Niagara Falls Blog

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Niagara Falls International Marathon this weekend
The Niagara Falls International Marathon is back! It started out as the “Skylon Marathon” when it made its debut in 1974, and since then it has grown to be a destination marathon that crosses an international border, providing the runners with an experience of a lifetime. It is the only marathon that starts in one country and finishes in another.
This year, the Niagara Falls International Marathon is on Sunday, October 26th, 2014.
Race Date and Start Times
Sunday, October 26th, 2014

Marathon – 10:00am
Half-Marathon Run/Walk – 10:00am
10km Run – 9:00am
5km Run – 8:30am
2km Run – 9:30am
School Challenge – 8:00am

Marathon Course (42.2 km)

The Niagara Falls International Marathon starts by the Albright-Knox Gallery in Buffalo N.Y. The first 6.5km (4 miles) of the race travel the beautiful majestic parkways of Buffalo before crossing the Peace Bridge into the historic old town of Fort Erie, Ontario. The route then follows the beautiful Niagara River Parkway and finishes at the magnificent Niagara Falls.
We are the only marathon in the world that starts in one country and finishes in another. The course is considered flat and fast and has hosted two USA men’s Olympic marathon trials in 1980 and again in 1984, along with the World Veteran’s Games marathon in 1995.
The Marathon course is a Boston Qualifier.
The course will be closed after 7 hours. By 4:00 pm, all participants in all races will be asked to move to the recreational trail as the roads will be open to traffic. Please note the marathon is officially over at 5:00pm; there will be no finish line after this time.

For more information on the Full Marathon, including a map of the route click here.

Half Marathon Course (21.1 km)

The Half Marathon starts at the 21.09km (13.1mile) point of the full Marathon. The runners follow the beautiful Niagara River Parkway and finish at the same finish line of the Marathon, above the magnificent Niagara Falls.
The Half Marathon course is flat for the first 17.6km (11 miles) and has a 55 foot drop over the remaining 3.36km (2.1 miles). It is considered one of the fastest half marathon courses in the country.
For more information on the Half Marathon, including a map of the route click here.

10km Run Course

The 10km race is an “out and back” course that will start at the Upper Rapids Boulevard parking lot and head north towards the Niagara Parkway. Participants will make a right onto the Niagara Parkway, cross the Chippawa Bridge, turn left onto Bridgewater Street and then make a loop at the 4.5 kilometer marker located just past Service Road 30 on the Niagara Parkway. Participants will then follow the Niagara Parkway back to the Finish Line located in front of the Toronto Power Generating Station National Historic Site of Canada.
For more information on the 10K race, including a map of the route click here.

5km Run Course

The 5km race is an “out and back” course that starts at the Upper Rapids Boulevard parking lot and will head north towards the Niagara Parkway. Participants will make a right onto the Niagara Parkway, cross the Chippawa Bridge, turn left onto Bridgewater Street and then make a loop at the 2 kilometer marker to follow the Niagara Parkway back to the Finish Line located in front of the Toronto Power Generating Station National Historic Site of Canada .

For more information on the 5K race, including a map of the route click here.

2km Run Course

The 2km race starts on the west side of the Upper Rapids Boulevard parking lot heading south, making a loop at Portage Road to then head back up the east side of Upper Rapids Boulevard. Participants will then turn left to follow the Niagara Parkway back to the Finish Line located in front of the Toronto Power Generating Station National Historic Site of Canada.
For more information on the 2K race, including a map of the route click here.

Buses to Start

Marathon:
Buses will transport participants in the Marathon to the start line located at the Albright Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, NY. Buses will begin leaving from the Crowne Plaza Hotel (5685 Falls Avenue, Niagara Falls, ON.) at 7:30am with the last bus leaving at 8:00am. Those who arrive after this time will be required to find their own transportation. The trip takes approximately 40 minutes.
*Note: All participants must have a valid Passport, Drivers License or Nexus Card to enter the US and participate in the marathon. You will need to show your passport to cross the border on race day.

Half Marathon Run and Walk:

Buses will transport participants in Half-Marathon Run/Walk to the start line located at the halfway mark of the marathon along the Niagara Parkway. Buses will begin leaving from the Crowne Plaza Hotel (5685 Falls Avenue, Niagara Falls, ON.) at 8:00am with the last bus leaving at 8:45am. Those who arrive after this time will be required to find their own transportation. The trip takes approximately 20 minutes.

Post Shuttles

Complimentary shuttles will be provided near the finish line area and are tentatively scheduled as follows:
7:30am – 12:00pm – From the Upper Rapids Blvd Bus Loop to Dufferin Islands and back
12:00pm – 3:30pm – From the Table Rock Bus Loop to the Crowne Plaza and back

Packet Pick-Up

Race kits (consisting of your bib number, timing chip, shirt and goody bag) can be picked up at the RunFEST Expo located at the Niagara Square Shopping Centre:
Friday, October 24 – 1:00pm – 7:00pm
Saturday, October 25 – 9:30am – 5:30pm
**Marathoners must clear Canadian Customs & Immigration before receiving their bib number (ID will be required at this time). You must be able to pick up your own number!
The Niagara Falls International Marathon has information on Customs & Immigration by clicking here.

On the Course

Runners will feel the excitement and enthusiasm of the many volunteers and spectators along the course, making them welcome to both the USA and Canada.
The Niagara Falls International Marathon will feature on the course:

WATER:

Water will be provided at the Start and Finish lines as well as kilometre 3.2, 6.4, 9.6, and every 1.6km after (miles 2, 4, 6, and every mile after).

GATORADE:

Gatorade is the official replacement drink of the Niagara Falls International Marathon and will be served at all 25 refreshment stations along the race route.

