2019 ENDURrun Champions: interview and photoshoot

Posted by & filed under 2019.

Rob and Robyn both overcame massive obstacles to become ENDURrun Champions in 2019.

Names aside, it was an otherwise different story for each. Robert Brouillette, off four consecutive wire-to-wire championships, actually raced five full Stages before being awarded the Gold Jersey. He was pushed to the limit by his competitors and in the end, it was an EB marathon that put Rob into a career time. For Robyn Collins, she dominated the entire week right from Stage 1, and comfortably held onto Gold and won her first championship. This comes one year after her incredible performances came up six minutes short in 2018. Both Josh Bolton and Valery Hobson‘s withdrawals this week were major storylines that contributed to the results.

As we do every year, we caught up with the two winners to ask them to reflect on their success and also snap some photos in colours other than gold (ok Gold Jerseys too!) Both Rob and Robyn are incredible ambassadors of running and the community: gracious, honest, thankful, talented, and of course, deserving of their 2019 wins.

2019 ENDURrun Champions

We went out to the Grand Trunk Trail, a section of the Grand River Trail that’s a new addition to ENDURrun in 2019. On the Stage 2 Time Trial, we can’t spend enough time on the course to enjoy the fantastic scenery so we thought we would make the trip for some great photos. Full album on our Flickr page.

Robyn Collins, 2019 ENDURrun Champion

What are your thoughts on battling the women in this deep field?
Sadly one of my closet competitors Val had to withdraw. But she came out every day to cheer on everyone! It was a real joy to race with Catherine, Vicki and Rebecca. We were genuinely cheering on each other.

Can we get your reflection on your performance as a whole?
I am very happy with my performance. My goal was to run comfortably every day from start to finish so that I could truly enjoy the week. Chicopee was especially very Satisfying. Getting a 3 minute PB there was such an amazing feeling after my disappointment last year. My best day by far was the marathon. I was negative splitting and it felt amazing. Unfortunately, accidentally going off course cost me the possibility of the course record. But next year I will get my redemption. Watch me.

Who inspired you the most this week?
I was very inspired by each and every runner this week. The person who stands out the most in my mind would be my teammate Will. He worked extremely hard all year to improve his time by over 2 hours. His dedication is very noteworthy.

When did you think this was possible?
After Chicopee I was very confident that I was going to win. I had a 26 minute lead. The 10km and the marathon are my best distances.

Who has helped you achieve this?
A lot of people have helped me achieve this. My running would not be where it is now without my team. H+P has all kinds of athletes doing very inspiring things. I have learned so much from all of them. We are like a big family. For this week I couldn’t have achieved this level of success without the incredible ENDURRun crew. Everything is taken care of. All I had to do was show up, run, and smile.

How much of a factor was the no taper?
I suspect that if I did at least a week taper I might have been a few seconds per km faster each day. But who knows.

What are your plans for the rest of the year?
My plans always include running. It’s always on my mind. My goal is to someday race STWM marathon as an Elite. I plan to race the Fall 5k Classic and hopefully get a PB. Again, there will be no taper and I plan to do a 40k long run with a 21k tempo the Saturday before it in preparation for my A race which is STWM marathon on October 20th.

Will we see you next year?
I am already signed up for next year! I plan to avoid trails and just wing it like I did this year. I am a road runner at heart. I was really good at Bechtel. Chicopee is a struggle for me because I have a lot of fears. For example, I don’t drive a car or ride a bike. I went super slow with fast steps downhill because I was so afraid of hurting my knees. And in the forest I also went slow and focused so hard on not falling. I almost wiped out 2x. Chicopee training felt so hard on my body last year so for me it’s not worth it. But I plan to do lots of hilly road running now that I know my knees have healed quite well (thanks to Coach Sean). I think marathon training works very well for ENDURrun.

Have you taken the gold jersey off yet?
I was happy to take off my gold jersey. It was a sweaty run yesterday. It is freshly washed.

Your highlight of the week?
The highlight of the week would be crossing the finish line of Chicopee feeling a million times better than last year.

Any words to your fans?
I would like to say to my fans that I love you all and Thank You for your encouragement. Also, remember that if you want to improve your running you need to eat a lot of calories and carbs. Thinner definitely doesn’t always mean faster.

Robert Brouillette, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 ENDURrun Champion

How was 2019 different from previous years?
This year competition wise was different by having multiple runner ups in the field at once such as Aidan (2018), Nick (2017) and Robin (2015) among a couple others. The big change was having elite Josh Bolton who is my training partner in the mix too. Course wise the 15K was in Cambridge on the trail next next to George Street & Blair Road and the 10K became a 10,000m track stage. Weather has been the best in my 5 years or 6 if you include my marathon relay in 2014.

