Our interview with the super Joyce Brouillette

Posted by & filed under 2019.

We took some time on our day off to chat with Joyce.

If you’ve been around ENDURrun for the past five years, you definitely know Joyce. She is the ball of lightning that is doing so many different things, and always with a smile. Here’s our interview:

Who are you?
My name is Joyce and I am the mother of Robert, one of the ultimate runners.

Do you look forward to ENDURrun every year?
YES!!! I work out my work schedule to make sure I can attend and be involved. I love the excitement, visiting with friends & watching all the athletes conquer the stages.

What do you do for Team Brouillette and what are your volunteer roles?
Besides being his #1 fan I drive, I’m at the start and finish line of each stage, take pictures, hand him his water & gels at different points in the race, (I’ve done a lot of running over the years) and of course hoot and holler. As a volunteer I try to help where ever I’m needed. I’ve prepared food, done clean up, water stations, set up/take down of tents, and gather the used cups and sponges.

Is it stressful at all?
There are minor moments of stress, but the whole week is so fun that those tiny moments fade quickly.

How many Stages have you been to / missed over the years?
I think I might have missed a couple the first year, but have been to all 7 stages the past 4 years.

2016 ENDURrun Stage 1: Half Marathon

How do you pronounce Brouillette?
LOL! Brewyet

Any funny or interesting anecdotes?
The race at Bechtel park this year was quite the adventure. (as I said previously, I do a lot of running) I was at the start line to give water/gels to Robert & Josh, running to get the discarded bottles, then running and backtracking to get to the 1st downhill path with sponges.
I’m not sure how many kms I did. It wasn’t til the last time that I figured out to drive over!!!
I also had the privilege of running in with Robert (heading to the finish line) for about 100m twice at Stage 7 (pictured above, from 2018).

What did you think when Rob got into running?
I was glad. High school can be a tough time for teens, but he chose to have a passion for running. He had lots of positive influences around him, the coaches, other athletes & friends.

What do you think about all his accomplishments?
I am proud of him. He has accomplished a lot, and because of that he has had the opportunity to take part in both the Vancouver & Calgary marathons for 2 yrs. Qualified for the Boston marathon 17x. He has worked very hard and stayed true to himself through the challenges of daily routines, workouts and training.

What’s next for you guys?
Fortunately for me, I will be going to Spain with Robert in September. He was awarded the trip from winning a previous race he competed in.

Looking forward to 2020

Posted by & filed under 2019, 2020.

From Lloyd Schmidt, Race Director

Already, 2019 has been a truly great year. It looks like a lot of hard work and commitment is showing in the performances this year, with so many PB’s and EB’s.

Lately I’ve been hearing lots of excitement about the track race, the great competition, and the event in general. And don’t those singlets look great?

By now I am seeing more socializing and the new participants already feel like old ones. Volunteers have been excellent, as always. Everyone is well fed, and yet hungry at the same time.

We shattered records for signups and total runners this year, and whether you ran 12.9k or are wearing gold, your participation and performance are valuable.

But despite the numbers, but won’t get as many Ultimates to the finish line as we had hoped. As we open registration for 2020, we welcome you to take the plunge twelve months out. Our time-tested advice: early commitment plus a full year of training blocks is the best recipe for getting you to the finish line, tired, but healthy. You will have the most supportive group to motivate your training. We believe in this formula and have a $100 earlybird promo to incentivize it. Join our facebook group or ask someone who is for the code. Until midnight on September 1.

Stage 4: Rob inches closer

Posted by & filed under 2019, Recaps.

Hills, check. Sunset, check. Feast, check. Mosquitoes, check.

Extra rest before and after Stage 4 makes it an interesting challenge. Well done participants – we’re halfway there.

Results

Robert Brouillette edged a 47 second victory, but Josh Bolton retains the Gold Jersey by 1:06 heading into the rest day. Aidan Rutherford ran a huge EB and his 3rd place time sits 10th all-time after fours Stages.

Robyn Collins added another few minutes to her overall lead, and Catherine Desrosiers extended her hold on second place.

