New policy for an Ultimate cap environment

Posted by & filed under 2019.

With only 5 Ultimate spots remaining for ENDURrun 2019, this is new and exciting ground for us.

[Update: as of December 19, 2018, the Ultimate cap has been reached. The wait list is open here.]

The 75 participant limit was asked for by the community in 2014, and we believe it is still an appropriate number for you to be able to expect the authentic ENDURrun experience in 2019.

We want to give you a clear plan of how we plan to proceed if and when the cap is reached. Here is the Rule 5 from the 2018 handbook:

“The ENDURrun Race Director may increase or decrease the registration cap at any time, to take into consideration anticipated injury withdrawals, to admit entrants whose participation may enhance this event, or to admit entrants whose past association with this event has contributed to its success.”

From the beginning, this rule and this policy were created through consultation with the community, and it is designed to reflect the ideals of ENDURrun. We believe that all members of our community have a fair shot at participation through this rule and these policies. We hope you appreciate the intent and the clarity.

This is how we will interpret this rule for 2019.

Policy for if the Ultimate cap is reached

i) Changes to transfer policy (wait list and withdrawals)

  • A wait list will be created in Race Roster, in a priority sequence and at no cost.
  • If any of the 75 entrants withdraws before the event starts (for any reason, including injury), this will open up a spot to the wait list.
  • The next individual on the wait list will have 48 hours to accept the withdrawn spot and register for the event at that current price, or lose their spot entirely, and so on, until it is filled or until the wait list is exhausted.
  • If the withdrawn spot is filled by July 31 at midnight, the withdrawn participant will be refunded $100 of the entry fee. We are not encouraging participants to withdraw, but if you need to withdraw, please let us know as soon as it is practical so that the spot has a higher chance of being filled, and so that the wait list has the most adequate opportunity to train and motivation to continue training. No refunds as of August 1.
  • From August 1 until 6 p.m. on the eve of Stage 1, the wait list will be phone called with 1 hour to claim the spot.
  • No transfers from 6 p.m. on the eve of Stage 1 until Stage 1. On race day, no-show slots can be considered withdrawals and be awarded according to the wait list, starting at 10 minutes before the start of Stage 1.
  • If withdrawals are not filled from the wait list, the spot will re-open, and if filled, the withdrawn person will receive $100.
  • All transfers must go through this specific process. This process will not allow for more than 75 starters at Stage 1.

ii) Clarification to possible cap increases

  • Once the cap is reached, there are three groups for whom registration may still be allowed, at the absolute discretion of the Race Director:
    1. Golden Club members (max 5, by May 30)
    2. Thousand Mile Club members (n/a in 2019)
    3. Elite athletes – inquire for more info (no cap, no deadline)
  • Any runner which does not meet these criteria is subject to the wait list, including Lloyd Schmidt himself.
  • These are perks given to well-deserved groups of runners for obvious reasons.
  • Runners among the 75 spots who do meet these criteria still count against the cap of 75, but not the group max. We strongly encourage runners who meet these criteria to register among the 75 spots.
  • This has no bearing on the wait list. “Excepted” runners may still join the wait list for timing or cap reasons. This process could allow for more than 75 starters at Stage 1.

One last point: in the history of ENDURrun from 2003-2017, we have taken 510 registrations and seen 464 starters, for a withdraw percentage of 9.0%

 

2019 Relay registration is now open

Posted by & filed under 2019.

We are excited to launch registration for our 2019 Relay Team division.

With Ultimate division growing, the Relay takes on a new importance as the most important way for new-to-ENDURrunners to get involved as a participant. Round up your teammates and start training!

A Relay team is 2-7 individuals who will each run one or more of the 7 Stages. Click here for 2018 Relay results.

Registration process

Race Roster

  • Every Relay Runner pays the set price (starting at $60), and has the option to purchase more spots in advance, up to the entire team.
  • Any runner wishes to pay in advance for other relay team members will receive promo codes by email for each extra spot purchased. Teammates can then use the codes to register for free.
  • Alternatively, any Relay runner can also simply register their entire team individually.
  • Please create a team in Race Roster (or join an existing one), and also write your team name in the text field.
  • Note that if you want to use a 2019 RW membership discount (25%) on Relay, you must wait until 2019 memberships become available later this fall.