How was it similar to previous years?
Cumulative time was just 58 seconds faster than 2017 and I tied or missed PB’s or records by 1-8 seconds on a few stages. Always lots of familiar faces. Most courses have been unchanged or only minor. The overall atmosphere is unchanged by how great the event is organized to the people involved and the yummy food still there.

Who inspired you the most this week?
No one person in particular but rather the whole ENDURrun community, competitor Josh, girlfriend Sara & her daughter Charley and my Mom Joyce. Everyone’s support and believing in me kept me going all event long.

Can you speak to battling Josh, and his injury?
Josh is a tough guy with significantly faster PB’s in everything 30K and under. In his best form he is a serious challenger. He was very helpful in working together for some of the stages. As a friend, training partner and fellow ENDURrun competitor I was sad to hear the news of his injured calf after Stage 6 and wouldn’t be able to finish the last stage, marathon, which could have been his first completed marathon and in doing so an ENDURrun finisher. He has dealt with two Achilles surgeries and last one just shy of a year ago so this event was a place for him to build strength and endurance which he still accomplished regardless of end result. He’s one of the toughest runners I know and will come back stronger.

What are your plans for the rest of the year?
This fall my goal race is the Global Energy 10K in Madrid, Spain which I won this race from winning the Toronto version last year. The event sends the top women and man from multiple countries across the world to all meet in a new location every year. So it will be a very strong international field. In the Run Waterloo series I will be at the Harvest Half, Fall Classic and RememberRun. Other than those I am not committing to anything but will most likely do a big city race or two. Outside of running I want to take a “real” vacation this winter to relax for a change as I haven’t done that in years, get full-time at work and look into buying a home.

Your highlight of the week?
Seeing Josh break the Half-Marathon course record as no one has done that since I’ve been a part of ENDURrun. Running a stage in my hometown of Cambridge. How strong I felt and getting a EB at Chicopee (that one can be the toughest of all stages). Finally, getting that EB on the marathon ONLY 1 second behind Charles Bedley’s 2nd best time.

Was the EB satisfying?
Getting an EB by 58 seconds is great but obviously I wish it was more after 2 years. I would have liked to beat Charles Bedley’s 2nd best time (missed by 3 minutes) and sub-10 hours (6 minutes). Charles’ top time was done 15 years ago, he has faster PBs then me and done on different stages so I don’t think that’s possible to even try chasing at this time.

What is your ENDURrun legacy?
I’m a 5x consecutive champion and still have lots of time left in my competitive running career. I came from being a beginner runner 10 years ago, finishing races in the back of the pack to working hard over the years to where I am today. Putting the work in, staying healthy, having passion for the sport and believing it’s possible to finish or finish with a certain time, anyone can be an ENDURrunner.

Will we see you again next year?
The easy answer is yes, I would love to come back and continue my championship streak and try to take down some records on the way but I don’t want to rush into a decision so soon to the end of the 2019 ENDURrun. Also, running alone for so many years I need a strong competitive field to push me to that next level. A year is a long time and I want to enjoy the experiences in between and see where it takes me before I commit to anything.

Any words for your team?
My club Grand River Endurance has so much strength in all sort of areas in running from different distance specialties to terrains which is what ENDURrun is all about so I feel our team can be a strong relay team and chase the record in 2020.

Thank you, volunteers

Posted by & filed under 2019.

This race wouldn’t be possible without runners, obviously.

It wouldn’t be possible without sponsors, or without the support from key partners like the Waterloo Regional Police Service, City of Waterloo, and Chicopee Ski & Summer Resort. And it certainly wouldn’t be the same without many such groups, including Health + Performance, Running Rarebits, Runners’ Choice, and KW Health Connection, and WR REACT.

But of all the groups, the first thank you goes to the volunteers.

ENDURrun has evolved from a simple race for 9 people into a kind of glorious juggernaut. An environment that pampers it’s runners requires hundreds of volunteers for many thousands of volunteer hours. But it’s more than that; the neon shirts care about the runners, and about the food and water, the equipment and timing, the photography and videography, the courses and the overall experience. They use talent and care to turn hours into something greater than the sum.

2019 ENDURrun Stage 5: Sneak Peek

Big name checks go to Adrienne, Nick, Rachel, and the Running Rarebits for taking on the food portfolio for 2019 – wow! The Hergott family for tireless dedication to serving runners in any conditions. Longtime volunteers like Carmen, Ian, Aidan, Maryjane, Val, Chris, Don, Joanne, Mark, who have contributed so much this year and over the years. Jeff and Ryan for too-generously donating their talent, and take work home with them.

Volunteers who drove more than an hour each way, multiple days, to be here. Volunteers who enlisted other volunteers, including family. Crews who were there in the dark doing laborious, underappreciated work to keep everyone off the ground and in the shade. People who are working behind the scenes with no credit whatsoever. Even runners (relay, and Ultimate!) who also contributed on a daily basis. Spectators too.