Here are some interesting battles we’re following:
Rob B. 1:06 back of Josh B.
Robyn C. 1:49 back of Ian G.
Catherine D. 0:38 back of Jack K.
Rebecca K., Stefan G., Vicki Z., Mitch W. and Antoine G. all within 3:50
Caroline S.-B. 0:10 back of Savvas F.
Tyler D. 0:44 back of Costas F.
Will S. 0:06 back of Ronald I.
Sara B. 1:07 back of Maureen P.
Vicki and Rebecca 2:44 apart (3rd and 4th)

An eye on the records:
Josh B. 8:01 behind men’s Ultimate record
Robyn C. 2:32 behind women’s Ultimate record, 6:59 ahead of women’s masters Ultimate record
Robin R.-C. 5:23 behind men’s masters Ultimate record
H+P Men’s A 0:40 ahead of relay record
H+P Women’s A 8:42 behind women’s relay record
H+P Masters Men A 9:13 ahead of masters relay record

Notables:
Amy Robitaille set a female masters record for guest competitors
Rob tied his 2017 time, 2nd fastest by an Ultimate competitor
Robin has run Stage 4 three times, all performances within 38 seconds of each other
Merlin ran a stage-best by 1:26 and is now within 3 minutes of his cumulative best time
Will ran a stage-best by 9:01

We launched registration for 2020 today. Join our facebook group, or ask an ENDURrunner for a $100 promo code to encourage early signups.

Make Mintz Sweat for KidsAbility gets a boost

Posted by & filed under 2019.

Chris Mintz is fundraising for KidsAbility.

ENDURrun doesn’t have a problem making people sweat, but Mintz has taken it to the next level with this amazing fundraising campaign. You’ve probably seen these challenges all over social media for the past month, and it just keeps getting better.

The stakes get raised

Beyond the campaign, knowing Mintz, he had obviously planned to enjoy a casual rookie year. Then his training partner Trish Benoit – having run the ENDURRun Ultimate in 2017 – challenged him to beat her times. With each stage time he beat, she would donate $20 to KidsAbility. As a bonus. If he could beat her cumulative time, there would be a $50 added donation at the end of the race.

After three stages Mintz has earned $60 for KidsAbility from Trish and has an 15:08 lead on her 2017 time. The stakes got raised for Stage 5 – not only is Chris chasing her 2017 but she is also running the stage for the Running Rarebits relay team – and he is chasing her in real life!

Watch it unfold

Watch for this charity challenge to unfold on Mintz’s social @dieselRuns (twitter / instagram) or on facebook

At the time of writing, Chris is 90% of the way to the goal on his fundraising page, and we suspect this is not done yet!!

Results from Stage 3

Posted by & filed under 2019, Recaps.

Tuesday is Stage 3: a 30 kilometre cross country run.

Whether you ran one lap or 7, this is a strong test on the journey to the title “One Tough Runner.” Huge thanks to the water crew, the pacers (even the surprise ones), the massage team, the family, friends, and cheer squads, the food team, and everyone on the course for the much needed support.

Results

today’s results | cumulative after stage 3

For a day that sees Josh and Robyn maintain gold, lots happened below the surface to make this a dynamic Stage.

Robyn increased the overall lead to 23:54 over Catherine who moves into 2nd place. 2-4 (Catherine, Valery, Rebecca) within 3:35.

In the men’s race, Robert notches his first Stage win of 2019 by 44 seconds, and pulls within 1:53 of overall leader Josh.

Ultimates vs Themselves:
Aidan R- 10:42 faster than 2018 on Stage 3; now cumulatively 20:04 ahead of last year. Put another way, he is 15:18 behind Rob (who is also faster this year), where last year he was 31:11 back after 3 Stages
Ian G- 5:25 faster than 2018 on Stage 3; now cumulatively 12:27 ahead of last year
Jack K- still on pace for fastest ENDURrun since 2010; today was only 13s off of his fastest Stage 3 performance (2013)
Rebecca K- 2:57 faster than 2018 on Stage 3; now cumulatively 6:24 ahead of last year
Chris L- 4:08 faster than 2018 on Stage 3; now cumulatively 16:54 ahead of last year
Mark I- 11:34 faster than 2018 on Stage 3; now cumulatively 19:50 ahead of last year
Will S- 17:36 faster than 2013 on Stage 3; now cumulatively 44:12 ahead of his previous best Ultimate
Den A- on pace for fastest ENDURrun since 2011; up 42:02 over his 2018 Ultimate
Sara B- fastest ever Stage 3 (out of 7) by 40s

Historical context
Josh 6:08 behind the men’s ultimate record pace
Robyn 1:45 behind the women’s ultimate record pace; 6:37 ahead of women’s masters record
Robin 9:14 behind men’s masters record
H+P Men’s A currently 3:19 ahead of relay record pace, and have passed their 2018 time
H+P Women’s A currently 1:13 ahead of the women’s relay record pace
H+P Masters Men A currently 7:33 ahead of the masters relay record pace

