Testimonials

"Congratulations for putting on a much needed event in Ottawa. I've heard lots of great feedback from friends already."

Walter Noble
  

"Excellent race! Had a great time, crowd was great. Look forward to it again next year."

Greg Snyder
  

"I have heard nothing but praise and success stories ( PBs galore ) about event. I know how difficult it is in this day and age to build something new from the ground up. Well done!!"

Gavin Lumsden
  

From my perspective, everything seemed to have gone off without a hitch, and mother nature cooperated wonderfully for the inaugural run. Couldn't ask for anything better. Picking up the race kits on Saturday also went very smoothly, with no line ups when I was there around 10am.

Love the dog tags as medals. Very appropriate. And judging from the finishing times, there was a deep field of runners which showed up which was nice to see. Trish and I had a great run, both setting new PB's, so could not ask for much more. You have set the bar high for next year already!!

Steph Wilheim
  

... a truly memorable event

Sonja Adcock
  

..an amazing day

Eric Sulser
  

The organization of the race was very good and the support for the runners -- from water stations, to race volunteers, to post-race food -- was excellent. There was a lot of spirit to both races, so thanks for that.

Katherine
  

Congratulations with your perfectly organized and successful Army Run!!

Henke Van Fassen
  

Every few weeks, it seems, we hear of another Canadian soldier killed while serving in Afghanistan. We stop, remember and appreciate their sacrifice each time. But how often do we pause to consider those who are injured - sometimes catastrophically - while serving their country? How often do we stop to appreciate those soldiers (and their families!) who dedicate their lives to serving in the Canadian Armed Forces, even if they are not deployed to battlegrounds?

On Sunday September 21st, the first ever Canada Army Run was held in Ottawa. This race consisted of a 5km route and a half-marathon route, each with early starts and special race categories for injured soldiers. Runners included hundreds of members of the Armed Forces, their family members, friends and other civilians. Approximately 7000 people donned their running shoes to head out on one of the coolest mornings of September to support soldiers at home and abroad, and it was truly a sight to behold.

My husband and I, along with some great running friends from Kingston, ran the 5km race together at 8am Sunday morning. And there were tears on that route. Our eyes filled as we waited at the start and read the notes on the back of women's shirts saying "I'm running for my brother stationed in Petawawa" or "I'm running for my uncle serving in Afghanistan". And every time runners passed injured soldiers - many running on prosthetic legs - there was applause, words of support and encouragement, and words of appreciation shared with these fine soldiers. And of course, words we could not even speak because we were so moved to see the very visible evidence of their sacrifice.

Early in the route, we passed a typical military family. Dad was wearing his regimental tam, a little boy of about 4 was holding his hand and running alongside in camo shorts and a t-shirt. Mom was running with a toddler of about 2. At the end of the run, we encountered them inside the finish line. I offered to take a family photo of them, and asked the children (who were holding their dog tags - the souvenir given to all finishers instead of the usual medal) if they had won. They grinned and shouted "Yes, we did!" enthusiastically.

These two little ones are wise. Indeed, we all won simply by strapping on our sneakers and sending a very public message to our men and women in uniform that we are proud of them and that we appreciate their many, many sacrifices.

Elizabeth Bardon
Gananoque, ON 
  

My granddaughter, Kylie Brennan, is 10 years old and ran with us in her first 5 k. in the Army Run on September 21st in Ottawa. She finished in a time of 30.41.80. When she went to pick up her kit on Saturday there weren't any small sized t-shirts left but, without hesitation, she asked for a large one. Her mother was surprised and asked her who it was for and she answered that she wanted to send it to a family friend "Steve" who is in Afghanistan (not Military, but training Police). She wanted him to know that we were all proud of him and she was running for him and all the other Army men. I wanted you to know, Lynne, that this is just one small gesture by a child, but she spoke for what was in the hearts of everyone out there on Sunday.

As you already know, the Run was a huge success, the number of entrants was staggering for a first time event - congratulations to you and all the organizers for putting in what must have been many, many, hours to pull this together. From a participant point of view it was more than about the numbers entered, it was a feeling of pride in our young Military men and women who do so much more than run 5 k. for us, and they do it EVERY day. They do it whether they are on home soil, or foreign soil, and they risk so much more than a few sore muscles the following day. So thank you for allowing us to connect with these fine soldiers, in some small way - it was a very moving experience, one that will not soon be forgotten by all those who participated in the first Army Run in Ottawa. See you next year ...

Thank you,

Paula Richardson
  

The pasta dinner was awesome! I have been to a few running events but I have never participated in the dinner the night before. What a treat it was! To be served in military fashion was a great experience. The pasta meal was delicious! I think it was the giant meatball that got me across the finish line.