Besides great food and a high-vis t-shirt, the real value we can offer volunteers is the satisfaction that your effort was impactful. We had more participants than ever before, the most finishers of the cutoff era, and some of the fastest times. The community is growing, in size and strength, on the back of your labour.

Thank you.

And not to forget the vision and hospitality of Julie and Lloyd, who have led the way with tireless hours, rallying the community along the way.

Hope you enjoyed this peaceful Monday!?

Robert and Robyn are big winners at 17th ENDURrun

Posted by & filed under 2019, Recaps, Results.

You are one tough runner.

One week ago, we met in Conestogo Park for a half marathon. Eight days later, 47 athletes completed what we think is the ultimate test of running. The 8 days, 7 stages, 160 km are designed to push runners to the max, test their will and training, and seek out well-rounded runners. Now relaxing in the shade, we can only begin to reflect on an incredible week.

Ultimate results

All-time results | 2019 results

Men
Robert Brouillette set a new personal-best in his fifth consecutive championship. Aidan Rutherford moves up to eighth all-time, and only behind two other men (the other being Charles Bedley). In third, Robin Richard-Campeau runs the fourth-fastest masters time.
In a fun quirk, because of the introduction of non-duplicating masters prize money for 1st (which Robin wins), Christian Belair in 4th earns the 3rd place prize money, which is the same award he has won every time he has run ENDURrun (with 2014, 2015, 2018)!

Women
Robyn Collins rebounds from a heartbreaking 2018 with an incredibly strong win, the fifth fastest master of all time. Catherine Desrosiers (also 2nd in 2017) and Vicki Zandbergen (fourth time in 3rd) round out the podium, and Rebecca Kruisselbrink also earns prize money in the same manner as Christian.
Robyn was 2 minutes slower than her 2018 time: one minute for each extra KM today 😉

New records
– Men 55+ record, Dave Rutherford by over an hour
– Women 55+ record, Andrea Iozzi and Susan Moizer are the first two!
– Men 60+ record, Andrew Moizer, by 24 seconds!!!
– Men 70+ record, Ken. B. A., at age 76, on his 5th attempt !!!!!
– Consecutive championships: Robert Brouillette, 5
– All relay records: Overall, Female, Masters

Top Rookies
– Caroline S-B. led wire-to-wire, and Reza S. sneaks in on the final day to claim the Top Rookie prizes!

Relay
Huge thanks to Mark M. for organizing a new relay team from Lifetime Fitness, and huge congrats to the Running Rarebits for their best year yet!

H+P Relay
It finally came together for H+P. After a half decade of trying, H+P now owns the relay record thanks to great performances all week including the anchor Aidan Rutherford in Stage 7. This edged out the Road Scholars of 2012 by a total of 43 seconds. The women beat their 2018 time by 17 minutes, and the masters men broke their 2018 time by 5 minutes. Huge congrats to coaches Sean and Gill and the entire team for achieving incredible results.

Charity spots
Huge congrats to Sharon D. and and Chris M. for adding even more to a full week by organizing phenomenal campaigns for two great charities.

EBs
These athletes topped their previous best ENDURrun times:
Aidan R. (36 minutes), Ian G. (30 minutes), Merlin F. (16 minutes), Chris L. (15 minutes), Mark I. (12 minutes), Will S. (2 hours 12 minutes). Also honourable mentions for fastest since 2014: Maureen. 2011: Denis A. 2009: Jack K.! And well done to Thaddeus H. for beating his 2018 self by 15 seconds!

Marathon results

Marathon results
Men
Rob and Aidan – 3rd and 8th fastest marathons ever.

Women
Robyn and Catherine 6th and 9th fastest female masters marathons.

Marathon awards
Consistency: Aidan R. (6 seconds) and Deirdre L. (9) rocked the consistency today!
Negative splits: Deirdre L., Jeanette T., Mike C., Merlin F., Chris M., Reza S., Thaddeus H. and Christian B. all ran negative splits today.
EBs (ENDURrun-best marathons): Rob B., Aidan R., Ian G., Merlin F., Chris L., Mark I., Will S.

Nutty Nines

Each of Maureen Pecknold, Jack Kilislian, Mark McDonald, and Vicki Zandbergen has completed a record nine ENDURrun Ulitmates and can found the Thousand Club in 2020.

Primer for the 2019 ENDURrun Marathon

Posted by & filed under 2019.

This week has been amazing … and it ain’t over yet!

2.2k into the race tomorrow, runners will past the trusty 120k (three quarters) sign. From then on, so much can happen!

The men’s race is exactly how we thought it would go: Josh shines in sprints, while Rob’s experience pays off on trails, and the dark horse is close enough to count. The women’s race did not go how we expected; our pre-race favourite Val made a heartbreaking decision to withdraw, while Robyn made a last-minute decision to enter and has won five of six Stages.

