‘Around the Bay Road Race’ returns after two years

Race day has come and gone after a two-year wait. The ‘Around the Bay Road Race’ took place Sunday as sixty-five hundred runners and walkers laced up in these chilly temperatures to compete, and one local woman from Hamilton took the top spot.

Just after 9:30 Sunday morning the runners embarking on the 30-kilometre race took off, then 15 minutes later those taking part in the 5k hit the pavement.

Those in the 30k race made their way through Hamilton, under the Skyway bridge, back around through Burlington, and eventually finishing at First Ontario Centre.

Taking the top female spot in the 30k race is a local runner, Victoria Coates from Hamilton, and while she’s done the 5k before this was her first time running in the 30k Around the Bay. Finishing at just over one hour and fifty minutes.

It was a smaller scale race due to the pandemic, with only 6500 participants, fewer volunteers which meant fewer water stations for the runners and just a few people in the stands at the finish line.

The ‘Around the Bay Road Race’ raised 275 thousand dollars this year for St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation. The money will go towards the expansion of mental health services and a new ct suite in the emergency department.

Preparations for next year’s race will begin shortly, they are hopeful they will be back at capacity both with participants and with spectators.