I am going to confess… I have done this event in previous years and I have never been a big fan. But a running buddy was trying to fill up spaces on her team so I registered just as a favor to her.
The Santa Shuffle hasn’t been held since 2019 because of Covid restrictions . There was a lot of excitement in the air because of the opportunity to see friends that haven’t been seen for a couple of years. Personally I was looking forward to the new location and new route. Though I usually like running on the Riverfront Trail, I don’t enjoy running an out-and back there with a crowd when it is icy and/or snow covered. For that reason I was happy about the location change.
This year’s Start/ Finish Line was at the Salvation Army Church on Centennial Drive, right beside Centennial Park. The looped course included a section through Centennial Park and then a short section on the Northwest Trail before following the sidewalk on St. George Blvd. It was a blustery day but we only experienced short sections of head wind, but a lot of crosswinds.
I settled in with a few people from my run group for a moderate paced run. I had coerced my sister to run the event but I didn’t see her after we started running. An uphill section at the 1km mark was very challenging for me but I huffed and puffed my way to the top and tried not to look like I was dying. Though the wind was bitterly cold, I soon realized that I was overdressed but tried not to think about it. By the time we turned onto St. George Blvd, the runners were spaced out enough that there was not much danger of passing on the narrow sidewalk. There were occasional icy patches that necessitated detouring onto the grassy areas.
The final 1km was a gradual incline. Again I tried not to appear like I was dying but I am not sure that I was successful. At this point my sister caught us and she ran slightly ahead of me until the end. With only a few meters to go she slowed and looked back. I accepted the unspoken challenge and we sprinted to the Finish Line. What Fun! She beat me by a fraction of a second. Afterwards we recreated the sprint finish so a friend could capture it on video.
I am so glad that I gave this event another chance. There are so many things I enjoyed about this race.
- The location offers ample parking
- The route is a looped course.
- Hot chocolate and indoor bathrooms are always welcome at a winter race.
- It is a fun event and attracts people who just want to have an enjoyable walk or run.
- This event supports local charity.
- Santa Claus was there.
- Coloring pages were available. ( I think they were intended for the children. )
- Great opportunity to see friends and relatives.
- Great excuse to wear festive holiday gear and Jingle all the way.
- Did I mention… Santa?