In their own words

You spent as much time on course at Stage 3 as 1 and 2 combined, so, how did you handle the six loop grind?
I had to finish so I could stop moving and be in the shade. – Ty
Wow, after lap 3, felt really hot and just drank as much water and Gatorade as i could get my hands on. – Chris Be
I think I developed a piriformis glitch within 3 km and had to ride it out – I was just enjoying being able to run at a slow pace and try to loosen it up during the run. Love the shade in the tree area of the route and didn’t mind the sun ’cause I remember February. I will wake up and stretch in the moring, take it easy then need to work a little. – Bob
My teammate Ian kept me going. We worked together. – Robyn
It was the desire to break the 7:00 pace barrier. – Ron
I had a small group of family and friends on the course today. That helped me keep me going, in addition to the many awesome volunteers and others cheering along the way. – Mitch
All the puppies out on course. Dogs are always just so happy. I just channel that pure unabashed happiness. – Chris M
To say the truth, we create for ourselves some rivalry… 2 of them kept me going: 1) this guy behind be putting in jeopardy my the overall master ranking; and the phantom of a younger myself, the one when I was a rookie here 7 years ago. I kept fighting to stay ahead of both. – Robin
The awesomeness of running together with Catherine – spotlight one of our returning ‘out of towners’ – and just the camaraderie at EndurRun in general. So many people from H+P and Rarebits were jumping in to pace teammates – it was amazing. – Rebecca
More humid than expected, and I struggled with that….but I’m too proud to give up! I missed my goal by 4 minutes but at least I didn’t experience injury. – Merlin

Stage 3 comes with the perk of a morning off. What are you doing before the evening Stage 4?
Buying new socks to help my sore feet. – Ty
I’m working until 11, then massage and lunch and then rest up for 10miler. – Chris Be
I just want to sleep all day tomorrow. – Robyn
An hour or two in the hot tub with a pot of coffee then BLTs for breakfast then I will do as little as possible , may spend some time in the “Ham Shack”. – Ron
I am hoping tomorrow I will be able to sleep in a little bit and mostly take it easy. Probably a nice walk and some light stretching. And a trip to the store for some chocolate milk. – Mitch
Climbing a bunch of stairs for training. Hmmmm, perhaps it’s a bit too late for that. I’ll just shave my head and hope it makes me faster. – Chris M
I drove to Camp Heidelberg to visualise stage 4 this afternoon; so I won’t do much tomorrow, especially in the morning. I will wake up after 6:00 and take a real breakfast for the first time in the last 4 days. After that, you can find me sitting at a table in Starbucks vaguely working on the lesson I have to give in class a 8:00 on Monday 19th. Don’t be shy to come if you want to talk, I don’t feel much like working for real! – Robin
I will laze around….and stretch/relax my hip muscles – they seem to be the weak link this year. – Merlin

It’s starting to dawn on us that this will be over in less than FIVE days. How has this week lived up to your expectations so far?
The week is exceeding expectations and nice to expect to finish, albeit a little slower than last year. – Bob
This week has as challenging as I thought it would be. I’ve really enjoyed the atmosphere around the races too. Very friendly and supportive. – Ty
The venues , volunteers and participants are amazing I am fortunate to be able to be a part of the event. My times are a little slower then last year but I am Ok with that. I have more or less given it a 100% effort and ran with a pretty consistent effort….that is how I gauge my personal success. – Ron
The week is going pretty good so far. The longer runs are my biggest challenge. I am feeling it today. – Mitch
Well I’ll tell you the food has been amazing! Somebody tells me the Running Rarebits are doing it all? Man, those guys and gals are something else! – Chris M
That is a toughh one, since my expectations were so low when I registered a year ago. Then, I have been in a roller coster of running capacities. Very recently, I started feeling better (i.e. injuries are less of a limitation) so I thought I had a shot at my Endurrun PB… I don’t. But I am fiercely competing my rookie year in 2012. – Robin
Meeting my expectations? My goal this year is to see how I compare with my previous years performance….and at this point I am down by 4:25…so I still have work to do!!! I’m praying for favorable conditions at Chicopee! – Merlin

Tomorrow

Stage 4 is a relatively short race – 10 miles – but don’t let that deceive you. Runners are treated to a brilliant sunset, but the August evening weather has been hot and humid in the past. This is the hilliest road we have in Waterloo Region, and runners have extra recovery before (morning off) and after (rest day) to use as they see fit. See you at Camp Heidelberg tomorrow.

