Race recap: 5K Holly Jolly Fun Run

In less than one month, I ran my longest race and my shortest: the 5K Holly Jolly Fun Run. 

The race was a fundraiser for the Toronto Santa Claus Parade. We started at Bloor and Bathurst and ran the parade route ahead of the parade. I’ve run tons of races, but I have never run a race with so many spectators.

Granted, they were there to see the parade, not us, but it was still incredibly motivating. The streets were lined with thousands of families and cheering kids who had their hands stuck out waiting for high fives from runners from start to finish. People wore all sorts of festive gear and costumes, and I donned my favourite Christmas themed running shirt. This particular shirt has a very niche purpose but its times like this where it really comes in handy. I love this shirt so much, I actually dedicated an entire blog post to it last year.

I had never run a 5K before. I’ve always felt that the distance was a waste of time. You spend more time getting there, checking your bag and warming up then you do actually running the race! But the 5K is really a lot of fun. You can really run fast because there’s no need to conserve energy. We finished the race in 27:30.

The race had less than 300 runners. While the race organizers were hoping for 2,000, the $100 price tag was a pretty big deterrent. I have to admit that it’s certainly a bit steep for a 5K, but you do get a tax receipt and a really cute hat and mitten set. And from an organizational perspective, the race was pretty flawless. The race also started at noon, so no need to wake up early and the weather was great –  warm, mild and dry!

After the run, we grabbed a tea and settled in to watch the parade. I was feeling so festive that I thought about putting up the Christmas decorations when we got home… but then I realized it’s the middle of November and changed my mind.