Cap

  • The Relay team cap remains at 20 teams.
  • A team is not considered registered until all 7 spots are filled in Race Roster.
  • Once there are 20 teams with 7 members, all incomplete teams will be converted to Guest entries.

Ultimates

  • Each Ultimate runner can participate in Relay for free (this spot is for them only, and is not transferable).
  • For an Ultimate to start or join a team, email us with your interest and a description of who your team will be, and we will send you a promo code for yourself.
  • An established rule for Relay is that Ultimates can only run one Stage for one team. In 2019, we are also adding another new rule: only one Ultimate per team. So at most, 20 teams can have 1 Ultimate runner, for 20 total Ultimates in the Relay competition.

A toast to ENDURrunners

Posted by & filed under 2018, Recaps.

One week later, we’re still reeling with Post-ENDURrun Syndrome (PES).

The best way to combat that is to send some thank yous out to the individuals and groups who make this project so much fun. This particular moment is one of the high points in the history of ENDURrun, and so here’s a toast to the ENDURrunners community that make this 2018 featured photo possible.

Charity isn’t a big focus at ENDURrun, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important and that there aren’t incredible stories from our fundraisers. Shattering all previous standards, Josh Bohnen for Nutrition For Learning, Maria Michel for KidsAbility, and Anne Hinds for Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis collectively raised over $15,000!

Did you notice Health + Performance out during the week? Of course you did, because H+P had a massive week. Head coaches Sean and Gillian rallied 70+ athletes in total, and facilitated massive course support each Stage. H+P swept the women’s podium (and 4th too!). And with 11 (!) relay teams, it’s hard to summarize everything, but their Women’s and Masters’ teams set all-time ENDURrun records, and the Funatics bested their 2016 selves too!

Runners are out on the course for about 15 hours, but our friends at KW Health Connection are at the tables for more than that and can’t be thanked enough. Don’t be shy to book an appointment, stop by, and say thanks! CCMH Cambridge too!

The Running Rarebits were there every day, with multiple Ultimates and relay teams, volunteers, and pop-up aid stations. And their branded relay team bested their 2017 time by six minutes! Thank you.

The award for using ENDURrun how it was designed goes to Guest/Relay runners Antoine Gauthier, Reza Saputra, Mitch Wilson, and Bryan Yeung, all of whom ran Stage 5 this year ahead of their Rookie campaigns in 2019. Wise moves gentlemen! Also notable is pacer Diane Lacombe who also got a great taste of ENDURrun in 2018 and is entered as a Rookie for 2019. These components of ENDURrun (Guest, Relay, Pacer) are designed to add value to the community, but also to drive future Ultimate participation. Stay tuned for “July” soon. 

Big thanks to Chicopee Ski & Summer Resort for letting us run up and down those steep hills! A quick estimate puts ENDURrunners climbing North bottom-to-top over 2,500 times since 2003 (racing only, not including training!)

We can’t forget our 2018 winners, Robert Brouillette and Valery Hobson; both great stories whether you’re battling ghosts of ENDURrun past, or in an epic battle with another phenomenal athlete. Robyn Collins also joined the Golden Club this year, and even though her 5 Stage wins left her 6 minutes shy of an Ultimate victory, her positive attitude about the whole experience is ENDURrun.

ENDURrun is sometimes described as a fun week with some running thrown in. Big thanks to everyone who planned and organized socials, hung around the pool, and stayed late at Stages to make Rookies feel welcome.

Some exceptional cases of a last minute entry from 18 year old Conner Krofchick and our 75 year old Ken B Anderson who almost made it. In falling short, Ashley Sametz came closer than anyone ever had to the 160 KM.