Charity participants

Stay tuned for our piece later today on Chris Mintz and #makemintzsweat for KidsAbility.

It was amazing to see Sharon’s relay team today. Yesterday we profiled Sharon’s campaign for GWWICC.

Hello from your timing crew

Posted by & filed under 2019, Results.

We are Mary-Jane, Val and Aidan, and we love our volunteer jobs.

Mary Jane has been a volunteer every year since the start of EndurRun at different stages. For the last few years she has been a Registration/timer. Val has been helping at the races with her family for many years. She started at the water tables, loved her job as a water mister on hot days and for the past 4 years has been a Registration/timer. Aidan has helped in many ways at EndurRun from flagging the course with Lloyd, water stations and cleanup crew. For the last 3 years Aidan has rounded out the registrar/timing crew.

We love getting to meet so many new runners and welcome back friends from past years (runners and volunteers). Such an amazing group of people. We usually start working right at 7 and are busy until the last runner finishes the race. Sorry if we don’t always have time to talk until the race is done. We wish you all a great run and cheer when we can!!

Tomorrow is Bechtel, yay! Bechtel is a race with 6 laps which are all hand timed. Approximately 80 runners x 6 laps= a lot of concentration. Therefore, we can not give times to runners while we are still timing. Please be patient and wait until the race is done or the data is uploaded to the live results.

We had some interesting moments today. An H+P runner Larry, drove into the lot 10 mins before his seeded time. After being in the car since 5 am he had 4 mins to pin on his bib and do some stretches. He did great!! We enjoyed seeing Ultimate runner Mike do some pirouettes and dance moves right before Lloyd send him running. He promised dancing every lap of Bechtel!!

A few friendly reminders:

  • Ultimates please make sure you check in. The clipboard will always be with the timing crew. We start registration at 7am (6:30 for Stage 6)
  • If you drop out, come tell us at the timing table. Bibs must be visible (every lap!)
  • Please don’t have your pacer go through the start/finish line

    • We can’t wait to see everyone tomorrow and through the week. We are your Registration/timing/cheering committee. Good luck everyone!

    2018 ENDURrun Stage 3: 30k

    Tremendous good: Sharon Ditner fundraises for GWWICC

    Posted by & filed under 2019.

    Sharon is one of our two charity participants in 2019.

    We talked to Sharon about how she came to be involved with Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis and what you should know about the fundraiser. In Sharon’s words:

    On this day last year (at the end of Stage 2) I said hello to Anne Hinds and asked how her fundraising was going. Anne and her husband Martin spoke so passionately about GWWICC their volunteer relationship with the agency. I promised a pledge and continued to get to know them throughout the week.

    In my 2018 Rookie Endurrun Profile I posted, “If I can finish this year I’ve been thinking about running for a charity in 2019.”

    The night before stage 7 I couldn’t sleep so I signed up for the 2019 Endurrun. When I crossed the finish of the marathon, I asked Lloyd if I could have one of the 2 Charity of Choice spots and he said YES! At the end of the awards presentation I found Anne and Martin to let them know I wanted to continue to raise funds for their charity in 2019. They were a great help in connecting me with Justine, the amazing Fundraising and Marketing Coordinator and forwarded $1,100 in donations under my profile.

    A value at my workplace is “We support the communities in which we work and live”. The Run Waterloo objective is “Inspiring community through running”. I am proud to bring 3 positive organizations together.

    We’re at $3,100. I would love to get to $4,000!

    Justine will be visiting us at Stage 3. Come say hello. Donations can be made online or cheques can be made payable to:
    G-W Women in Crisis
    P.O. Box 1451
    Guelph ON N1H 6N9

    About the charity
    Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis is a community-based organization providing services to women and their children on woman abuse and sexual violence. We believe our services must be inclusive and equitable for all individuals accessing our programs while being responsive to issues of race, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, socio-economic status and/or abilities.
    Our programs:
    – Marianne’s Place (emergency shelter)
    – Transitional and Housing Support Program (THSP)
    – Family Court Support Program (FCSP)
    – Rural Women’s Support Program (RWSP)
    – Sexual Assault Centre (SAC)
    – 24-hour Crisis Line
    – Anti-Human Trafficking Program
    – Public Education and Prevention
    There are no fees for any G-W Women in Crisis services.

    Fundraising Events Coming up:
    – The Summer Soiree, hosted by Royal Le Page Royal City Realty August 15th at the Aberfoyle Mill
    – Take Back the Night, September 26th

    The EndurRun funds will be allocated to our greatest need at the time of receiving the donation. The donated funds do such tremendous good.

