News and Media - May 2008 - Newsletter #9

Congratulations and Thank You!

• Congratulations to all of our 2008 participants on their accomplishments!
• The 5th anniversary of the Mississauga Marathon presented by Canon was the biggest and best yet!
• By the end of race weekend, over 11,000 runners and walkers had participated in a line up of race events which included the Canon Marathon, Reebok Half Marathon, Grand & Toy Corporate/Team Relay, Desjardins General Insurance 10K and 10K Student Relay, Biovail’s “The Hazel” 5K and The Mississauga News 2K Family Fun Run/Walk.
• 3 new course records were set including Biovail’s “The Hazel” 5K open division male winner Bruce Raymer with an impressive 15:13 finish, Reebok Half Marathon Female Masters Division Wendy Gualtieri who finished with a time of 1:25:00 and Reebok Half Marathon Male Masters Division Ronald Da Silva Jardine who crossed the finish line at 1:16:00.
• “The endless hours of preparation are all worth it when you see the excitement on the faces of thousands of runners crossing the finish line and the spectators cheering them on” commented Joe Hewitt, Race Director. “This was definitely a banner year for the event. Everyone involved in this event should know that they had a hand in being part of people's dreams today. We owe a great deal of the success of this race to our partners, our volunteers and a great group of runners.”
• The 2009 Mississauga Marathon presented by Canon will take place on May 9th and 10th, 2009.
• To all finishers in the Canon Marathon, Reebok Half Marathon, Desjardins General Insurance 10K and Biovail’s “The Hazel”5K: don’t forget to download your finishers certificate from our homepage.

We would love to see your photos and hear your stories

• We are thrilled to hear your impressions and see your photos from this year’s Mississauga Marathon presented by Canon; please send to [email protected]

Post Race Survey

• Thank you to all of our participants who took the time to fill out our post race survey!
• We received an amazing 3297 responses in just 3 days!
• Congratulations to our post-race survey winners Andrea Paladino and Maryann Kocioliek who won their 2009 entries!
• Thank you for all the comments and suggestions. They will be very useful to the organizers as we endeavour to make the Mississauga Marathon presented by Canon the biggest and the best marathon event in Canada!

Participant Testimonials

“The volunteers were fantastic, very motivating, THANK YOU! It was a fantastic experience, one I will never forget!”

“I was very impressed with the organization of the entire event. The start, the personal belongings check, the hundreds of volunteers manning the water stations, the route, the finish and the return shuttle. By far the best organized race. Thanks!”

“I absolutely loved this race. I will recommend it to others for next year. It was very scenic and the environment was fantastic, as was the crowds of support!”

“I was impressed by the organization of the event and the treatment of the runners. The run itself was scenic, with a variety which made it challenging and beautiful to run.”

“What an amazing, uplifting, energizing experience...loved the cheerleaders along the way...no one ever cheered for me before!!! I am NOT an athlete...until now. Thanks!!”

“A well organized, great race. Well marked, and the volunteers were fantastic. The starting line was marked in a unique way, and it was an easy start and very relaxed, unlike most races. Bibs with our names on them is fantastic!”

“I was very impressed with this event. As a first time runner I was surprised at the level of spirit. The organization was excellent (flawless). Having Hazel kicking it off was fantastic. The actual Run was BEAUTIFUL. I will recommend it to friends!”

Labour Day Oakville Half – September 1, 2008

• The 2nd Labour Day Oakville Half will kick off the fall running calendar.
• New this year, along with the Half Marathon and 10K events there will also be a 2K Family Fun Run/Walk.
• The course highlights the Town of Oakville’s beautiful waterfront, quaint neighbourhoods and spectacular harbours. All 3 courses start and finish in Oakville’s Coronation Park.
• A one-day Runners Expo and Post Race food and refreshments are also scheduled as part of the weekend of activities.
• Registration is open online at www.oakvillehalfmarathon.com  Participants can also phone 905-949-1910 ext 235 for more information.
• Pledges raised from the event will support the Oakville Hospital Foundation, the Oakville YMCA and the Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada.
• Interested in Volunteering? We would love your help! Please visit the volunteer page on the website to sign up.