The Buffalo Marathon is a flat, fast course that has races at 5K, half marathon and marathon. It’s a Boston-qualifier, a weekend of fun, and there’s not only a kid’s run, but a popular Bark Crawl, in which racers are able to run with their animals. It’s such a good event, and we’re such friends with the organizers, that they’re now going to extend a code for iRun participants to receive 25% off their registration fee. Click here to register, use the code RUNCA and you’ll get 25% off—in effect, running at par. Here’s Ben Kaplan’s Q&A with race director Greg Weber about why you should run his event on May 26.
iRun: Are you nuts? Are you really offering 25% off for all Canadians?
Weber: We love Canadians and always want as many of them as we can get at our events, so, sure—25%, let’s do it. But it’s going to expire midnight on Mother’s Day, May 12. So Canadians need to register now to take advantage of me and run at par.
iRun: What’s the record for most Canadians to ever have run at the Buffalo race?
Weber: It’s probably around 200. We have 179 Canadians registered right now, so I think we. . . can we double the number of Canadians running Buffalo this year? I don’t know, but I think so: come to the race, wear the flag.
iRun: Why should Canadians come and race in Buffalo?
Weber: Three things, well, four: the food, the shopping, the course and the beer.
iRun: Isn’t Dave McGillivray of Boston Marathon fame your keynote speaker?
Weber: He is, and he’s running a fundraiser for Heart Health and participating in our Heart to Heart Relay, which is fitting. We raise thousands of dollars every year. Run for your favourite charity!
iRun: Next year is the big one for Boston. Can we qualify on your course, let’s hear some details.
Weber: The course is flat. It’s fast. It’s long and straight, not a lot of hills, not a lot of turns—perfect for qualifying for Boston! Our male record is 2:15:39 and female is 2:38:26, and here’s another thing for you Canadians, if you win, or if you beat our record—$1,000-per-minute you break the record by—we’ll pay you in US dollars! You can race at par. And win in greenbacks. And to answer your question: of course you can qualify for Boston in Buffalo.
iRun: What else about your race makes it unique?
Weber: We’re in our nineteenth year, our course is beautiful, and people love the swag. The medals this year are incredible. They’re big, heavy and detailed, and the post-race party is open to everyone.
Did I mention at our post-race party it’s free food and beer?
iRun: You’re kidding me. Don’t you usually get one drink ticket and a bagel after races?
Weber: This is a celebration. In the States, it’s Memorial Day, the beginning of summer, and people are accomplishing things they’ve trained for over a long time. We want people to have a world-class experience in an intimate atmosphere. Besides, I almost feel nickel-and-dimed when you get one beer ticket and a banana. Canadians racing in Buffalo—and their family and friends—can have as much food and beer as they want.
iRun: Well, thanks for your time. And thanks for the discount. Seems like an awesome weekend and really great event. Why do you care so much about attracting Canadians?
Weber: We share a common bond. And this is a marathon, not a hockey game. So we can come together—in running, beer and food. It’s going to be a great event and we want to double our Canadian contingency. Welcome everybody, see you there.
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