    Two stages down

    Posted by & filed under 2019, Recaps.

    We are now almost one-quarter of the way through the week.

    (In fact, tomorrow you will see a 40 KM sign early in the race).

    We really enjoyed being back in Cambridge for the first time since 2011, and on such a great section of the Grand River Trail. There is a strong consensus that what we gained in scenery and shade at our new course made up for a more challenging course than in years past. And it was great to have Batman Battaglia back out on the course today!

    Results

    No overall changes today, with leaders increasing their leads: Josh by 21 seconds, Robyn by 5:23, and H+P Men’s A by 19 seconds.

    Today’s results | Cumulative results after 2 Stages

    Personal battles:
    Will S. now 26:36 ahead of 2013
    Chris L. now 12:46 ahead of 2018
    Aidan R. now 9:22 ahead of 2018
    Mark I. now 8:16 ahead of 2018
    Ian G. now 7:02 ahead of 2018
    Rebecca K. 3:27 ahead of 2018
    Denis A. 2:57 ahead of 2011 (his previous best after 2 stages)

    Relays:
    H+P Men’s A currently 3:41 ahead of the record-setting relay team’s time
    H+P Women’s A currently 1:23 behind last year’s top female team (fastest all-time all-female team)
    H+P Masters Men A team currently 3:32 lead over record masters team pace

    Tomorrow

    We tackle the first big test, a 30 KM cross country race at Bechtel Park in Waterloo. We asked the participants how they are approaching a challenge of terrain (mix of trails and grass with hills!) and and psychology (six loops).

    Mark I: I, my wife Rika, and my bunny Ron are enjoying everything so far, doing better than my first Ultimate last year, thanks to the fabulous supporting staff and friends. I find myself less nervous than last year. However, Stage 3 will be a challenging one to me. Running 30k Bechtel (rain?), feeding me at the post race, one hour drive home, taking a shower, then appointment with my dentist at 2:50pm. The later I finish, the less time for food Otherwise I have to pay penalty for no show.
    Costas: I am mentally preparing for the “real” start to ENDURrun, Bechtel park. Pacing is crucial…. start slow and build up to a comfortable pace.
    Rebecca: I’d say that the competition lasts the whole week. Each stage has its own unique challenges – Bechtel is an easier stage than others, for some – and for some it may be the toughest. I personally enjoy Bechtel – because I get to pass by the start/finish area (and the cheer squads) five times! Other prep tips? Trail shoes, bug spray, and lots of sleep (and calories) today!
    Mitch: I am nervous about Bechtel mostly because I have never run that distance before. My strategy will be finding a comfortable pace and settling in – ideally keeping my time for each loop consistent. I think mentally I am fine. Legs are tired – so another walk to help keep loose, a nice long stint in the lazy boy and another early dinner.
    Merlin: Is stage 3 the “real” beginning of the challenge? – yes. Stage 1 and 2 are relatively level….but stage 3 throws in trails, dirt, grass…and hill climbs! – it requires focus – both physically and mentally!
    Pat: For stage 3: I am laying on my living room floor, pondering the gruelling fun that is before us tomorrow- really hopeful that my Garmin’s suggestion of “52 Hrs rest”, after Stage 2, was a glitch.
    Dave: It’s so different effort-wise from the prior two stages. It’s a long 30K time-wise not a road rip like Around the Bay. Can get away with some pacing errors in the first two stages, at Bechtel you’re in for a long morning if you burn too many matches early! Being more than two hours, for most of us… nutrition plays way more a role. Getting the extra carbs in today is hugely important and fuel early and often each loop during.
    Reza: Afternoon naps are the best.
    Ty: I’ve already raced back to back days. Stage 3 is definitely not the “real start”. Stage 3 is where it gets hard.
    I walked to downtown Kitchener for recovery aids, epsom salts and beer. I’ll take my time tomorrow and treat it as a 5k run…. That I do 6 times.
    Andrew M: I’d say half my thoughts while running today were on tomorrow. I’m not going in to Bechtel feeling I’ve been successful in sufficiently preserving energy. “Experience is what you get right after you needed it!”. However I always find joy & energy in the trails at Bechtel, so I’m hoping that helps tomorrow.
    Bob: I think the race starts after stage 3 – after the body feels the pain of Bechtel.
    Michelle: What do you mean, Stage 3 is the ‘real start’? I’ve never even thought of any stage being more or less than the others. I actually like Bechtel. I was intimidated the first time I did it, but now I love the varied terrain and the repetition. I have it broken into six zones in my head so each loop seems shorter than it really is. I also love that I keep seeing the other runners in multiple locations throughout the course.
    Chris M: I’m not emotionally tackling the challenge well at all. I’m crying in my stage 2 celebratory beer – so much so that even though I am drinking the beer, the cup remains full. It’s been three hours and I do believe it is now just a cup of stage 3 emotional tears.