Lisa Spour, Montreal
  

Our family of five just returned from our very long road trip to Ottawa (from Troy, Michigan) ... and I wanted to let you know how thankful I am today that we made the journey to Ottawa this weekend.

The Canada Army 1/2 Marathon course was beautifully green and scenic! I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to explore 13.1 miles of Ottawa on foot this weekend.

The event was very well-organized and executed. The km markers were very clear and the water stations were perfect. I especially appreciated the water station that made signs to denote "Gatorade" and "Water". Great idea!

I will definitely participate in the Canada Army Run again next year ... with husband and 3 children in tow for a 10-hour road trip each way!!

Suzanne
Troy Michigan
  

My wife and I participated in last Sundays Army Run. My wife, Julie braved the half marathon, while I took the "easier" 5k. Of course the term "easier" is extremely relative! It definitely took all I could give to finish!

Upon arriving from Montreal to pickup our race kits at the Cartier Drill Hall, all the volunteers made it smooth sailing. We picked up all kinds of neat kit at the "Support Our Troops" exhibit. My 10 year old son is wearing the "Support Our Troops" cap very proudly at school today.

The CF display of military kit outside the drill hall was also impressive. I was in the reserves in early 80s, and the advances in technology are quite striking. I was thinking that even the food has improved dramatically. The evening pasta meal was excellent. And NOT at all like I remembered the "ration packs" to be tasting like. Then, I learned the meal was donated by a local restaurant in Ottawa. We will definitely be dropping by that place for a meal next time in Ottawa! It was wise not to go with "ration packs"!

The speeches were all very inspiring and set the mood for the reason why we were all gathered together. Until relatively recently, the Canadian Forces have not been given full merit for their work. For the first time, in my lifetime, the military is now being put in the high regard that they always deserved.

With "Race Day" finally upon us, it was undeniably a very special day to be a proud Canadian. The 7:45am official start for the injured soldiers was a very poignant and moving moment for both of us. The sacrifices that they made to defend our way of life makes the ever so brief moments of discomfort during the run so insignificant. I wanted to shake the hands of a few of them, just to thank them, but, I do not know if I could have maintained my composure. I felt very emotional throughout the opening just before the race.

The race itself was an absolute blast. Running beside fellow Canadians for a single cause was extremely inspiring. My 5k went very well, and when I watched Julie complete her half marathon, the sun broke through the clouds which capped the race perfectly.

In conclusion, I just wanted to take a brief moment to thank you for all your work to bring this brilliant event to us. The Army Run combined a way to thank our soldiers and get us off the couch to actually show it to them! We will be there next year with bells on!

Thank you again.

Scott Laing, Beloeil, Quebec
  

Hello,
Thank you very much for organizing such a successful race. It was a pleasure to participate in the inaugural event.

As I ran alongside the military participants, and particularly the injured soldiers, I was deeply moved by their commitment. Although the media brings us stories of the fatalities among our troops, I realized that I had not considered the many non-fatal casualties that our soldiers also suffer on our behalf. It must have taken tremendous courage for some of these veterans to undertake a road race on prosthetic limbs, not to mention the challenges in their everyday lives.

The race was an excellent way to raise awareness within our community, and I have carried a lasting impression away from it.

Thanks again to you and to our troops.

Sincerely,

James Gupta
  

On behalf of the team, I would like to thank everyone involved with the organization of the race. The race kit pick up on Saturday was well organized and easy to navigate. The volunteers were cheerful and helpful. The race day was also wonderfully organized, and inspiring, motivating and touching. Personally, I found the race rather difficult emotionally, as I was touched by the strength of the injured soldiers and their families.

Furthermore, the tech-shirts that were given out as part of the race kit pick up are awesome shirts! They were great considering the weather, and I am impressed that tech shirts were given out over cotton shirts covered in advertisements. If only we were so lucky to receive such awesome shirts with all runs we join!

 

Thank you for the great work that was put in to make this run a wonderful experience, and we look forward to participating next year.

 

Denise Deschênes
  

I don't really know where to begin, but I will try my best to convey how fortunate I feel to have participated in the first ever Canadian Army ½ Marathon yesterday. This was a first class event!!! Job well done!!! It was very moving to meet some of the brave men and women who are protecting everything we have in this great country Canada. Meeting and speaking with these men and women makes one realize that we are lucky to have the day to day challenges we do have. In comparison, our challenges are very miniscule. Listening to the speakers at the pasta dinner (which was extremely well done) and seeing the start with the injured soldiers has touched me deeply. These images will stay with me forever. Thank you for making this event happen. I look forward to participating again next year when there will be 15,000 participants - at least!!!
Sincerely

Barb Westropp