If you had a cold drink from one of our coolers, thank Stefan and Shoppers’ Drug Mart Elmira for that one. If you took a gel at all, kudos to Geoff at Runners’ Choice. Kit swag was courtesy of Saucony Canada. That poster souvenir is thanks to M&T Printing Group (and your autograph cramp). Huge thanks to Mike Hewitson for not wearing a gold shirt this year.

And where would we be without our alumni who come back year after year, including since the lean years? There’s no better way to summarize their spirit than in the “Crazy Eights” photo:

To the neon shirts, how do you do it? Too many to name, but our outgoing food crew, the timers, setup, cleanup, marshals, water, and web team are top notch. Just the fact that you can look up historical results is a minor miracle.

As a testament to the excellence and personal growth that we idealize, look at the historical results of runners like Rebecca, Ian, Wilf, and Valery for inspiration as to how much individuals can and do improve at this event. Outstanding Rookie performances from Robyn and Aidan Rutherford prove that anything is possible. (5 of these 6 athletes are coached by H+P).

This was REALLY cool, but now we’re spoiled and William Spaetzel is signed up for 2019. Hmm…maybe Chris Mintz can fill in. Oh wait… Sue Wemp? What is going on???

Last but not least, there are some things that can only be expressed in photos:

2018 ENDURrun Stage 7 Sneak Peek: Marathon

2018 ENDURrun Stage 7 Sneak Peek: Marathon

Celebrating our #OneToughRunners

Posted by & filed under 2018.

ENDURrun is an ultimate individual accomplishment.

So much of the event is narrated by the incredible strength of the community, and rightly so. But that doesn’t take away from the essential component of incredible performances and experiences by individuals.

We took a moment to use our powerful photography and mediocre photoshop skills to put together these portraits of our class of 2018. That’s 49 starters in the Ultimate division – what we consider to be an ultimate test of running skill, speed, training, recovery, terrain, distance, strategy, and general love of the sport.

At this point, only a fraction of our thousands of photos are on Flickr. We chose some of our favourite shots, and branded them so that you can’t forget why you’re smiling. Four predictable locations bubbled to the top: the top of the steepest hills of Stages 3, 4, and 5, the Stage 7 finish line, and country roads of Woolwich Township.

#OneToughRunner 2018

So, while PES is at a yearly high, take 49 moments to re-live the individual performances of ENDURrun 2018.

Here is a .png that you can use to update your photo if you want to.

Robert and Valery are your 2018 ENDURrun Champions

Posted by & filed under 2018, Recaps.

The 16th ENDURrun ended with a bang.

Full marathon results | Full cumulative results

Women

The Stage 7 finish was a repeat of 2017, when 2nd place Catherine Desrosiers came through first, but only by enough to close the gap to Vicki Zandbergen to 6:36. This year, it was Robyn Collins who won the marathon (her first!) in 3:11:20, but Valery Hobson had things under control in a fantastic performance of 3:12:21 to keep the overall lead at 6:09. These past two years were the closest 1-2 finishes in ENDURrun history. Vicki Zandbergen maintained 3rd place.

Men

Robert Brouillette won the event for the fourth consecutive year with a strong 2:37:34. He now holds the 3rd through 6th fastest times in ENDURrun history. Aidan Rutherford held his lock in 2nd with his debut marathon of 2:54:15. Multiple challengers for 3rd place were held off by Christian Belair, who has now finished 3rd three times.

So much more

Relays. Volunteers. Charities. Stories. DNFs. 2018. 2019. For now we’ll take a nap and let the winners bask in the golden light, but stay tuned for so much more.

What to watch for at the ENDURrun 2018 marathon

Posted by & filed under 2018.

Can’t sleep?

Neither can we. Here are some of the storylines we’re looking forward to in the Stage 7 marathon.

 

Who will be the most improved?

This is a tough one, with so many to choose from. After Stage 6, the top 5 are:

  • Rebecca sits 1:18:13 ahead of her 2017
  • Wilf sits 1:14:42 ahead of his 2017
  • Ian sits 46:08 ahead of his 2017
  • Ashley sits 29:20 ahead of her 2017
  • Valery sits 19:08 ahead of her 2017

Also very notable is the leader in this category, Sara, whose 1:19:13 lead is over Sara-with-a-pack of 2017!