    Stage 2 start order

    Posted by & filed under 2019.

    Use this projected start order as a guide. This Time Trial (TT) stage starts one runner each minute, in reverse order to their seed time, which is determined from previous results and expected finish times, with an effort to preserve the integrity of as many competitions as possible.

    Dropouts and no-shows may still adjust the start times by up to 10 minutes from the Estimated Start Time – check in early. This list will be available at the start line at 8:00am August 12.

    Estimated Start TimeNameGenderCityAgeDivisionRelay
    8:00:00Chris BattagliaMBarrie62Ultimate
    8:01:00Sue WempFCollingwood59Ultimate
    8:02:00Stephen BennMNew Dundee39Ultimate
    8:03:00Colleen SweeneyFTillsonburg57Ultimate
    8:04:00Alison StrausFCambridge41RelayRunning Rarebits
    8:05:00Jocelyn PedersenFKitchener47RelayH+P All Fit No Quit
    8:06:00Wilf GoronMWheatley64Ultimate
    8:07:00Deirdre LargeFWaterloo53Ultimate
    8:08:00Ken B AndersonMKitchener76Ultimate
    8:09:00Sara BlanchettFKitchener41Ultimate
    8:10:00Heather J. DewarFWaterloo45Ultimate
    8:11:00Maureen PecknoldFToronto51Ultimate
    8:12:00Diane LacombeFKitchener54Ultimate
    8:13:00Sharon DitnerFWaterloo41Ultimate
    8:14:00Julie PhillipsFSt Jacobs44RelayRunners By Choice
    8:15:00Mark RoestMWaterloo50RelayH+P Team Dalton
    8:16:00Andrew HeijMWaterloo38Ultimate
    8:17:00Chris LadubecMWaterloo39Ultimate
    8:18:00Ronald IrwinMDurham58Ultimate
    8:19:00Susan MoizerFMerrickville57Ultimate
    8:20:00Mark McDonaldMPickering37Ultimate
    8:21:00Mark IshikawaMBurlington55Ultimate
    8:22:00William SpaetzelMKitchener36Ultimate
    8:23:00Michael KleinMWaterloo33Ultimate
    8:24:00Jeanette ThompsonFCambridge43Ultimate
    8:25:00Nikkole WelshFStratford36Ultimate
    8:26:00Andrea IozziFAjax58Ultimate
    8:27:00Michael HewitsonMWaterloo36RelayH+P Team Boss
    8:28:00Michele StudhalterFKitchener24RelayH+P Women's B
    8:29:00Colleen CaplinFKitchener44RelayH+P Masters Women
    8:30:00Andrew MoizerMMerrickville60Ultimate
    8:31:00Costas FarassoglouMOttawa39Ultimate
    8:32:00Trevor BossMWaterloo34Ultimate
    8:33:00Savvas FarassoglouMOttawa39Ultimate
    8:34:00Merlin FreyMElmira54Ultimate
    8:35:00Patrick RobitailleMRockwood44Ultimate
    8:36:00Mike CoughlinMGuelph45Ultimate
    8:37:00Steven HunterMOrangeville49Ultimate
    8:38:00Caroline Samson-BelairFSummerstown44Ultimate
    8:39:00Andrew BlackledgeMWaterloo48Ultimate
    8:40:00Tyler DaltonMKitchener34Ultimate
    8:41:00Patrick KellyMOttawa56Ultimate
    8:42:00Robert BaxterMKitchener59Ultimate
    8:43:00Chris MintzMKitchener43Ultimate
    8:44:00Antoine GauthierMWaterloo34Ultimate
    8:45:00Denis AllenMKitchener57Ultimate
    8:46:00Jack KilislianMEast York49Ultimate
    8:47:00John PalmerMAyr67RelayRunners' Choice Ramblers
    8:48:00David WulffMKitchener27RelayH+P Men's C
    8:49:00Steven SchmidtMWaterloo50RelayH+P Men's D
    8:50:00Rick StraughenMRochester38RelayLifetime Fitness
    8:51:00Rebecca KruisselbrinkFWaterloo35Ultimate
    8:52:00Vicki ZandbergenFKitchener40Ultimate
    8:53:00Catherine DesrosiersFDrummondville43Ultimate
    8:54:00Valery HobsonFKitchener49Ultimate
    8:55:00Thaddeus HomewoodMListowel33Ultimate
    8:56:00Mitch WilsonMWaterloo54Ultimate
    8:57:00Reza SaputraMWaterloo30Ultimate
    8:58:00Stefan GudmundsonMGuelph49Ultimate
    8:59:00Robyn CollinsFWaterloo42Ultimate
    9:00:00Ian GrzegorczykMWaterloo27Ultimate
    9:01:00Dave RutherfordMWaterloo55Ultimate
    9:02:00Greg PogueMWaterloo49RelayH+P Masters Men B
    9:03:00Erin FoxFWaterloo33RelayH+P Women’s A
    9:04:00Larry BradleyMMississauga45RelayH+P Masters Men A
    9:05:00Mark CullenMMarkham29RelayH+P Men's B
    9:06:00Christian BelairMSummerstown44Ultimate
    9:07:00Nick BurtMKitchener25UltimateH+P Men's A
    9:08:00Robin Richard-CampeauMSt-leonard-d'aston40Ultimate
    9:09:00Aidan RutherfordMWaterloo22Ultimate
    9:10:00Robert BrouilletteMCambridge27Ultimate
    9:11:00Josh BoltonMParis29Ultimate

