Under sunny skies and with the temperature just a few degrees below zero, if Ottawa’s seventh annual Hypothermic Half Marathon didn’t quite live up to its fearsome name, nobody seemed to mind.
“Thankfully we didn’t have -18 like last year,” said event organizer Phil Marsh.
Almost 400 participants, some from Montreal, Toronto and New York state, assembled at Tunney’s Pasture yesterday morning to run or walk four laps of a course through the federal government campus. The Hypothermic Half, held across Canada, is organized by The Running Room.
Mike Crawford, 38, of Maitland said he finds winter running more pleasant because it’s easier to regulate his body temperature. He also enjoyed the camaraderie of fellow runners.
“It was fabulous, he said. “It was a very social run.”
Runner Ed Binggeli, who runs with a GPS, was surprised when it showed the route to be a little longer than advertised, 22 km instead of 21.1, but had praise for the course itself.
Proceeds from the run go to the Ottawa Hospital’s Stan and Mary Marsh Endowment Fund.
