October 5, 2025
This whole event looked promising last January when I registered. It was to be a part of Izabelle’s birthday weekend, with other friends from around the world coming at least for the visit, some to run the race.
I learned in August that I would be the only person coming, and that Izabelle hadn’t trained for the race, so she was electing to defer her entry until next year’s 2026 version of the event.
We drove to the packet pickup on Saturday. It was at a rec center near the finish line are in St Jerome. Tough to park anywhere near it, the lot was also being used by families at a skateboard park. The race had over 2000 runners in Sunday’s marathon, the parking lot could not fit even 150 cars I’d guess.
There was traffic heading north out of Montreal, the GPS said the normally 30 mile drive would take 1 hr 45 minutes. We took a route with less highway and more suburban road but still spent over 90 minutes in the car.
This was a no frills pickup of my number, get a wristband for confirmation of my start time and meet Izabelle’s friend, Gary. He’s a local race photographer and somehow involved with this event. He had two of the elite runners from Africa with him, so I got a photo with them, too.
Race dinner was well done, rotini pasta and organic chicken. I ate that around 4:15 and did simple prep for the morning’s departure. I took a salt pill before bed, drank water all day, and prepared a Maurten 320 water bottle for the drive to the race in the morning. I also had SIS Beta Fuel in a skinny water bottle for Izabelle to give me on course if we could coordinaste how that could happen.
I woke at 4:30 am for this 8:00 start, I quickly got dressed and ran 1.5 miles along the Lachine waterfront road to hopefully generate some restroom activity. It really didn’t do much, but shoes and socks felt good, I wouldn’t need to adjust them.
Our drive back to St Jerome and the finish line area was easier than Saturday’s jaunt. I think we we only on the road for 35 minutes. Easy on a Sunday at 5:40 am, right? We parked near the finish line area, I used the restroom before getting on the bus and parted with Izabelle. She knew where the towns and other “train stations” were on the course. She looked to get near the route at 28 km. I knew to look for her on the right side. If this worked, I’d be getting a bottle of a nicely carbed drink at a wonderful time in the race.
The bus ride was uneventful, I was thankful no one opened a window. That has happened a few times on the school buses to Hopkinton for Boston’s start. We got out and I went right to another porta potty lineup. This would be my last chance to try that, I was relieved when I finished. I would not need to stop on the course!
I went in my second wave start, each group was moved up a mere 5 minutes to hopefully lessen the impact of the expected rapid warm up once we started the race. No song or anthem was played, I could hear people doing a countdown at the Val David station platform, then a train horn sounded and we were running.
The first miles had some paved path, then we went on the crushed gravel. It reminded me of running in Jupiter’s Riverbend Park. Some of the path was packed down where cars or bikes traveled often, I tried to run in those “lanes.” Mile #1 was completed in 7:48. There were runners passing me which was fine, the path was probably wide enough for 4-5 people across. I carried a water bottle and alternated hands every so often, that allowed me to have drinks more than the course’s approx every 4-5 kilometers in the beginning. In the first 3 miles, I ran through a section where yellow leaves fell generously from the trees on all of the runners! My heart rate was in the mid 150s and not climbing fast – a very good sign.
The views of the trees and changing leaves was impressive. There are areas where you are going an a gentle downhill and running alongside a lake. The starting temperature was said to be 56 degrees. The shade from the trees and cool non-humid air made it nice to run at this speed. My pace stayed in the 7:40s with a few dips in the high 7:30s for the first 10-12 miles. I tossed the water bottle at an aid station before the 8th mile and used the course water tables. I took a SIS gel at 4.5, again at mile 8, then at just before 13 miles. The half way mat was realy in a secluded area of the forest. I crossed that in 1:42:12.
I ate another SIS Beta gel at mile 16. My HR was now in the 160s and on the move. This is right before I hoped to find Izabelle with the water bottle – and it worked! If not, I had two more gels ready to go. My preference was to have the drink however. She took a photo and handed me a *COLD* SIS Beta fuel filled skinny plastic bottle.
I recall that the course had so many quiet spots. The sounds I’d hear were those with loud soled shoes coming up behind me. Occasionally we would pass a spot where a road or local neighborhood trail crossed the pathway. One early segment featured kids cheering and banging on kitchen pots with wooden utensils!
I felt in control once I took the SIS bottle, I was still running well. The trees now didn’t shade the sun and heat from our path – the sun was high and temps were warming. I had a visor and sunglasses, I still believed the pace I was maintaining would be one I could hold even as the warming occurred.
Things changed once I reached just past the 35 km mark. Plenty of sun was now directly overhead and at times, in the faces of the runners. I wasn’t cramping, but the only small noticeable rise on the course was felt by my legs. We had a small downhill section right after that, then flat for the remaining 5 miles.
I went through a mile feeling the beginning of a side stitch coming. I don’t have much experience with that, I had been drinking and taking gels regularly, plus I came into the start having carbs on board already. This feeling only lasted as I’ve said, about a mile.
I felt my larger upper leg muscles getting sore – I took one of the new “Cramp-X” gels to hopefully ward off any instances of legs perking about. My pace was now barely under 8 minute miles, then into the low 8 minute miles. I wasn’t concerned, since I had run so many good miles. If I ran the rest in just over 8 minute pace, I’d still have a 3:26-3:28 I thought. I coughed and got a small urge to vomit, I stopped, slowed my breathing, and continued. Crisis averted! But not over yet. My HR was now in the 170s solidly – and continuing to rise. I had 4 miles to go. The route was now closer to homes where more spectators came to watch and cheer. Some brought cold drinks, others used hoses to spray runners. I ran through two areas where lawn sprinklers were set up to just wet the path, you could run under them if you wanted to cool yourself or get wet. I saw the first 180 reading for my HR around mile 23. This meant trouble, even with only 5k to go, it was hot and no more shade from trees on the route. When I looked and saw more 180 readings, I switched to walking. I could still finish well, even with some slow miles. This was getting harder very rapidly though.
We ran under large electrical wires and poles, I knew they were near the finish area where we parked in the morning. I kept looking ahead to see where those wires left the course, then I’d be able to see how far off I had to still run.
The final mile took a long time – I was now running and mixing in walking. My last mile was 9:54 – I was nearing the end of how my HR would allow me to keep pressing into the heat. I saw the last place where the run route crossed over a road. Every time this happened, police did a great job of stopping traffic. I ran across the road and over the finish mat.
Time = 3:33:09
I know I could do well on this course. The sections earmarked as downhill never felt much like a downhill. The places where I knew there were climbs (very slight) weren’t noticeable either.
It was many hours after having left the event that I became aware of the closures on the course due to heat and medical issues…
I would like to run this race on a “normal” weather day. It was very nice, silent at parts and good crowd support at the various former railroad stations along the way.
drun4fun 