Race Report by Judy. Pictures by Dan Pak.
The short version. Great local race put it on your calendar for next year!
The inaugural Ciderwinders 5K was held on July 22nd at 1818 Farm & Cidery. The race was a fundraiser for the Dave Smith Youth Treatment Centre a non-profit, live-in, and community-based agency that is dedicated to helping youth (13-21) and families across Ontario overcome substance use and related issues and to achieve a healthier lifestyle.
We paid a $50 entry fee and in return we received a well run event with a certified course, chip timing, a commemorative glass and a post race sandwich and cider. There were also cash prizes for the top three men and women.
The race started and ended at 1818 Farm & Cidery on Richardson Side Road 4 minutes from Tanger Outlets. I had never been there. It’s a really nice set-up with a big indoor and outdoor eating area, fresh farm produce and a restaurant. Nice views out over the apple trees too.
There was advance race kit pick up at Bushtukah but I picked my race kit up on site before the event. Pick-up was easy and well organized.
The race was all on well packed gravel roads and paths. But it’s still a road shoe kind of surface. The course was out and back with two water stops along the way. If it had been warmer we would have needed them but it cooled down a little just for the race. Everything was well marked and there were lots of volunteers pointing the way.
Post race there was food and door prizes including one of Fiona’s very special quilts made with your running shirts! I won some interesting shower gel from lush as a draw prize.
Overall it was a very friendly and social event with some respectable runners. The winning men’s time was 16.06 and the women’s winner ran 18.15. Not everyone was that fast and almost everyone stayed to cheer the last runners in.
Definitely worth putting on your calendar for 2027. Thanks to Bushtukah and 1818 Farm & Cidery for Sponsoring and to Ottawa West Rotary for supplying volunteers.
Run K2J 