Here are some racing stories we are following for tomorrow:

  • 16 rookies still in the competition, half of which are running their first marathon!
  • 4 runners going for their 9th Ultimate – Jack K., Maureen P., Mark M., Vicki Z.!
  • First 70+ finish by Ken B. A.!
  • Mark I.’s 100th marathon!
  • Rob B. going for an unprecedented 5th consecutive win! (Bob J. has 5 career wins.)
  • H+P’s 52nd Relay team and 6th consecutive win. Rarebits’ third (and fastest) year. Runners’ Choice has put in relay teams every single year since relay started!

Follow along
Race start 7:30 a.m. Follow along @ENDURrun and for half splits.

Top story


Josh sustained a calf injury in training this month, and is going to exercise caution so as not to end up like Kevin Durant’s 2020 season. It’s a bummer for everyone but Josh has been a great addition to the ENDURrun community and we wish him the best.

Closest battles
Christian B has 2:09 lead over Nick B
Catherine D has 7s lead over Jack K
Rebecca K has 28s lead over Mitch W and 58s lead over Vicki Z (Rebecca is 3rd, Vicki is 4th)
Savvas F has 33s lead over Patrick K
Caroline S-B has 2:47 lead over Mike C
Mike C has 2:02 lead over Merlin F
Denis A has 1:23 lead over Patrick R
Chris L has 50s lead over Michael K and 1:40 lead over Robert B
Susan M has 35s lead over William S

In all, 30 of the 50 competitors are within 5 minutes of someone else.

Relay
H+P Women’s A has 1:16 lead over H+P Men’s B
H+P Men’s C has 17s lead over Runners’ Choice Ramblers and 3:15 lead over H+P Women’s B

Looking ahead
To go sub-10 hours, Rob would need to run 2:29:30 or faster. The marathon record is 2:32:42. The fastest Rob has done on this course was 2:36:36 in 2017.
The women’s marathon record is 3:08:54. Robyn is currently 7:35 behind the female masters record and would have to run a 3:09:03 or faster to break Joanne Bink’s record from 2007.

Relay
H+P Men’s A is 1:01 behind the relay record; will need a 2:51:34 or faster from Aidan to set the record, which is 11:05:19
H+P Women’s A is 11:15 ahead of the female relay record; will need a 3:36 from Robyn to set the record
H+P Masters Men A is 11:06 ahead of the masters relay record; will need a 3:25 from Dave to set the record

PB Pace
Rob B is 6 seconds behind his best Ultimate (2017), will need to run 2:36:29 or faster tomorrow
Robin R-C is 4:01 behind his best Ultimate (2015) will need to run 2:52:32 or faster tomorrow
Aidan R is on pace for a significant Ultimate PB; a 3:27 could be enough, but last year he ran a 2:54 at the end of the week and he’s been faster than 2018 every day this week.
Ian G has built up quite a cushion for himself. A 3:42 marathon would give him a PB for the week; last year his marathon was a 3:20 and he has been besting his 2018 times all week.
Robyn C has beat her 2018 times by small margins every day, but they add up to a lead of about 5 minutes over her cumulative time. A 3:16:38 or faster will give her a PB on the week.
Jack K continues to have his best week since 2009. A marathon of 3:39 or faster would allow that to stay true.
Rebecca K has had a strong week, with PBs on 4 stages so far. A 3:37:58 would give her a PB on the week; in 2018 she finished with a 3:28 marathon.
A 3:53:30 would allow Savvas F to have his fastest Ultimate since 2013.
Merlin F ran another ENDURrun best today and is 4:48 ahead of his best Ultimate. He needs to run 3:50:27 or faster tomorrow.
Denis A is having a terrific week, running faster than he has since 2011. A 3:29:42 or faster would give him an Ultimate PB, but a 4:20 would be enough to make this his second fastest Ultimate.
Nikki W has had an excellent week, especially on the trails, and can best her 2018 Ultimate by running 3:56:13 or faster tomorrow.
Chris L is on pace for a significant Ultimate best. All he needs is a 4:32, and last year he ended the week with a 4:08.
Ronald I will surpass his 2018 Ultimate time by running 4:33 or faster tomorrow.
Will S is an incredible 2:05:39 ahead of his best Ultimate right now; finishing within the 6 hour time limit would be more than enough to give him a PB on the week, but I think we can expect much more than that from Will tomorrow!
Mark I needs a 4:29 or faster for an ENDURrun PB; last year he ended the week with a 4:06.
Maureen P will have her fastest ENDURrun since 2014 if she can run 4:52 or better tomorrow.
A 4:43:21 will allow Sara B to achieve her fastest Ultimate since 2012

Sun shines on the first ENDURrun track Stage 6

Posted by & filed under 2019, Recaps.

