19 Aug TOWNE FITNESS RUNNERS GO ‘VIRTUAL’ IN SUPPORT OF FELLOW FRONT LINE WORKERS
Nothing like closing the doors to the gym, to bring our Towne Fitness Runners closer together! On March 22nd, 2020 the provincial government ordered the closure of all gyms [along with many other businesses] until further notice. Little did we know they would remain closed for four [4] months.
Over the course of those four months, our Towne Fitness Runners continued to support, motivate and inspire one another through posting their daily runs and activities on the Towne Fitness Runners Facebook Page. It was through this ‘community board’, that our runners continued to run, and they ran a lot!
Many of them had trained through the tough winter months [Dufferin County is not known for kind winter weather] in anticipation of spring half marathons and marathons and were soon disappointed as race cancellations were announced daily, including; Boston, Mississauga, Toledo and Chicago. Eventually, the entire 2020 race calendar was cancelled, globally.
The upside to the cancellation of races was the new-found popularity of the ‘virtual race’. This has opened the door to many runners who normally would not be able participate in weekend events, due to work and family commitments to sign up. Kim Ricci led the charge when she chose the ‘Nurses Are Heroes 5km Virtual Race’ in honor of our front-line workers in the group. Quick to follow Kim’s lead: Angela Gallie, Sarah Ricci, Caitlyn LaForm, Christine Kreuzhofen, Lisa Ward, Jennifer Moore, Jaclyn Goss, Leanne Williams, Amy Rayfield, Patricia Hunt, Carly Ferris, Andrea Davis and Hannah Sine.
And they didn’t stop there. For Amy Rayfield that meant running her very own Marathon around the back roads of Shelburne in place of participating in the Mississauga Marathon. Of course, she had the support of family, friends and fellow TF Runners and with them cheering her on, she completed her very first marathon distance of 42.2kms. Patricia Hunt ran the entire distance with her, making it Patricia’s second full marathon distance.
Naturally, the training has continued throughout the summer months with the ‘Virtual Fall Season’ just around the corner. Our Fall ‘Virtual Marathon’ lineup includes: Angela Gallie, Katie Komesarovic, Jen Moore, Andrea Davis, Patricia Hunt and Amy Rayfield are all signed up for the Scotiabank Toronto Virtual Marathon. Lisa Ward, Caitlyn LaForm and Leanne Williams are training for the Scotiabank Virtual Half Marathon. Christine Kreuzhofen is doing the half marathon distance on the same day her Clearwater Collingwood race was originally scheduled. As well, Angela, Katie, Jen and Leanne are also doing the Lululemon Virtual Half Marathon. Hannah Sine and Susan Richardson have their sites set on Boston, 2021. And yes, it is hard keeping track of them all!
Look up the word ‘camaraderie’ in the dictionary and I believe you will find “Towne Fitness Runners” mentioned. The original Towne Fitness Running group sprang to life six years ago with the introduction of the Beginners Running Group by gym owners, Hannah and Jeff Sine. It has since grown to 40+ members. If you are interested in participating in the group, please email info@townefitness.ca. You are not required to run races or commit to a weekly training schedule. You are however, required to have fun and be a ‘cheerleader’!
The Compass Run 4 Food Virtual Run 2020 is now open for registration and is our next ‘group’ event. If you are interested in joining Team Towne Fitness, sign up under our team name on the registration page. https://raceroster.com/events/2020/27065/compass-run-for-food-2020/teams Have some fun and help us make a difference in our community through fitness. #townefitnessrunners