For the past 48 years, London’s Springbank Park has been host to the Springbank Road Races. This fall, the event is moving its date by a couple of weeks to October 2. This year will mark the 49th running of this historic event.
The beginning years of Springbank International Road Races featured distances included a men’s 12 mile, a women’s 4.5 mile, and a high school 3 mile that covered the scenic roads of Springbank Park. Over the years, race distances have evolved to a 10 and 20k and currently a 5k, half marathon (21.1k) and 2.1k family-friendly event. But some things have not changed over the history of the event: the beautiful location, a great level of competition, and amazing community support.
Springbank Road Races have seen some of the greatest runners in the world grace the roads and paths over the years. Its International days in the seventies saw such runners as Bill Rogers, Frank Shorter, Ron Hill, Miruts Yifter, Abby Hoffman, Jerome Drayton, Francie Larrieu, Alberto Salazar and many more race in Springbank Park. More recently the event has become a showcase of National and regional talent as they make their way to the international stage, such as Lanni Marchant and Leslie Sexton.
We are looking forward to the next two years as we approach the 50th Anniversary of this great event. The move to early October will allow for better preparation for the runners over the summer months and cooler weather to make for ideal race conditions. Come join this historic event in our very own Springbank Park by either participating, volunteering, or simply coming out to cheer on and see some of the best runners in the country. Visit www.londonroadraces.ca.
Story submitted by Runners’ Choice
