Cold winter in east leads to lower spring race turnout

Over the weekend Around the Bay, for the second year in a row, saw a drop in numbers from what it has come to expect, likely due to another notably cold winter in Ontario. The race had about 1,000 fewer runners register to start the race than in a standard year, but the 30K race isn’t the only race in Ontario seeing a smaller turnout than in previous years.

Alan Brookes, race director for the Canada Running Series, sees first hand how weather can affect race signups across the country.

“Yeah, I think definitely the weather has been a factor,” says Brookes. “Obviously the longer the race the more it’s affected. I just looked at our numbers in Montreal yesterday and the 5K is going gangbusters. The half is starting to catch up but it’s definitely off from where its been the last couple of years.”

Brookes also noted his registration numbers for Harry’s Spring Run-Off 8K in Toronto’s High Park, where the winter was also a rough one, are lower than an average year.

“Yonge Street is holding its own, but in chatting with other race directors at Around the Bay everyone is saying that they’ve had to work really hard and get out there and do whatever they could to drum up enthusiasm and entries,” comments Brookes, but his first race of the year in Vancouver recently saw the flip side of how weather can affect registration.

“Registration for Modo Spring Run-Off was up 40 per cent and I think it’s definitely weather-dependent. They’ve had no winter at all in Vancouver. Canada-wide our numbers are almost identical to this time last year, but that’s because Vancouver is up and Toronto and Montreal are off a little.”

Registration for many spring races which haven’t sold out is still open, including Harry’s Spring Run-Off to be held on Sunday. Runners looking for a “rustbuster,” as Brookes notes, can register at packet pickup on Wednesday and Thursday.