BOXING DAY 10-MILER, HAMILTON

ONT. Dec. 26, 2018

This year marks the 98th annual of the Boxing Day 10-Miler. Yes, you read that correctly, this humble post-Christmas run in the working-class town of Hamilton, Ont., also happens to be one of the longest running races in the world.

Race day can be brutally cold, and there’s one fierce hill on the course, but this annual holiday tradition attracts a healthy field (usually about 800 runners), and usually a Canadian elite or two toe the line. In 2017, Olympian Matt Hughes won the race, and Reid Coolsaet came in third.

The race is old enough that it has even been called to stand in as a movie double for another legendary run, the Boston Marathon, during the filming of the period movie Saint Ralph.

The 2020 edition of the 10-miler is bound to be special, as it will become one of the few Canadian races to celebrate its centennial.

I love the Boxing Day 10-Miler. It has an old school vibe about it, and reminds me of the races I used to go to as a kid with my family. It has tradition and history – no frills, no hype, just a bunch of runners lacing up their shoes and running hard on Boxing Day. You get soup and bananas at the finish. It’s a simple, charming race that has been around forever, and probably always will be. I hope to get back on that course soon.— Rob Watson, three-time winner, Vancouver