BTGYYZ: The Running Community takes Toronto
I am beyond grateful to have had the chance to represent the On R/O/C crew at Bridge the Gap (BTG) in Toronto this year. The whirlwind weekend of events kicked off with Escape to Toronto, a 150km relay run from Niagara Falls to Toronto. It is difficult to do justice to the energy this unforgettable experience ignited in me, but I will try.
All photographs from Gophrette (2022), unless otherwise stated.
Parkdale Roadrunners clubhouse opened for the weekend in celebration of Bridge The Gap coming to Toronto..
BTG is a movement that brings together run crews from across the world. This annual gathering is centered around a race weekend, and this year Toronto’s Parkdale Roadrunners (PDRR) played host to the 2022 edition as runners prepared for the Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 16th, 2022. BTG is all about celebrating the running community and creating connections between runners with common values. No competition, no pressure, just big energy and a whole lot of love.
The invitation to represent the On R/O/C crew at BTG came early one weekday morning as I laced up to go for a run. With only a few hours to confirm and a vague understanding of the details, I quickly replied to On’s community lead Anoke with a big HELL YES. I knew this was something I wouldn’t want to miss.
Snapped on Heather’s iPhone: Evan, Andie, Murielle, and Heather from the R/O/C crew meet in person outside the PDRR Clubhouse.
Flash forward one week, and I was on a plane to Toronto with teammate Murielle. We chatted about our running goals and life goals, and guessed at what the weekend would be like. Evan and Andie, our other two R/O/C crew members, had flown from Calgary and Vancouver, respectively. Evan melted the awkwardness of the initial greeting by saying “I’m a hugger”, wrapping his arms around each of us like we were old friends. Looking back, this gesture foreshadowed how everything would unfold.
I was nervous to be a part of the Escape to Toronto ultra-relay. Unfamiliar social situations can be a trigger for my anxiety, and sleep-deprivation heightens that. Forty-something runners loaded into six white vans that would serve as transportation, nap locations, cheer stations, snack carriers, and clothing storage. Murielle, Andie, Evan, and I shared a van with three BTG veterans, and this 2-hour drive from Toronto to Niagara Falls helped ease my nerves as they welcomed us to the group. “Just keep an open mind” Anoke kept repeating as he explained in more detail how the next 24 hours would unfold. The 150km route from Niagara Falls to Toronto had been mapped out and divided into 10km legs, and we could run as few or as many legs as our bodies (and minds) could handle.
We arrived at the hotel well before the midnight start time of the run. I exchanged high-fives and introduced myself to other runners, quickly realizing that these people were unlike any I had ever encountered. We were all there for the same purpose: to connect. We devoured 16 pizzas in the hotel lobby, sharing the stories that had brought us to where we were. As we counted down to midnight, we snuck naps in vans, on restaurant floors, or in the two coveted hotel rooms booked for this purpose. Some of us slept more than others, but none would be left behind (not for long, anyway).
Runners resting in the hotel lobby in Niagara Falls, waiting to start the relay.
At midnight, we ran together. The energy was explosive as 40 runners traced the Niagara River toward the picturesque Horseshoe Falls. The deliberately relaxed pace of the run reflected the ultimate goal of BTG: this was not a competition, but an opportunity to cultivate relationships. We snapped a group photo, and then the journey to Toronto officially began. The crew cheered enthusiastically as the first group of runners took off. I climbed into Van 4 wondering if I would sleep this night (spoiler: not really).
The R/O/C Crew had agreed to run in the dead of night. It was 4:00 am as we waited at the start of Leg 6. Rocking our reflective gear, bright headlamps, and comfiest road shoes, we were jittery with excitement. We joined three other powerhouse runners for that 10 km segment, and I listened quietly as everyone talked. My body was feeling off, but I followed Evan’s lead and got into that runner’s state of mind as I welcomed the sounds of footsteps and friendly banter around me. I’m pretty sure it snowed at one point, and I crushed a couple crab apples along the route (“what was that!!”), but we made it through stronger than we started.
Most of the night was a blur, and I existed in that foggy state between sleep and wakefulness. By 6:00 am the pizza dinner was a thing of the distant past and we wondered if peanut butter pretzel balls and chocolate covered almonds we had been eating all night counted as breakfast. The sun had risen and I geared up to run another leg of the relay. The crew took a collective breath at a beautiful beach somewhere near Hamilton, Ontario. Daylight brought with it a second wind for me, and my grogginess faded. We smiled the whole run, even during the hail storm that hit for a brief but impactful 3 minutes.
What astounded me most through this experience was the way the energy never wavered. Whether it was the dead of the night or the sun was shining, each leg of the relay was met with a tunnel of high fives and lively applause. Headlamps and reflective vests were exchanged, and the next group of runners departed with equal shouts of encouragement. We had all made the decision to dive into this experience together and nothing could stop us. We had a mutual understanding of the significance of each step we took together, where the first hour of the run was as important as the fifteenth.
As we barreled down the last 500 meters of road together toward the Princes’ Gates in Toronto, the sore legs and sleep deprivation became irrelevant. We had accomplished this together, each of our strides bringing us to this enthralling moment. We dug deep for those last ounces of energy to scream our love to the camera in a final group photo. More high fives and warm hugs were shared; we had been transformed by this experience into from a group of strangers into old friends.
