Georgina Marathon launches new Spring Fling race in Ontario
Runners will have the opportunity to race the same course in both May and September and measure their progress
Photo by:
Edison Yao
Last year, the inaugural Georgina Marathon was one of the few in-person races in Ontario that offered the marathon distance on a certified course. Many runners who ran last year’s marathon will be heading to the Boston Marathon this year thanks to their qualifying time from Georgina. Now, race co-directors Cindy Lewis-Caballero and Sandie Orlando are building on the success of last year’s race with two races in 2022.
The Georgina Spring Fling 5K/10K/21.1K will be run on the same fast, flat and scenic course along the shores of Lake Simcoe on Sunday, May 15. And the second annual Georgina Marathon and Half-Marathon will take place on Sunday, Sept. 11 – remaining as one of the last few opportunities to run a qualifier race for Boston 2023.
“The Spring Fling offers shorter distances that will appeal to a broad audience of runners and walkers, no matter what their goals are,” says Orlando. “New runners, younger runners and families have the opportunity to experience a friendly and safe race and celebrate their achievement together.”
Anticipating that physical distancing will continue to be necessary, the Spring Fling 5K and 10K start times will be at 11:30 am. The half-marathon start time is 8:30 am, giving runners and walkers ample time to complete the course before the next waves get underway, and to help free up parking.
“Half-marathoners will appreciate that the course for the Spring Fling is the same as the Georgina Half Marathon course last year,” explains Lewis-Caballero. “This gives runners the advantage of comparing their times between the two races and fine-tuning their race strategy for their Boston qualifying race.”
Race co-directors Orlando and Lewis-Caballero are taking care to listen to the feedback from their athletes, volunteers and sponsors, so their races will continue to deliver an experience that feels quite different from the big destination races.
“We hope runners will come out to race with us in May and September,” says Orlando. For athletes who aren’t comfortable with travelling or don’t want a big-city experience, the Georgina race series provides an opportunity to race closer to home without breaking the budget.
Click here for more information on the race.
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