    Off and running at Stage 1

    Posted by & filed under 2019, Recaps.

    The first day of ENDURrun is a rural half marathon, with a mix of hills, trails, and country roads. Participants described the temperatures as near perfect, and and the times didn’t disappoint!

    Stage 1 is as close to a family reunion as we have, with many people who were unable to attend the pre-race meeting say their hellos and we have a massive BBQ. Rookies are accepted with open arms and dozens cooled off in the race director’s pool as the temperatures rose. On course support was amazing, from spectators, volunteers, partners including KW Health Connection. Runners’ Choice, Running Rarebits, and Health + Performance all came in big today with Ultimates, Relays, volunteers, and spectators. But let’s not delay the results any longer…

    Results

    Click for Full results

    For the seventh year in a row, the Gold Jersey was awarded to a new runner at Stage 1. For the first time since 2015 – it went to a competitor in the men’s division.

    Starting in the men’s race, Josh Bolton set a new Stage record by 21 seconds. The last time a Stage record was broken (men’s) was 2004. This kind of accomplishment is what it took to de-throne Robert Brouillette’s four years of dominance, who now sits 2:16 back. (Does anyone know if Rob has any other jerseys?) After the top two guys, the next four sit 3:45 apart: Aidan Rutherford, Robin Richard-Campeau, Nick Burt, and Christian Belair.

    Robyn Collins opened up a lead of 4:25 over 2018 champ Valery Hobson, up from her 0:53 lead after Stage 1 in 2018. But the week is long and as we’ve learned, much can change. After Robyn – and this is bizarre – the next four women are within 3:45: Valery, Catherine Desrosiers, Vicki Zandbergen, and Rebecca Kruisselbrink.

    New bibs recognize accomplishments such as top rookies: Josh and Caroline, and top masters: Robin and Robyn.

    Relay
    There are 16 teams, where H+P Men’s A has a 5:30 lead over second, which is fifth all-time. The Women’s A team is also off to a good start with a four minute lead for fastest ever female team. As the week goes on we are going to get a good sense of where all the teams are performing in the women’s and master’s categories.

    Closest battles:
    Ultimate- Reza 10s back of Stefan, Catherine 4s back of Thaddeus, Patrick R. 9s back of Mike C., Savvas 2s back of Merlin
    Relay- H+P Women’s A team 14s back of H+P Masters Men A, H+P Team Boss and H+P Women’s B are tied, H+P Men’s D is 12s back of Lifetime Fitness

    Personal improvements:
    Aidan- 6:40 faster than 2019
    Nick- 34s faster than 2017 when he was 2nd OA (currently sitting 5th)
    Dave R- 12s behind his fastest ERun (2012)
    Ian G- 4:19 improvement over 2018
    Robyn C- 50s ahead of 2018
    Jack K- fastest time on Stage 1 since 2010
    Denis A- PB, possibly first time under 1:40 (ran 1:37:30)
    Robert Baxter – exactly 3min faster than 2018
    Will Spaetzel- >17min faster than 2013
    Mark I- 6:32 faster than 2018
    Chris L- 7:40 faster than 2018

    Photos

    We are working as hard as we can to have photos ready for you ASAP. Here is the first peek at Stage 1 photos, with over 90% of runners already have at least one photo tagged to their name directly in the results.
    2019 ENDURrun Stage 1: Sneak Peek

    Ultimate questions:

    Thanks everyone for participating in this project! We are very eager to share these insights with the world wide web, not only for fans and those interested in the event, but especially as the community grows past the point of being able to catch up with everyone at each Stage.

