Social Media: Quite poor, to be honest, but I’ve come to not expect too much from community races. On Twitter, @CohoRun has only tweeted 5 times in 2016, and there was nothing in the 2 weeks leading up to the race. However, we had detailed email communication prior, so that was sufficient.

Package Pickup: Quick and straightforward table pickup at the North Face on 4th Ave. No fuss, no muss.

T-Shirt/Swag: No medal for the Coho Run, but we got a simple black t-shirt with the Coho Run logo on it. The North Face shirt style is a bit boxy for me, but better than the oversized white t-shirt I got back in 2010!

Course: Gorgeous scenery, of course. Beach to bridge to beach to bridge to beach – unbeatable! The slog up Merilees Trail in Stanley Park was challenging, but there was really no other way to do it. I feel like something could be done to improve the congestion at the start, but I’m not sure what. The diversion on Burrard Bridge was unfortunate, but unavoidable. All in all, a pretty fabulous course. There were two water stations, which was just right.

Post-Race: Combined with the Coho Festival, there was lots to do! There was a free pancake breakfast & coffee for runners (although I chose to go for brunch instead), and lots of family activities at the festival. Rather than stick around, we bussed home for a relaxing afternoon.

Organization: Some of the kilometre markings seemed out of whack, but my watch was precisely 14k at the finish, so I guess it was alright…I suppose the last-minute course changes might have had an impact. Overall, a very well-organized smaller community event.

Would I run it again? Probably, although I find that there are a lot of races taking place in the early fall – so I’m going to plan carefully before deciding next year. So it’s a definite maybe at this stage. Still – it’s a great distance and a well-organized run, so I would still recommend it!

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