Regina, SK Canada
April 28, 2024
http://www.marathonmatters.ca/race-together/gopher-attack
Apr 17, 2024
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Marathon Details - Gopher Attack Marathon
North America Marathons > Canada > SK > Regina > Gopher Attack MarathonGopher Attack Marathon & Half Marathon, 10K, 5K
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Reviews
Course 4.6 
Organization 4.8 
Spectators 2.4
Number of comments: 5
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Rob Klein from Paradise, Michigan
(4/20/2019)
 "Waving Wheat, Sun, & Wind" (about: 2019)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Gopher Attack Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was a new Marathon experience for me. For starters, this is a Good Friday marathon. So years ago I picked 2019 to participate, because Easter is late in April this year. But north of the border, in early spring, who knows what the weather will dole out? The pictures from earlier years showed runners dressed for snow and cold. This is the smallest of the three marathons in Saskatchewan, and Regina is the closest city for U.S. runners to drive to. The race director is an older fellow, and he was available and he connected with the runners. There is a published 5 hour time limit for this marathon, but they (the race staff) were accommodating. Having run only two weeks earlier in Milwaukee, I expected to be closer to six hours running, and the staff was so agreeable and pleasant to deal with. Check in was at a local running store, Track and Trail. I was there near the start, and I was in and out. The race was held at Wascana Park. Wascana is a development in town. It is kind of centered around a lake that was dug back during the Depression (used to just be a creek). There are developments situated in the park: the Provincial Legislature (Capitol), University of Regina, as well as other specialty organizations. And there are developed paths throughout the park; roads too. You might not think it from looking at the course-map, but there are 21 KM (13.1 miles) of a marathon course strung out from end-to-end, with so many curves and turns it is hard to keep track of them all. From a commons-type building that was ground zero for the marathon, the Provincial Capitol building was across the lake - with its huge copper-domed roof. One-hundred percent of this marathon was on concrete. The RD said if you end up on the grass or a trail, you are off the course. At the start we headed southeast and followed roads that turned right and left until we were at the University's research facility. There was an aid station there, and then we headed back. Passing ground zero, we headed in the opposite direction, kind of following the developed lakeshore for a while. We passed right in front of the Capitol, and then meandered behind, almost encircling the building. We got to see the Capitol from all sides and vantage points. It was a huge, enormous sized-arc. There were refreshments there too, we did another course reversal, then headed back to ground zero. Here the half runners exited the course, and the marathoners started their second pass over the course. The weather: In Canada, in the spring, who knows what you are going to get? I bet on warmer weather for late April ("warmer" being a relative term). First, there was no snow on the ground. And there was wheat waving in the fields driving up. Overnight was slightly above zero (Centigrade/Celsius scale), and was forecast to get up into the low 20's. That is somewhere around 70 F. In the morning there was not a cloud in the sky! Wow. A few high cirrus clouds moved in later, but except for a few shady spots on the route, there was direct sunlight. I was half-a** in applying sunscreen, so I got sunburned in places that should have been protected (but no blisters from the burn). The wind was nil early on and the lake was calm. Later, the wind was a small factor, but it got stronger by noon, and the lake, as small as it is, got stirred up. The area ducks and geese took it all in stride. The females are building nests right now, so the geese were, or could be, disagreeable & cross. The spacing of the aid stations might have been stretched a bit. We had fluids at ground zero, and at both ends; 4.5 KM going toward the University, and about 6 KM in the opposite direction. I carried fluids, and I am glad I did. Many runners did not. But after the heat of the day came, an extra fluid station would have been nice. The other thing is bathrooms. There were bathroom facilities at ground zero, but the powers that be (the Legislature, I was told) would not let the race committee put port-a-potties on the course. That is just one of those things that you have to accept. The other thing that I wanted to mention is that there was nothing handed out for carbs: no gel, no snacks, and no food of any kind. If you want to have gels - or other carbs - bring your own. That is what I did. One other thing: Part on the course is on roads with car traffic. We were cautioned ahead of time, but we are on a road with two or four lanes of car traffic, and again, the powers-that-be refused to let the race committee put up cones along the edge to alert drivers and protect the runners. Being a race director myself, I do not understand that thinking. But I look at it as being a guest in Canada, and I accept that this is how they want to work things out. And I think everybody made it safely to the finish line. A couple of words on Customs: Coming north, the officer was pleasant, but some of the questions he asked seemed silly to me. But I understand that he is just doing his job. Coming back into the U.S., the agent was more serious. Some of the same questions too. But he took a bag of clementines away from me that I had brought from home. He said, "you cannot bring them back into the U.S." But my bananas and apples were okay to bring back home. Go figure. In any case, they were efficient and on their game. This was a great opportunity to run in the north county. Just be open-minded and safe too. | |
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M. L. from Calgary
(4/4/2016)
 "low key but quality race" (about: 2016)
50+ previous marathons
| 3 Gopher Attack Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Pleasant two-loop course, friendly people, great aid stations and awesome volunteers. A nice way to spend Good Friday. | |
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P. T. from Saskatoon, SK
(4/19/2014)
 "Great run." (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Gopher Attack Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Wonderful early season run in a lovely location | |
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Mark Gretiener from Regina, Canada
(2/13/2010)
"Great first run" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Gopher Attack Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Super well organized, fun, excellent value. I love free photos and great shirts. It is also the first marathon of the season in Saskatchewan. | |
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J. R. from Regina
(4/11/2009)
"Fantastic organization and a really cute RD." (about: 2009)
50+ previous marathons
| 3 Gopher Attack Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 A great run through beautiful paths in the urban park. Amazing vistas, and great support by bikini-clad babes. Add it to your list for next Good Friday. |
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