On a day when many runners were woken by thunder, we got a little of everything on the track in Waterloo.

Full Stage 6 results including heats | Lap splits available at SpeedRiverTiming.com | Cumulative results after Stage 6

Women
Robyn Collins added a few minutes and sits 26 minutes up on Catherine Desrosiers. Vicki closed 23 seconds on Rebecca, who now leads for 3rd by 58 seconds.

Men
Josh Bolton outkicked Robert Brouillette in the men’s race and now stands 2:15 back. Josh is on track to finish as Sprint King. Both men have won three Stages. Aidan set a PB in 3rd.

Relay
H+P Men’s A picked up time on the record and now sits 1:01 back. Aidan Rutherford is running the marathon tomorrow and would need to beat the 2012 time of 2:52:36 by more than 1:01.

Sprint
Josh 5th fastest all-time, Rob 6th (also 3rd, 7th, 8th and 9th)
Robyn 4th fastest all-time (50s off of the record; also holds 10th fastest); 2nd (and 4th) fastest masters female
Robin set a new masters Sprint record by 1:01.

In the 17 year history of ENDURrun, this was the most substantial change, from a 10k time trial to a 10,000m track event. It was partly serendipity and partly by design. This track event is supposed to add an important running discipline to the ultimate test of running. For many (including Run Waterloo), it was their first track race. We’re excited by the feedback and will consider all options before announcing the format for 2020.

The track was a different mental challenge than the 10k TT. The heats kept things fresh and added a high degree of spectator friendliness to the Stage. Even if it was dark and rainy for the first heat, grey and drizzly for the second, and warm and sunny for the third, the track was a buzzing place and most joined the volunteers back in Conestogo for a swim.

Stay tuned for our Stage 7 primer later this evening. Tomorrow is not just any other Sunday.

Who or what inspired you today?

Posted by & filed under 2019.

When you have a love/hate relationship with ski hills and associated trails, you need to draw inspiration.

We asked the Ultimates where they got it today.

  • Runner is Ken, he earned it! Volunteer …whoever decided on the pasta , it rocked my world!
  • The Hergott family are DA BOMB when it comes to volunteer stations. Derek just makes my day when I see that guy and his big red beard!
  • Michael Klein inspires me to be more handsome when I have no shirt on and Antoine Gauthier inspires me to look more like a Gazelle when I run. So sleek. I don’t know how he does it.
  • All the volunteers at the water stations were amazing. Offering lots of encouragement and having plenty of cups of water and Gatorade at the ready. Joanne at the top of the big hill with music from the 80’s was great too. And a special shout to my wife Kik and friend Carolyn who volunteered at the top coming out of the trail chute.
  • Hergotts are the best.
  • The girls at the Top of North rocked it for me – they engaged with each runner (well walker at top of that beast) and helped us get over the hill.
  • Val comes out every day, instead of crying at home, which is where I would be.
  • Well, inspired me would not be the best word to describe what I could more accurately call helping me. But, for sure, it is Carmen Bouffard since she agreed to run after my bottle of pre-mixed drink after each loop, and to put it back for me on the table for the next. Thanks.
  • I wanna shout out 2 volunteers – Joanne Bink was a super energetic cheer person (as usual – thanks Joanne) and Sandi Karl was really quick and efficient with refilling my water bottles. All volunteers were assertively helpful but these 2 stood out to me.

Plus a bonus question: what is your favourite part of the Chicopee course?

  • I have a new love relationship with Chicopee – could hardly run at beginning and the challenge of the hill took me a step closer to working through my glitches – running sometimes heals you:) i now think I can finish.
  • Dropping down into the single track sections – they were shaded, cooler, and serene, so beautiful.
  • As strange as it may sound to some people, my favorite part is the long up hill we have to do between 400m and the 1st kilometer of each loop. Why? Because something is happening, it is different from the flat parts we are used to. You really work on this one, but you don’t only try to survive like on the big one in front of the Chalet. And you can let yourself go, not like on the singles track where awareness in mandatory or like on the downhills where you feel your quads hurting while breaking. But as many will say, yes, the favorite part of the loop is near the finish line where we sit, eat and watch!
  • My favourite part of Chicopee today was running with Lumi.
  • My favourite part of the Chicopee loop is the top cause all the ambitious peeps who climbed up there to cheer. I think to myself, “it’s great that you’re up here – but how did you make the climb in those Birkenstocks?!”
  • Favorite part of the loop, the single track after the big climb under the chair lift.
    uphills are the most fun, breathing hard when going up is so fun.

  • I guess my favourite part is the top of the second ski hill heading into the trail. It means that I’ve finished that huuuuge hill and can have fun in the long trail portion.

Stage 6: Heat assignments and start times

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For the first time, Stage 6 is a 10,000m track race with heats.

