Fangliang Xu, Centretown News
Canada Army Run participants take off from the start line on Elgin Street for the 5K race. This year, some 25,000 people took part by running, walking or rolling through the five-kilometre and half-marathon races.This past weekend, the military occupation of Ottawa marked its seventh year as the Canada Army Run marched through the rain-soaked streets of the capital in record numbers.
Despite an early Sunday morning downpour, 25,000 soldiers and civilians ran in the annual charity event. With an increase of 3,000 participants from last year and 18,000 since it first began in 2008, many are calling the run the fastest growing race in Canada.
“It’s more than just a race,” says Army Run director Maj. Gus Garant.
“When this event was designed seven years ago, it was for the military to thank Canadians for their support” for Canada’s mission in Afghanistan, and in recognition of the soldiers killed or injured overseas.
“When we saw how much the Canadian population embraced us, we decided to do an event where we would thank them. It’s successful in the way that both the military and Canadians see it as an opportunity to thank each other.”
Garant remembers his time stationed in Halifax, when soldiers would head to Ottawa for a chance to participate and rave about the time they had had once they returned.
It’s all in line with the ties between the military and physical fitness, which Garant says typically “go hand in hand.”
The Canada Army Run carries this theme into its sponsored charities, Soldier On and the Military Families Fund.
The former assists injured and disabled veterans in continuing their active lifestyles, while the latter supports the families of veterans coping with unexpected losses.
Over its seven-year history, the event has raised more than $800,000 for the two causes.
Without Soldier On, veteran Master Corp. Natacha Dupuis would not have run this race. After returning from serving in Bosnia and Afghanistan, she worked through a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder with the Soldier On network and has since completed the Canada Army Run three times.
“It’s a run of hope. When you’re running with all the other ill and injured soldiers, it’s very motivating to see we’re not giving up,” she says.
Adds Garant: “We put a lot of emphasis on injured soldiers, they’re up front. To see them being cheered on, to be able to run, walk, or roll our event with their disability . . . you get personally touched by that. You say, ‘Wow. This is a great event.’ ”
Popularity comes with its own challenges, however. The Canada Army Run has turned to the organizers of Ottawa Race Weekend, the largest running event in Canada with some 40,000 participants, to help manage the operation.
Staggered starts and carefully marked routes are necessities to prevent pile-ups of runners from impeding the flow. Both the five-kilometre and half-marathon runs departed from city hall and returned for the finish line.
The size of the event can be a bit daunting for some. While Carleton University student Benjamin Doyle is excited about running the half-marathon (even hoping to out-run a few soldiers), he admits to some trepidation before the race.
“The start line is going to be pretty intimidating,” says the 20-year-old Humanities student, “but in the race, having a lot of people is a good motivator to finish strongly. I’m sure the crowd will give me energy.”
Garant is not concerned about his performance, though he is closely watching the finish line.
“There are people who set goals and seeing their big smiles, when they cross the finish line, seeing their friends and families hugging them brings almost a tear to your eye,” says Garant.
“I’m not a very emotional guy, but I saw that last year when I was crossing the finish line. The sheer fact of them setting their goal and finishing it’s quite touching.”