Running News Daily

Four reasons fall is the best time to race

There is nothing quite like the fall racing season, and now is the perfect time to sign up.

Every season has its pros and cons for running, but let’s be honest: fall takes the cake. In fall, it’s rarely too warm or too cold, there’s a fresh feeling and smell to the air, and you can’t beat the fall colors. If you don’t have a fall race on your calendar yet, now is the perfect time to sign up and start training so you can ace your race.

Here are four reasons why fall is the best time to race.

Ideal temperatures

After dealing with hot, humid runs all summer, nothing feels more refreshing than the cooler temperatures fall brings. Doing workouts or racing in the fall feels about 10 times easier, thanks to the cooler weather. After training in the heat all summer, your body will be acclimatized to warm conditions; so on a cooler race day, you’ll see better results.

A plethora of races

If you’ve been training all summer and still haven’t registered for a fall race, don’t worry. There are many fall races across Canada, from the beginning of September to the end of November. There are plenty of half marathons, 10K’s and 5K’s taking place all across Canada this fall, check out our Canadian Race Guide for upcoming races in your province. 

The fall season is the perfect time to put all your summer training on display and to watch your hard work pay off.

The best time for marathons

For marathoners, there are four Abbott World Majors within a six-week span: Berlin, London (which is back to its usual fall schedule this year), Chicago and New York, plus three Canadian marathons (in Montreal, Quebec City and Toronto). Fall is when you finally get to see your training partners and favorite elites throw down at some of the biggest marathons in Canada and around the world.

Beautiful scenery

Is there anything more scenic than a fall race as the leaves start changing color? The smell of the cool air and the crunch of the leaves under your feet is satisfying as it gets. Plus, it makes for great race photos.