Hamilton’s Around the Bay road race returns with in-person field for 2022

The director of the iconic Around the Bay Road Race says organizers are a little nervous about this weekend’s return after two years of modified events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anna Lewis hopes everyone involved will remember all the things they used to do when the annual event returns to its familiar format on Sunday.

“Everything looks great, but it did in 2020, in the beginning of March as well. We had no idea this was going to come and hit us in 2020,” Lewis recalled of the outright cancellation of the race two years ago.

Lewis says a number of COVID-19-related protocols have been dropped for the 128th edition of the race but the event did streamline participation through registration limits.

“We had to limit participation because we thought there might be waves and we would have to stretch out the starting line process,” said Lewis.

Runners had the option of entering either an in-person or a virtual race Sunday, with the in-person field expected to be around 6,000 runners and the online contingent about 1,000.

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Those taking on the in-person event will see the return of the ominous Heartbreak Hill – a 500-metre hill at the 26-kilometre mark of the 30-kilometre route.

“I think people really enjoy the challenge, but also the achievement … when you conquer that hill,” Lewis said.

“So it certainly is a love-hate relationship, but I think it’s a good one.”

City of Hamilton staff have confirmed construction of the Valley Inn Road bridge will be completed before race day. The 58-year-old structure over Grindstone Creek was replaced after closing in late 2019 after failing an inspection.

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Organizers revealed there were “some issues” with recruitment this year in connection with demographics hesitant to sign up due to the pandemic.

With that, the event will now only feature a pair of water stations, unlike the typical eight seen in previous years.

“So everyone should be mindful of that and incorporate a hydration strategy for just two water stations,” Lewis said.

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The Health & Fitness Expo has also been streamlined to a Race Packet Pick Up with a few sponsor booths.

Historically a half-million-dollar fundraiser for St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, the network is hoping to raise $225,000 to expand emergency mental health services and make room for a CT scanner for the emergency department.

City crews will be temporarily shutting down and implementing lane restrictions on a number of Hamilton roadways on Sunday, March 27.

The temporary closures include:

• York Boulevard, Plains Road to Queen Street from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• York Boulevard, Queen Street to Bay Street from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Bay Street, York Boulevard to King Street from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Burlington Street (eastbound), Parkdale Avenue to Woodward Avenue from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

HSR routes 2 Barton, 3 Cannon, 4 Bayfront, 6 Aberdeen, 7 Locke, 8 York, 11 Parkdale and 41 Mohawk will detour on Sunday, March 27 starting at 5:30 a.m. and running until 4 p.m.