Cabot Trail Relay draws thousands of runners to Cape Breton

Cabot Trail Relay draws thousands of runners One of the most punishing and grueling races in the Maritimes wrapped up in Cape Breton on Sunday. CTV's Kyle Moore reports.

One of the most punishing and grueling races in the Maritimes wrapped up in Cape Breton on Sunday.

It was a party-like atmosphere in Baddeck on Sunday morning, as runners made a dash towards the finish line, marking the end of the 2019 Cabot Trail Relay, one of the largest and most popular running events in Eastern Canada.

“It was pretty cool, knowing once I was at the top of the hill I could see the water, you start to hear the crowd, it was a pretty incredible feeling,” says Gavin Hathaway, a member of the relay winning Halifax Road Hammers.

Not only did the Halifax group capture the title for the second straight year, they did it in record breaking fashion, with a time of 16:10:24, shaving nearly 15 minutes off of last year’s winning time.

“You know you’re close to the record, you’re looking at your watch the whole time, you feel like crap but you know you have to run fast,” describes Hathaway. “Then you come down the hill, you see the crowd of people and it just gets louder and louder; you see your teammates, people you don’t even know high-fiving, it’s unparalleled to any race I’ve ever competed in.”

The 31st annual Cabot Trail Relay kicked off early Saturday morning, lasting all day and through the night. Runners from across the country flocked to Cape Breton this weekend to participate in the 24-hour long race, which has earned a reputation as a bucket-list event.

In all, runners travelled nearly 300 kilometres as a team, enjoying some of the Cabot Trail’s beautiful scenery along the way.

But as they enjoy the spectacular views, the runners also face challenging steep hills and terrain.

“I can’t think of too many places where you have this kind of scenery, this kind of terrain,” describes Dave Parkinson, Chair of the Cabot Trail Relay. “Where you run through the night, you start out at 16 degrees and its 4 degrees and snow in the mountains.”

Since the relay began in 1988, more than 23,000 runners have participated, and organizers believe the race has brought in more than $18-million into communities around the trail.

“This is the shoulder season in Cape Breton. Everything is not wide open yet, and this is a big boom for some of these places,” says Parkinson.

In its 31st year, the relay continues to attract runners from all over the country, and Northeast United States. The weekend also stands out for its party-like atmosphere and camaraderie among competitors.

“The team spirit, it’s incredible,” says runner Britney Beniot. “How every single person gets out there, every woman on our team was out there working hard to support the team and we all worked together.”

This year nearly 1200 runners from 70 different teams crossed the finish line, ensuring that the Cabot Trail Relay will remain marked on runners calendars for years to come.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kyle Moore.