 

Hottest podium races

Valery has a lead of 7:10 and a lot of ENDURrun and marathon experience. Robyn has never run a marathon before. How is the two-loop marathon course going to play out? The Ultimate championship is up for grabs. Valery would be the oldest ever Ultimate champion, besting Joanne Bink’s win at 44 in 2011.

Men’s 3rd place has even more unpredictability, with 2:47 separating third, fourth, and fifth. Christian holds 3rd and has finished 3rd in each of his two previous Ultimate weeks. Nick has Relay motivations (more below). Dave is only 6 seconds behind Nick, and will debut for the marathon distance tomorrow.

 

Eyes on #ENDURrob

A three-peat has been accomplished on the men’s and women’s side, but a four-peat is unprecedented at ENDURrun. Robert can make it happen tomorrow. Bob Jackman still leads with 5 all-time championships.

A sub plot to Rob’s race is him vs his previous times. In a mixed year for him, including a breakthrough Stage 3, he is sandwiched between his best and second best times.

 

Who doesn’t love a close battle?

After 117.8 km of racing, it can come down to mere metres. Here are all of the battles that are currently under one minute:

  • Dave is 6 seconds behind Nick
  • Sara is 11 seconds behind Maria
  • Sharon is 25 seconds behind Brian
  • Thaddeus is 30 seconds behind Conner
  • Jack is 33 seconds behind Lumi
  • Ian is 55 seconds behind Robyn

A one minute is half of a second per kilometre to this point. Some of these won’t be decided until 40+ km tomorrow.

 

H+P continues to dominate the Relay

The ENDURrun would not be what it is today without Health + Performance going all-in year after year. We have been glued to their team battles all week. Here is the cheat sheet:

Women’s A can beat their own female ENDURrun record tomorrow. Vicki would need to run 3:29:15.

Masters Men’s A can beat their own masters ENDURrun record tomorrow. Merzi would need to run 3:15:43.

Men’s A holds the 4th best time (from 2015) and has a shot at beating that time if Nick can run a 2:55:46. We say … go for it!

Funatics needs a 3:40:04 marathon from Brian Vandermey to beat the Funatics of 2017!

 

Rookies on the run

Of the 45 Ultimates in the race tomorrow, 17 will complete their first #OneToughRunner. All the best to Aidan, Anne, Brian, Chris Ladubec, Conner, Dave, Debbie, Dorothy, Josh, Lumi, Maria, Mark Ishikawa, Matt, Meaghan, Robert Baxter, Robyn, and Sharon. Enjoy every minute of it!

For the top Rookie prizes, Aidan and Robyn both have approximately half hour leads over Dave and Lumi respectively.

 

Stage record prize money yet unclaimed

It hasn’t been earned yet this week, but don’t forget that there is $100 up for grabs for an Ultimate who breaks a previous Stage record. The men’s 2:32:42 (Charles Bedley 2004) and the women’s 3:08:54 (Joanne Bink 2011) are both in play for a few of our Ultimates if things go really well tomorrow.

 

See ya next year!

Nine of the athletes completing an Ultimate tomorrow – Jack, Merlin, Deirdre, Rebecca, Mark M, Denis, Ronald, Christian, and Aidan – are already signed up for 2019. Good luck! To the rest of the signups, especially 2019 Rookies, we recommend you follow along closely and pick up as much advice as you can!

 

Signing off now. Remember we have a live stream and 21.1k splits going up for you to follow along. Better yet, join us at Conestogo Community Park or along the route.

Good luck to Lloyd and the setup crew who are on site in less than two hours from the time of publication!

Six down

Posted by & filed under 2018, Recaps, Results.

How is the week almost over … already?

The tricky part about ENDURrun week is to live in the moment. 8 days and 160 kms seem (and really are) long, but the reality is that it flies by so fast.

