Robbie Burns 8K, a winter classic, kicks off 2017 road racing in southern Ontario
The annual Robbie Burns 8K served as one of the first races of 2017 for many southern Ontario runners and walkers on Sunday.
A mid-winter running classic took place on Sunday morning in Burlington, Ont.
The 38th annual Robbie Burns 8K, hosted by the Burlington Runners Club, featured more than 700 finishers, some of who used the event as a rust buster in their 2017 debuts. January is a rather low-key time for road racing in Canada as events begin to ramp up later this winter and into spring. The event is a regular sell-out.
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Sami Jibril and Victoria Coates won the well-organized and always-fast event in 23:48 and 28:18, respectively. The 8K is a lesser-run distance versus the 5K and 10K seen at many local road races. Blair Morgan and Sergio Raez-Villanueva rounded out the men’s top-three; Kait Toohey and Shannon Kelsey capped off the women’s top-three.
Sami Jibril (23:48), Victoria Coates (28:18) win @runburlington #RobbieBurns8K on Sunday. Results -> https://t.co/21kTZKjdcj
— Canadian Running (@CanadianRunning) January 29, 2017
https://twitter.com/KaitToohey/status/825760964507209728
In what is a race tradition, runners pack a local high school before (and after) the race and are called to the start line by the playing of bagpipes. Many runners dress in plaid for the annual event to match the design of the race bib. Post-race oatmeal is always a highlight among runners too. Legendary runner Ed Whitlock, 85, served as the event’s starter on Sunday.
There is also a coveted best costume award handed out during the post-race festivities. The race is named after Robbie Burns, a notable poet from Scotland and a pioneer of the Romantic movement.
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Full results can be found here.
Top-three women
Top-three men
Photos from Robbie Burns 8K
https://twitter.com/AleWichartz/status/825753787461693442
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