These heats are based on Cumulative Time after Stage 5, with minor adjustments for Relay seed time.

We divided the field in to three heats of 22 runners. The first (fastest) heat starts at 7:00 a.m.; the second starts after the final runner of the first heat, not before 7:45 a.m.; the third starts after the final runner of the third heat, not before 8:45 a.m.

Heat 1

7:00 a.m.
Ultimate PositionRelay PositionnameSexBibCityAgeRelay Team NameAfter Stage 5
1Robert BrouilletteM1Cambridge270.28918981481481
2Josh BoltonM11Paris290.29081018518519
3Aidan RutherfordM2Waterloo220.3069212962963
4Robin Richard-CampeauM36St-leonard-d'aston400.32560185185185
5Christian BelairM3Summerstown440.33439814814815
6Nick BurtM13Kitchener250.33751157407407
7Ian GrzegorczykM52Waterloo270.34803240740741
8Dave RutherfordM38Waterloo550.3487962962963
9Robyn CollinsF129Waterloo420.35741898148148
10Reza SaputraM39Waterloo300.35872685185185
11Thaddeus HomewoodM25Listowel330.37027777777778
12Jack KilislianM31East York490.3740162037037
13Catherine DesrosiersF106Drummondville430.37447916666667
14Antoine GauthierM20Waterloo340.37989583333333
15Stefan GudmundsonM53Guelph490.38528935185185
16Rebecca KruisselbrinkF123Waterloo350.38719907407407
17Vicki ZandbergenF114Kitchener400.38813657407407
1Brendan HancockM205Baden28H+P Men's A0.31820601851852
3Dylan MunroM206Wellesley19H+P Men's B0.35142361111111
4Gillian WillardF211WaterlooH+P Women’s A0.35234953703704
8Josh LucreziM207London20H+P Men's C0.39372685185185
2Merzi DastoorM202Waterloo41H+P Masters Men A0.3422337962963

Heat 2

Not before 7:45 a.m.
Ultimate PositionRelay PositionnameSexBibCityAgeRelay Team NameAfter Stage 5
18Mitch WilsonM42Waterloo540.38917824074074
19Chris MintzM34Kitchener430.3912962962963
20Patrick KellyM30Ottawa560.39633101851852
21Savvas FarassoglouM18Ottawa390.3978587962963
22Caroline Samson-BelairF118Summerstown440.40293981481481
23Mike CoughlinM14Guelph450.40771990740741
24Merlin FreyM19Elmira540.40868055555556
25Denis AllenM4Kitchener570.41075231481481
26Patrick RobitailleM37Rockwood440.41209490740741
27Steven HunterM26Orangeville490.41621527777778
28Costas FarassoglouM17Ottawa390.42340277777778
29Jeanette ThompsonF120Cambridge430.42982638888889
30Tyler DaltonM15Kitchener340.43337962962963
31Andrew MoizerM35Merrickville600.4425
32Trevor BossM12Waterloo340.44650462962963
33Nikkole WelshF121Stratford360.45716435185185
34Andrea IozziF110Ajax580.45833333333333
6Matt HarropM208Kitchener26H+P Men's D0.38988425925926
9Jessica KuepferF212WaterlooH+P Women's B0.39554398148148
5Holger KleinkeM203WaterlooH+P Masters Men B0.38260416666667
7Sarah MillarF216Kitchener40Runners' Choice Ramblers0.39054398148148
15Chantelle ThompsonF210Kitchener36H+P Team Dalton0.50430555555556

Heat 3

Not before 8:45 a.m.
Ultimate PositionRelay PositionnameSexBibCityAgeRelay Team NameAfter Stage 5
35Robert BaxterM43Kitchener590.46366898148148
36Michael KleinM32Waterloo330.46681712962963
37Chris LadubecM44Waterloo390.46755787037037
38Ronald IrwinM27Durham580.48282407407407
39Andrew HeijM48Waterloo380.48577546296296
40William SpaetzelM41Kitchener360.48678240740741
41Susan MoizerF115Merrickville570.48728009259259
42Mark IshikawaM28Burlington550.49262731481481
43Diane LacombeF111Kitchener540.4959375
44Sharon DitnerF108Waterloo410.49983796296296
45Heather J. DewarF107Waterloo450.51640046296296
46Mark McDonaldM33Pickering370.5237037037037
47Maureen PecknoldF116Toronto510.54376157407407
48Sara BlanchettF105Kitchener410.55135416666667
49Ken B AndersonM5Kitchener760.59221064814815
50Deirdre LargeF112Waterloo530.60997685185185
13Melanie LynchF204Kitchener45H+P Masters Women0.46517361111111
12Ryan WongM213Bradford27Lifetime Fitness0.45262731481481
14Jenn TomlinsonF201Waterloo27H+P All Fit No Quit0.48787037037037
11Tracy MannF214Waterloo49Runners By Choice0.44759259259259
10Laura HewitsonF209Waterloo35H+P Team Boss0.43996527777778
16Paula LeeF215Kitchener39The Running Rarebits0.52962962962963

The decimals are percentages of a day. The HH:MM:SS format didn’t copy and it might be updated today.