Stage 6 is a sneaky one. (Full results). It’s a flat 10k sandwiched between a brutally hilly cross country course and a marathon, on back-to-back-to-back days. Most marathon training plans don’t schedule a 10k race this close, but then again, this is not your normal week.

Runners tackled this in various ways. It is still amazing after all of these years, to see a handful of runners like Ian Grzegorczyk, run personal best 10ks at this Stage.

Top runners today: Robert Brouillette and Valery Hobson maintained their gold status at this race. In a time trial format, Valery edged out second place Robyn Collins by 10 seconds to increase her lead to 7:10 after 6 Stages. Brendan Hancock ran a strong 34:45 to keep H+P Men’s A looking good in first.

Stay tuned for another post this evening with our top storylines for Stage 7. One of those storylines is not going to be “will Josh pass $10k for Nutrition For Learning” because he did that yesterday!

Rest up! See you at 6:00 a.m. or 7:30 a.m.

Stage 6 Start Order 2018

Posted by & filed under 2018.

Time your race preparations with this projected start order.

The 10 KM Time Trial (TT) starts one runner each minute, in reverse order to their seed time, which is determined from previous results and expected finish times. Dropouts and no-shows may still adjust the start times by up to 10 minutes from the Estimated Start Time – check in early. Participant check-in and Guest runner bib pickup is at the start line in Elmira. Shuttles of people to Elmira are available in Conestogo, and shuttles of gear back are available from the start line.

Estimated Start TimeNameEventSexBibCityAgeRelay
08:00Heather HeijGuestF415Waterloo37
08:00Laura HewitsonRelayF201Waterloo34H+P Funatics
08:01Phil ClarkRelayM214Thornhill51The Running Rarebits
08:01Cari Rastas HowardRelayF208Waterloo41H+P Mixed
08:01Rebecca HofstedeRelayF212Kitchener37Orange is The New Fast
08:02Samantha GrantGuestF413Brampton47
08:02Ivar GaizauskasGuestM410Brampton71
08:03Deirdre LargeUltimateF115Waterloo52
08:04Sara BlanchettUltimateF102Kitchener40
08:05Maria MichelUltimateF117Cambridge42
08:06Debbie BultenUltimateF104Cambridge48
08:07Steve MahoodUltimateM26Ottawa55
08:08Maureen PecknoldUltimateF118Toronto50
08:09Doug CunninghamRelayM213Waterloo72Runners' Choice
08:10K. Bill DostUltimateM9Burlington42
08:11Mark IshikawaUltimateM20Burlington54
08:12Ashley SametzUltimateF119Kitchener34
08:13Brian LawlessUltimateM25Ottawa54
08:14Sharon DitnerUltimateF107Waterloo40
08:15Mark McDonaldUltimateM27Toronto36
08:16Ronald IrwinUltimateM19Durham57
08:17Chris LadubecUltimateM24Waterloo38
08:18Ryan JantziGuestM417Breslau38
08:19Carmen ZannierGuestF467Kitchener39
08:20Nicholas MaudeRelayM215Waterloo39The Vikings
08:21Olasunkanmi MabifaGuestM458Waterloo45
08:22Wilf GoronUltimateM14Wheatley63
08:23Denis AllenUltimateM2Kitchener56
08:24Nikkole WelshUltimateF123Stratford35
08:25Dorothy SkonieczkaUltimateF120Singapore32
08:26Hunter KellyUltimateF112Ottawa24
08:27Meaghan St JohnUltimateF121London43
08:28Anne HindsUltimateF109Cambridge40
08:29Josh BohnenUltimateM7Waterloo35
08:30Joel ReanyRelayM207Kitchener33H+P Men's D
08:31Andrew KeevesUltimateM21Hamilton36
08:32Jack KilislianUltimateM23East York48
08:33Lumi DucaUltimateF108Waterloo50
08:34Merlin FreyUltimateM13Elmira53
08:35Payton HancockRelayF210Baden25H+P Women's B
08:36Ernest ForsterRelayM216Kitchener60Runners' Choice Ramblers
08:37Robert BaxterUltimateM32Kitchener58
08:38Christine DarraghRelayF211Waterloo44H+P Women's Masters
08:39Savvas FarassoglouUltimateM12Ottawa38
08:40Dave ChampionGuestM405Kitchener59
08:41Rebecca KruisselbrinkUltimateF114Baden34
08:42Graham DunnRelayM203Waterloo45H+P Masters Men B
08:43Nick WagnerUltimateM30Kitchener32
08:44Patrick KellyUltimateM22Ottawa55
08:45Emily SandersonGuestF447New Hamburg26
08:46Vicki ZandbergenUltimateF101Kitchener39
08:47Merzi DastoorUltimateM11Waterloo40
08:48Matt HarropRelayM206Kitchener25H+P Men's C
08:49Matt TribeUltimateM29Oakville32
08:50Conner KrofchickUltimateM31Caledon18
08:51Thaddeus HomewoodUltimateM18Listowel32
08:52Jordan SchmidtRelayM205Kitchener30H+P Men's B
08:53Ian GrzegorczykUltimateM15Waterloo26
08:54Stefan GudmundsonUltimateM16Guelph48
08:55Kailey HaddockRelayF209Waterloo30H+P Women's A
08:56Robyn CollinsUltimateF106Waterloo41
08:57Valery HobsonUltimateF110Kitchener48
08:58Dem NeumannRelayM202Waterloo40H+P Masters Men A
08:59Dave HarmsworthUltimateM17Waterloo45
09:00Nick BurtUltimateM8Kitchener24
09:01Christian BelairUltimateM6Summerstown43
09:02Aidan RutherfordUltimateM28Waterloo21
09:03Dave RutherfordGuestM431Waterloo54
09:04Brendan HancockRelayM204Baden27H+P Men's A
09:05Robert BrouilletteUltimateM1Cambridge26