WASHROOMS:

Toilets will be provided at the start and finish lines, as well as every 1.6km from 9.6km onward (every mile from Mile 6 onward).

MEDICAL:

Medical units will be located at the start as well as mobile units along the race course. Official Race Vehicles, sponsored by GM Trucks will also be used to transport runners to the finish line who have dropped out of the race.

What Awaits You

Upon crossing the Finish Line, all participants will receive a medal, mylar blanket, water, Gatorade and food. Please take the opportunity to visit the Official Race Apparel Tent.

Official Website

I did the Niagara Falls International Marathon last year in 2013 and wrote about my experience leading up to it, including writing about my post-marathon experience. It included my training leading up to it, right to how I got started running to begin with. If you wish to have a read, it’s broken down to a 7 part series of blogs:
Post-marathon experience
Blog#1 leading up to the Marathon.
Blog#2 leading up to the Marathon.
Blog#3 leading up to the Marathon.
Blog#4 leading up to the Marathon.
Blog#5 leading up to the Marathon.
Blog#6 leading up to the Marathon.
Looking for hotel accommodations?
We still have some availability that is going fast for this weekend’s race! You can walk to the bus pick-up in front of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in 2 minutes from the Comfort Inn Clifton Hill. Click on the photo below to be directed to our hotel site:

Christine Lynn

clynn@cliftonhill.com

www.cliftonhill.com

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It has been just over 1.5 months since I decided to take the plunge and begin marathon training for my first ever full marathon. To do a full marathon has been on my bucket list since I began running only 2 years ago, but I actually assumed it would be 4 or 5 years down the road, even after completing a few half marathons and the “Around the Bay” 30K road race just this past March in Hamilton, ON. The reason being? Running has become a lifestyle in that I have followed the same routine of running to stay fit 5 days a week, 10K at a time. I have never decreased or increased my mileage — even on the days leading up to my big races! Last year, I saw pictures of the Niagara Falls International Marathon and vowed to do the half marathon. Then I got thinking about it. I love the feeling of crossing the finish line…the rush, the excitement, the sense of accomplishment. There’s no time like the present right? And so began my marathon training. This is my third blog pertaining to my marathon training for the Niagara Falls International Marathon. Here are my first two:
Niagara Falls International Marathon: My Journey to take on 42.4 Kilometres
Niagara Falls Running: 14.5 weeks to go until the big day!
As you may have already read on my previous blogs, I loosely follow marathon training guides. I will say this though — when I ran the “Around the Bay” 30K road race I felt like walking by the 26K mark. When I crossed the finish line my legs cramped right up and I needed help to get up off the ground. It was then that I discovered the importance of staying hydrated to avoid muscle cramping. When you run any kind of great distance it is inevitable that you will be sore, but in long runs you need fluid (whether it be from water or sports energy drinks) to keep in optimal performance. The warning signs of dehydration include muscle soreness, feeling faint or light-headed with standing, rapid heart rate, sunken eyes, dry mouth, feeling very thirsty or a dull headache. Here is a tip that really helped me, that I will share with you in determining how much water you roughly will need to consume during your marathon training:
*Estimate your sweat rate by weighing yourself nude first and then run for 1 hour at your expected race pace. Do not drink during this run, so keep it within 10K or so. At the end of the run, strip down, towel yourself off and reweigh yourself nude. The difference in your weight in ounces is your estimated sweat rate. No more than that amount of water that you lost should be replaced within each hour of your race.* For me, this advice has helped a lot. I am fueled adequately, while not over-fueling either. There is nothing worse than water sloshing around in your stomach during a run.
Since my previous post a couple of weeks ago, I have added a few more tweaks to my marathon training. Firstly, while not completely adjusting my diet as I already eat fairly clean, I added chia seeds into almost everything that I cook. The chia seed is a high quality protein source, and if you are a vegan or eat primarily a diet composed of fruits and vegetables (like myself) they are an excellent addition to your diet. It contains soluable and insoluable fiber, which aids in digestion. It is also highly rich in antioxidants and is one of the most concentrated sources of omega-3 essential fatty acids. It has been labelled a “superfood” for many reasons, and click here for an article via Huffington Post that breaks down 10 benefits of chia seeds. I get my seeds from the Bulk Barn. 2 scoops cost me $16, but it’s a small price to pay for the benefits of the wonder seed.
I do not use the fact that I have a wild and crazy 2 year-old at home get in the way of my marathon training. Sure you have to make sacrifices such as perhaps shorter runs than you anticipated or more cross-training days than running days that you can do from home, but I do what I can, when I can do it. For me, I have been doing 10K-12K runs 4 days a week in the evening when my husbands gets home from work. I set aside approximately 1 hour to get this done — with most runs averaging between 45-55 minutes long. Sunday mornings at 7:30 am when everyone is still asleep, is when I do my long run of the week. One day of the week I do weight training. I don’t have a gym membership, I simply use free weights at home for approximately 45 minutes.
Again, this is what works for me. The Running Room has an excellent customized training program for every distance you are training for, if you wish to follow a set training guide and can stick to it. I just found that between my work schedule, my husband’s work schedule and juggling a very active toddler, I became my own personal trainer.
I leave this blog with a little inspirational video that was sent to me from a friend that I loved. I hope for anyone thinking of registering for the Niagara Falls International Marathon or any race for that matter — 5K to an Ironman, that it helps put a little mojo in your step too.
If you have enjoyed this blog or feel that it may help to encourage someone to give running a go, share this blog!
Thanks for reading and I look forward to sharing my marathon training experiences with you.

Christine
www.cliftonhill.com
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