Perfect day at Chicopee for monumental performances

Posted by & filed under 2019, Recaps.

Last year, Chicopee had heartbreak in store for Robyn Collins.

Crushing the 2018 ENDURrun, even a small setback (+5 min split from fastest to slowest lap) allowed Valery Hobson to drop the hammer and take a lead she would not relinquish. This year, Robyn ran a consistent and controlled race and cleared a major obstacle towards her first Ultimate championship. We are so happy for you Robyn! Catherine Desrosiers took the win today (her first of the week), but not enough to challenge Robyn as Trail Queen. Catherine sits 24:34 back, Rebecca another 18:19 back in 3rd. Vicki is 1:21 back.

On the men’s side, it was Robert Brouillette who won his third consecutive stage to finally pass Josh Bolton into first overall. This is the first time we have awarded a Gold Jersey to Rob other than at Stage 1. Josh Bolton, who also cleared a major hurdle in what he described as his first trail race, sits 2:20 back with 52.2 track and road kilometres to go. Aidan crushes his EB for 3OA. Robin is top Master. Rob will win Trail King.

Today was described as perfect weather, cooler and less humid than any year in recent memory. Trail conditions and shade on the course contributed to some amazing results today. All Ultimates who started Stage 5 finished, within the time limits, for the first time since 2013, and are all eligible to start Stage 6 tomorrow!

Shout out to Catherine D, Mike C, Will S for running their fastest lap last!

Record paces:
Rob and Josh ran the 3rd and 5th fastest times ever by Ultimates on Stage 5
Victoria S and Trish B ran relay records (female and masters female). Amy R ran a masters female guest record. Victoria’s time was the 5th fastest all-time (by any competitor, 3 min off all comers stage record)
Cumulatively, Rob is 22 min off of record pace, but 23s ahead of his personal best from 2017 and 3:25 behind the second fastest Ultimate performance
Robin is 12 min behind the masters male Ultimate record
Relay- H+P Men’s A now just 2:05 behind record pace, H+P Women’s A is 9min ahead of their own women’s relay record from last year, H+P Masters Men A are 13min ahead of their own masters record from last
Ken is the fastest (and first!) 70+ after 5 Stages
Andrea is the second fastest Women 50+, and the fastest 55+ after 5 Stages
Dave Rutherford is the fastest 55+ after 5 Stages
Andrew M. is the fastest 60+ after 5 Stages

Trail King/Queen
Remember: the athletes need to finish the marathon to stay on these rankings!
Rob is 3rd all-time (also 4th, 6th and 9th); Josh is 5th all-time; Aidan is 8th all-time
Robyn is 4th (and 5th) fastest female masters of all-time; Catherine D is 9th (and 8th) all-time female masters
Robin is 5th all-time masters; Christian 9th all-time (also 3rd from 2015)
Josh’s two times are separated by 3 seconds

Battles!
Rob B now has 2:20 lead over Josh B
Ian G passed Dave R today, now ahead by 1:06
Reza S had a great run today, now just 1:53 behind Robyn C
Catherine D just 40s back of Jack K (finished within 2s of each other today)
Vicki Z closed some of the gap on Rebecca K (3rd overall), now just 1:21 back
Mitch W still just 1:30 behind Vicki Z
Mike C had a strong run today, pulling ahead of Merlin F by 1:23
Patrick R just 1:56 behind Denis A
Nikkole W pulls ahead of Andrea I by 1:41
Chris L now just 1:04 behind Michael K
Andrew H pulls ahead of Will S by 1:27, who is 43s ahead of Susan M

Relays– top 3 relay runners finished within 18s of each other today! (Greg D, Jon F, Victoria S)
H+P Women’s A is 1:20 out of 3rd place
Runners’ Choice Ramblers is just 57s behind H+P Men’s D (7th and 8th places)

Personal improvements:
Rob B ran a 3:10 PB, now slightly ahead of his cumulative best after Stage 5
Aidan R was 7:33 faster than last year, now cumulatively 32 min ahead of his previous best
Ian G was 4:33 faster than last year, now cumulatively 20 min ahead of his previous best
Jack K faster today, and cumulatively, than he has been since 2009
Rebecca K ran a PB by 5 min today
Savvas F ran his fastest Stage 5 time since 2009 (out of 5 Ultimates)
Merlin F also ran a PB by 5 min
Denis A ran a PB by 6 min, now less than 2 min off of his ENDURrun best (cumulative time) from 2011
Chris L was 5:41 faster than last year, now cumulatively 23:39 ahead of his previous best
Will S ran a remarkable 40 min PB today, and is now cumulatively over 2 hours ahead of his previous best ENDURrun
Susan M ran a 15 min PB today
Mark I was 9 min faster than 2018, now cumulatively 24 min ahead of his previous best
This is Ken A’s 5th Ultimate attempt and the first time he has completed Stage 5!

