Distance, weather mean Tely 10 is a race with ‘mystique’
For
many competitive runners, participating in Sunday’s Tely 10 Mile Road Race takes a little adjusting.
Adam Snow and Caroline McIlroy prefer other distances, but they’ll be ready for the province’s most popular road race that has drawn a record registration in its 85th year.
Snow says running the Tely 10 is always fun, but it does take its toll.
The Mount Pearl runner who plans to compete in his fifth Tely Sunday, finished 10th last year with a personal best time of 57:11.
He’s already competed in three 5K races this season along with one 10K and one 8K. He finished fourth overall in a field of 7,951 runners in an Ottawa 5K race last month.
The Tely 10 Mile Road Race is one of a very few 10-mile events in Canada. There’s a popular one in Ontario that attracts some big names because of the prize money.
“There’s definitely a mystique to the Tely,” said Snow, a member of Mercury Athletics. “Sometimes the hype can be a bit annoying because people don’t recognize the other races, but it’s so much fun and everyone looks forward to it. The whole running community comes together. It’s addictive and it’s a fun day.”
While Snow said the Tely 10 is a great race, he noted it’s also taxing on the body.
“It’s a great course and really well organized, but it will definitely wear and tear on you. I’ll take a week off after running the Tely,” he said.
“I mean, I’ll still do a little running, but I also do some hiking or swimming. Any kind of crosstraining helps you recover.”
While the course is predictable, the weather can be challenging.
“You’re so exposed,” said Snow, “especially next to the Village Mall. If there’s any kind of wind, that’s where you’ll find it. When you’re in Paradise, it could be extremely foggy and the weather could be completely different in St. John’s.
“I’ll check the weather, but it doesn’t man that much to me because everyone has to run in the same conditions.” A perfect day for Snow, like most runners, is “about 15 degrees with a tail wind.”
Snow said he’s more of a 5K runner, but he’s prepared for the 10-mile this year. “I’ve got the mileage behind me and I’m looking forward to it.
“I don’t feel any pressure because it’s not my distance, or at least that’s what I tell myself,” he added with a laugh. “I just go where the competition is.” McIlroy, the 2005 Tely 10 women’s champ who finished third in last year’s race, said the Tely 10 is unique in that “it’s like running a 10K, but packing on a 6K at the end. It’s sort of run at a 10K pace.”
McIlroy, named Memorial University’s most outstanding distance runner in 2012, competes in just about every length of race including cross-country, 5K, 8K, 10K, half marathon and full marathon, which is her favourite.
She said weather makes “a big difference,” especially if it’s really hot or there’s a strong head wind.
The most important thing is to prepare properly, said McIlroy who started her training abut 12 weeks ago will some hill work and then puts in some speed work on the track near the end of her training program, just before the race.
McIlroy, who is from Portugal Cove-St. Philips, said she wasn’t really happy with her Tely 10 performances the past five years, with a couple of exceptions. She clocked in at 1.00.03 last year, while her fastest time is 59.10 and her goal is to get under 59 minutes.
She said competition is a key factor in what time she clocks in, especially if there is someone close which makes it more of a head-tohead thing than just going for time.