On the Run In… Halifax, N.S.

It’s a truism that if you run in Halifax, you have to like hills. The East Coast port city is ringed with them and they’re hard to miss. They range from short lung-busters to long, gradual climbs that test endurance. Beyond its hills, to run in Halifax is to run back in time. The city is steeped in history, from the Citadel – a National Historic site that dominates the downtown – to its splendid 18^th– and 19^th-century architecture. But nature is never too far away either. Almost every run includes a trip into Point Pleasant Park, with its spectacular ocean views, or over to Dartmouth, with its numerous lakes. Rami Bardeesy, Nova Scotia’s top marathoner, plotted out three runs that are popular with members of the Halifax Running Club. The runs all leave from the club’s location at 5568 Cunard Street.

Halifax offers a very competitive racing scene. Annual events include the Bluenose Marathon, an unforgiving spring marathon that often has cruel weather and a ton of climbs; the Moose Run, a rugged 25K out-and-back in early spring in nearby Cow Bay, which is a tune-up for things to come and numerous smaller races ranging from the Atlantic Lung Run, a new 5K that’s already a race calendar favourite to Dartmouth’s Natal Day six-miler.

Groups

The Halifax Running Club is where many of the city’s elite runners mingle with a dedicated crowd of marathoners and other runners of all abilities.

Dartmouth’s Fast Company serves the twin city’s runners who live across the bridges from Halifax.

The Basin Area Running Club just began this year and is becoming a meeting place for runners outside the downtown core, living in Clayton Park, Bedford and areas to the east.

Short 7K

Urban jaunt

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This run is about as flat as it gets, a quick rip up into the city’s North End, back down Oxford Street and onto Coburg Road past the historic University of King’s College Campus (the alma mater of Canadian Running‘s editor) and then back up to the club.

Medium 10K

Point Pleasant Park and Back

This is the quintessential Halifax run, down to Point Pleasant Park and back. The run takes you through the city’s majestic South End with its grand old homes before entering the park. While Point Pleasant isn’t what it once was because of 2003’s Hurricane Juan having knocked down many of the trees, it’s still a beautiful spot with shaded paths and sweeping ocean vistas, as well as Cable Hill, a short but steep climb. On the way back, runners pass the Public Gardens on one side and the Citadel on the other.

Long 25K

The classic marathon training loop

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The run to Dartmouth and back is a tough route with a lot of rewards, not the least of which is crossing the Angus L. MacDonald Bridge with its stunning views of the city and the water. The run takes you up to Shubie Park’s woodlands and then along the flat path beside Lake Banook. But save some strength for the notorious Maple Street hill at the 19K mark.