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Oasis ZooRun: the animals you’ll see on the course

The ZooRun features a 5K, 10K and a cub run for the kids. Oh, and lions, tigers and bears.

Zoo Run
Zoo Run
Photo: Inge Johnson/Canada Running Series.

Tomorrow is the Oasis ZooRun. One of the biggest draws of the event is the opportunity to run through Canada’s largest zoo. Here’s what to expect from the 5K and 10K courses and the animals you can see along the way. On top of seeing live animals, runners are encouraged to sport any animal suits or animal themed costumes. 

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The 10K course starts by heading to Meadowvale Road and up to Old Finch Avenue. Once runners arrive at kilometre three, they’ll find the first water station and enter the Zoo. There, between three and four kilometres, runner can find the Eurasia Wilds which features snow leopards and red pandas. 

Zoo Run
Photo: Inge Johnson/Canada Running Series.

Between kilometres four and five, runners will pass through Indo-Malaya. There they will find the very rare Sumatran tiger and the white-handed gibbon. The white-handed gibbon is a member of the primate family. 

Runners will then head to the African Savanna, where they will find some of the most exciting animals. Those include: leopards, warthhogs, ostriches, and giraffes. 

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The last major animals-viewing location is the Tundra Trek. Between kilometres seven and eight, you’ll find Arctic wolves, reindeer (that’s right), and polar bears. The course finishes just before the Canadian Domain, which runners can check out post-race. The Canadian Domain includes grizzly bears, moose, and bison. 

Zoo Run
Photo: Alan Brookes/Canada Running Series.

The 5K course features almost all of the same animals, and travels a similar course within the zoo as the 10K route. The main difference between the two courses is the elimination of the portion on Meadowvale Road and Old Finch Avenue. 

For the kids attending the event, the cub run is an 800m race for participants aged two through 10. Participants will enjoy a scenic trip right past the giraffes and zebras. The start time for the cub run is 11:35 a.m. EDT. 

The 10K gets underway at 8:00 a.m EDT, followed by the 5K at 10:00 a.m EDT. For more information about the Oasis ZooRun and other Canada Running Series events see canadarunningseries.com

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