly that she hopes to follow in the footsteps of Marchant and DuChene and run in the 2:20s and represent Canada on a grand scale at next year’s World Championships in Athletics, which will be held in London.

The competitiveness extends to the online world. Sexton is a self-proclaimed “Strava addict” who doesn’t take kindly to being knocked off the top of the standings. Ultimately, though, her openness about her training is a matter of illustrating that elite runners often struggle, but that the work can never be neglected and in turn receiving that same support from others.

Recently victorious at the Vancouver Eastside 10K, Leslie’s combination of fierce work ethic and ambition makes her mention alongside names like Krista DuChene and Rachel Hannah fully justified.

Dedication

Rachel Hannah set her half marathon personal best at STWM last year. Along a very similar course at the 2015 Pan-Am Games, she gave Canada its first medal in the Women’s Marathon. Coming back to familiar territory at this year’s STWM, she hopes to add another personal best for what will be her fourth marathon. Rachel says that she is “excited to be a among the most competitive field in STWM history.”

She’ll be riding a serious wave of momentum coming into the race, already turning in a PB at the distance earlier this year at the Chevron Houston Marathon (2:32:09). At the time of the conference, she was coming off two consecutive wins at the Toronto Island Run 10K and the Canada Army Run in Ottawa.

Within the last two years, in fact, Hannah has added PBs at every distance from the 5,000m to the marathon. It’s evidence of her commitment, along with the fact that she attends in the conference in her running gear and is off for an easy 10K once it wraps up.

Look for each of these incredible women to be among the highlights of the 2016 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

Ravi Singh (@ravimatsingh)