It won’t be an easy course to complete, says long-distance runner Jon Balabuk, gearing up for Sunday’s Miles With the Giant marathon.
But it is spectator-friendly, and that’s what really counts, said Balabuk, a five-time Firefighters Ten Mile Road Race champion and the city’s best hope to produce a marathon champion this weekend.
Balabuk has been looking forward to the race all summer and called it a great addition to the local racing calendar.
“I think it’s going to be a good event which we can build on,” he said in a phone interview earlier this week.
“I think it’s great to have a world-class event no longer just at our doorstep, but inside our house now.”
Though he thinks he’ll be hard pressed to win with a couple of Kenyans and Winnipeg’s Mike Booth, a four-time Manitoba Marathon champion, in the field, he’s given the 13.1-mile course a couple of trials and likes what he saw.
“It’s definitely geared toward spectators. It’s spectator-friendly over runner-friendly, which in my mind is kind of the way to go if you design a course now,” Balabuk said. “Runners will show up regardless, but the spectators like to see people two, three or four times.
“It will be good because it will spread out. Runners will get spread out too, but you’ll still stay in contact with people at all times.”
The course, which begins on Water Street and eventually circles runners around Boulevard Lake after a trip through the downtown north core, will provide plenty of challenges, Balabuk said.
“It’s definitely not flat, by any means,” he said. “It’s rolling, I guess you could say. Hopefully it’s not super hot because there are a couple of hills in there that have been thrown in for good measure.”
Race organizer Barry Streib said the race has been years in the making. Adding in the half marathon and the five-kilometre race, he believes it could be the biggest race in Thunder Bay history.
The interest has come from far and wide, with more than 800 registered at press time.
It hasn’t been easy getting to race day, as fun as it’s been, he said.
“There’s a lot of pressure. We’ve been working on this thing for the past two years, from the time we went to the City of Thunder Bay to meet with the various departments to make sure we could do the kind of race we wanted to, to (now). A lot of work has been put into this to get it ready,” Streib said.
“We’re feeling comfortable going into the race weekend.”
Drivers should be aware that portions of Fort William Road, Water, Cumberland, Villa and Court streets, Gibson Avenue and Arundel Street will be closed between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The marathon and half marathon are scheduled to start at 8 a.m., with the five-kilometre race slated for 8:20 a.m.
But it is spectator-friendly, and that’s what really counts, said Balabuk, a five-time Firefighters Ten Mile Road Race champion and the city’s best hope to produce a marathon champion this weekend.
Balabuk has been looking forward to the race all summer and called it a great addition to the local racing calendar.
“I think it’s going to be a good event which we can build on,” he said in a phone interview earlier this week.
“I think it’s great to have a world-class event no longer just at our doorstep, but inside our house now.”
Though he thinks he’ll be hard pressed to win with a couple of Kenyans and Winnipeg’s Mike Booth, a four-time Manitoba Marathon champion, in the field, he’s given the 13.1-mile course a couple of trials and likes what he saw.
“It’s definitely geared toward spectators. It’s spectator-friendly over runner-friendly, which in my mind is kind of the way to go if you design a course now,” Balabuk said. “Runners will show up regardless, but the spectators like to see people two, three or four times.
“It will be good because it will spread out. Runners will get spread out too, but you’ll still stay in contact with people at all times.”
The course, which begins on Water Street and eventually circles runners around Boulevard Lake after a trip through the downtown north core, will provide plenty of challenges, Balabuk said.
“It’s definitely not flat, by any means,” he said. “It’s rolling, I guess you could say. Hopefully it’s not super hot because there are a couple of hills in there that have been thrown in for good measure.”
Race organizer Barry Streib said the race has been years in the making. Adding in the half marathon and the five-kilometre race, he believes it could be the biggest race in Thunder Bay history.
The interest has come from far and wide, with more than 800 registered at press time.
It hasn’t been easy getting to race day, as fun as it’s been, he said.
“There’s a lot of pressure. We’ve been working on this thing for the past two years, from the time we went to the City of Thunder Bay to meet with the various departments to make sure we could do the kind of race we wanted to, to (now). A lot of work has been put into this to get it ready,” Streib said.
“We’re feeling comfortable going into the race weekend.”
Drivers should be aware that portions of Fort William Road, Water, Cumberland, Villa and Court streets, Gibson Avenue and Arundel Street will be closed between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The marathon and half marathon are scheduled to start at 8 a.m., with the five-kilometre race slated for 8:20 a.m.
