Contributor: Cameron, edited by Harold
Synopsis:
Absolutely stunning route, fall colours were out and lovely to look at! Lots of local people cheering you on at various spots.
Event Name, Date: The County Marathon / October-1, 2023
Event Location: Wellington/Picton
Briefly describe the overall venue & course:
It’s a small race so not a lot of vendors but great Reid’s dairy chocolate milk at the end. The course is fairly flat but a few hilly sections from KM 30-38.
How was the weather? :
Unexpectedly hot, about 27-30 degrees by 10 am.
My Race Experience:
Felt great until about KM 30 and then I started getting horrible cramps in my calves and quads but I persevered through the pain. Had to run a slower pace for the last 10km.
Finish time was 4hrs 1min and 38 seconds.
Would you do this event again?
Yes I would because the course is beautiful and it’s nice to have less people then the big city races.
Would you recommend this event?
Absolutely. Aside from the water situation it was very well organized and a great community of people.
Closing thoughts. Any hints for others planning to do this race? Where to stay? Things to bring? What to wear? :
We stayed in Belleville, it took about 25 mins to drive to the starting location Wellington, much more affordable then staying in Picton. If you stay there, get your pre race dinner at Linguines, great food and great for a carb load.
Bring a hydration pack in case they run out of water and lots of fuel. It was hot, so a T-shirt and shorts were fine.
Other Venue Info: The County Marathon and Half Marathon are public events. Both races are Boston Qualifying races, and are accurately measured, certified courses. The Ultra 50: is accreted measured, but falls outside of the certification protocols used for the Full and Half.
Overall Venue Rating: :
4 – Great
Please rate the course:
5 – Excellent
Please rate the aid stations:
2 – Okay
What was provided at the aid stations?:
Gatorade and water (they ran out of water by KM 26 though). Gu gels at KM 20 and 30. 1 porta-potty at each station.
Run K2J 