    How are you feeling?
    Reza: I’m so hungry!!! (my stomach)
    Rebecca: I am not a rookie….so this shouldn’t surprise me…..but the positivity and support of the ENDURRun family was beyond amazing and I know it’ll be a phenomenal week no matter how I run! ❤️❤️
    Val: Today was a bit of a slog for me….legs were a heavy so decided to simmer a bit.
    Tyler: Today felt great. Not looking forward to Northfield uphill to finish the Marathon.
    Nikki: The first loop felt great, and I was on track to have my best Endurrun half-marathon time, but unfortunately, I didn’t hydrate properly and the last 6 man sucked the life out of me!! I’m still feeling positive despite the expectations I had for myself today – the food was incredible so I’m feeling full and ready to go at it again tomorrow!!
    Dave: Super stoked. One of those runs where you look down and see your pace and think this is going to be a really good day or I’m going to blow up spectacularly. Turns out it was a good day.
    Bob: I’m appreciative of Sean Delanghe’s help to remove knots in my hip flexors and legs and the result being I am able to run with all muscles firing. Today felt great – even pulled off. NYC qualifier based on half marathon time – Woohoo, bring on the remaining stages:)
    Pat: Feeling OK. It should be good.
    Caroline: Day 1 was awesome! I loved the course and everyone that I met along the way and after the race. Chris Belair, my husband, was not kidding when he said that you are all amazing people.
    Merlin: This year’s field is extremely competitive – which is good for me because there is no congestion when I finally come through! The crowd support, the cheering was phenomenal – its hard to remain focused and pace wisely without feeding from their energy!
    Michelle: As for how I feel; sore and proud. My last run prior to this morning had my Achilles making me walk at 2.5K, so to get to the aid station just after the 14K mark before having to walk is really good. I am sure that I will have things working properly in time to train for next year. Colin worked on my Achilles and now my other side hurts more than my original injury! I was blown away when I saw that you all had waited until I finished before announcing the results. Thank you. It made me feel as though I was still part of things, even though I was technically out at that point.
    Michael: Feeling absolutely wonderful about Stage 1 leading into the rest of the week. A PB for me for the half marathon distance, and super strong finish. Knowing there were lots of Rookies like me out there with me made it feel less scary.

    How are you preparing for Stage 2?
    Costas: Stretch your muscles after the run, drink lots of water, and of course take a well deserved nap!
    Ken: For tomorrow, I am resting ( nap number one – done! ) and having a hot bath with Epsom Salts.
    Val: The rest of Sunday will be lazy, with a walk and lots of food.
    Nikki: A cool dip in the Schmidt’s pool and maybe some relaxing this afternoon while the boys make new habitats for the grasshoppers, crickets, and caterpillars they caught today!!
    Dave: Legs up. Food and fluids in. Really looking forward to racing the new Stage 2 course after my preview run on it last Monday. Should be beautiful, fast and fun.
    Stephen: Quick recovery run rescuing my bib from the clutches of the ferocious puppy monster
    Mitch: Had my first massage ever afterward. I really don’t know how to prepare for tomorrow but mostly rest, a walk and an early dinner. I will some stretching throughout the day too.
    Andrea: After a much needed massage to my hamstring, bite to eat, time in the pool, return to air B&B for shower, I’m finally relaxing and hoping the muscle soreness will dissipate in time for tomorrow’s event. Rest well competitors!
    Pat: I am just gonna take it easy.
    Caroline: My day 2 prep started with a stop at Lloyd and Julie’s pool followed by a beer and a shower. We are resting up, stretching out and fuelling up for tomorrow’s TT.
    Michelle: I hope to see everyone on Tuesday morning. I’d like to be able to do a couple of loops of Bechtel and take advantage of Colin again.
    Michael: Preparing for Stage 2 spending some 1on1 time with my foam roller. We’re close. It’s getting serious.

    Next up

    Stage 2 is a 15k time trial, out-and-back on a linear trail, with some pavement and crushed gravel sections. Runners start every one minute from 8:00 a.m. – check the start list for an idea of your start time.

    Follow along

    Our virtual runner

    Jodi couldn’t make it this week but she’s running along with us from the sunshine state!