Historic Stage 5

Posted by & filed under 2018, Recaps, Results.

Not since 2006 has the gold jersey been snatched at Stage 5.

But that’s what happened today as Valery Hobson ran a strong personal best in slippery conditions. She picked up enough time on the final three laps to surge into a 7:00 overall lead. Robyn Collins raced for the first time at Chicopee and now finds herself in a jersey other than gold with 52.2km to go.

Robert Brouillette and Aidan Rutherford extended their claims on the 1-2 spots, and Christian Belair leapfrogged his way into 3rd place today!

Greg Dyce put in a strong performance (his 4th for H+P) as the Men’s A team continues to lead the standings.

We lost two Ultimates today: Lisa was unable to start, and 1.5 loops at Stage 5 is Ken B’s new ENDURrun milestone. We hope to see you this weekend!

Other EBs (“ENDURrun bests”) today include great performances from Ian, Nick W, Rebecca, Merlin, Ashley, and Chris L!

For ENDURrun Rookies, this is one is a treat. Chicopee is not widely used as a running venue, but provides some breathtaking climbs and zippy single track. Congratulations to everyone who logged their first kilometres in this Stage.

In 2006, Brad Cunningham lost the gold jersey at Stage 5 after winning the first 4. Bob Jackman would go on to win the event in what then fourth fastest time. 

See you in 2019

Posted by & filed under 2018, Results.

Wednesday night is the tipping point of ENDURrun week.

Halfway? Check. Post-race feast at dusk? Check. Off day tomorrow? Check.

Rob and Robyn maintain gold jerseys? Check. (Full results) Good times were had by all? Check.

And just when you’re feeling comfortable with the event, we hit you with 2019 registration. It opens at 12:00 a.m. on Thursday.

We sincerely want runners to consider the early commitment. Get those training cycles in. Do back to back long runs. Do simulations. The common elements of successful training plans are motivation over time. Signing up now solves that equation. We can’t stress this enough, and that’s why we escalate the prices significantly.

Be sure to join our ENDURrunners facebook group or ask someone who is for the $100 promo code. Until August 26th, get into ENDURrun 2019 for only $350.

See you tomorrow for Stage 4.5, 1:00 p.m. at the Heuther.