Photos and video at Run Waterloo events like ENDURrun

Posted by & filed under 2019.

ENDURrun generates tons of media content. Here’s what’s up.

This relies on an a whole system of volunteers to help make your experience as good as possible.

Photos

2019 ENDURrun Stage 4: Sneak Peek

Our team of Julie Schmidt, Jeff Wemp, and Ryan McGovern (among others) is everywhere from capturing the range of emotions to editing and uploading photos. By the end of the week, there will be well over 10,000 photos posted to our Flickr page and tagged with the photographer’s name. Free for you to enjoy!

Video

Finish line video for all Stages is or will be posted to YouTube. 2019 Ultimate Will Spaetzel takes time out of his pre-race routine and recovery to set up cameras, edit and upload.

Check out this cool split screen video from Stage 4!

Online

Tags are automatically generated in the event results in the form of camera and video icons.

For video, it’s simple: video from every event except Stage 2 will be tagged directly to the results for finish time. You can also watch the video and find lap splits manually, where applicable.

For photo, there is more going on. Photos that are tagged (need a free Flickr account to tag) are flagged directly to names in the results. Tagging the photos is a manual process and is left to the crowd – runners, volunteers, and fans – so why not join. Everyone gets value out of the wealth of photo tags. It’s free, and being logged into Flickr is a better experience anyway.

We even found time this week to launch a new feature in beta: photo links on the cumulative standings. Thanks Sam Lalonde for your hard work.

So make sure to follow us on Flickr and YouTube to get the most out of our content, and every once in a while send some love to the volunteers that make this happen.

Hey Ultimate, how are you feeling?

Posted by & filed under 2019.

Like summer camp or the final season of Game of Thrones, everything has an end to come to.

For ENDURrun, that is three days from now. In this context, we asked the Ultimates how they’re feeling.

Rookies
Mitch – I already feel a sense of accomplishment but still a ways to go. I am taking it one stage at a time. The enjoy part usually comes after I cross the finish line :).
Mikey – It feels really good to be more than halfway through the week. There is a really good vibe with the entire group of runners, feels like we’re all in this together. Like a night at camp, maybe because it was getting dark last night at after the race. To maximize enjoyment of the 2nd half, I’m going to cheer on everybody else. I have the confidence from the 1st half to carry me through. I’m competing against myself more than anything. Sunday is Marathon #2 for me, so it’s time to see what sort of performance I can give with so much energy already used.
Reza – Really enjoying the hills.
Pat R – Was really cool to see the 80km placard last night! Spent some time studying terrain maps for the next 80k 😜

Alumni
Merlin – Ah, yes, this is always a bittersweet situation! – glad that half of the struggle is past, but sad that the “vacation” is half over! I plan to simply make the most of the remaining week, enjoy every moment. Thanks ENDURrun, for a wonderful week!
Rebecca – I am signing up for next year, probably Friday night! Best prophylaxis against post ENDURrun syndrome that I know!
Bob – I didn’t think I’d be hobbling in stage 3 or 4. It is questionable whether this old body will earn “one tough runner” this year. Wake up decision Friday.
Denis – It was a really good first half. I find the second half is the tough one, the alpine and marathon run are the make or break ones for me. Looking forward to the challenge and putting another year in the books.
Nikki – We still have two pretty big runs left, so it still feels a little daunting… Stretch, yoga, stretch, yoga…
Ron – It’s going great, getting stronger every day and plotting my run up to next years race….now back to eating!
Robin – Feel like in the middle of something, not the beginning anymore, neither the end. Times goes by very fast and it comes with the feeling that many miles have been covered, but it also feels like there is still a lot of running to do. That is how both body and mind are feeling right now. So, I don’t know which amount of joy there will be into the second half. There was pleasure with the people in the first half, some crossing of the finish lines with a sense of accomplishment, but also the slow filling of a mental reservoir now loaded with the memories of tough times and painful work during most of the stages. Second half may be quite the same. As always. And that never prevented me from coming back! That said, I don’t know how so many runners do to come be there every year. They either stay a little further from their own true potential, or they feed themselves more with the people’s support. For me, I will live the second half as it will be, hopefully with a lot of satisfaction, but I am prepared to face the stages even if they don’t come with much enjoyment. To stay focus until it’s over, I only let a place for the kind of joy that concerns the people with who I share the experience, and the kind of joy that helps build confidence for the stages to come.