B&O Yorkville Charity 5K Run

This is a fantastic race. The atmosphere is electric and it always seems to pull out PR's from runners. The food and entertainment afterwards is amazing. But having said that...... in years past this race was billed as a boutique race with all the frills and the white glove treatment. Literally. Since VR Pro has gotten involved with the race it has gone downhill dramatically fast. The swag is not worth the price of double a normal race. Last year runners received NB racing jackets, they were great but you could not see the race logo at all. If I'm spending that kind of money and giving to charity at the same time. I want it known. I can only assume it has something to do with VR pro. I guess just look at the reviews for VR pro races and you can judge for yourself, if you want to take the chance with spending over a hundred dollars on the value of return.

Great race and setup again! The kit included a New Balance wind Cheater jacket, awesome having the logos in shadow grey, so now I can actually wear the jacket throughout the year without having all sorts of sponsor logos on it. Free 90 minutes parking and coffee is great and much appreciated! If you didnt enjoy the race, then you at least get to enjoy the best post race food ever. The School field is one of the best venues for a post race party and vendors. Keep up the great work on this one!

This is my second time running this race. I like the course, free photography and great swag.

Last year and this year, I am disappointed in the medal. I hope for 2016 the go back to the glitter medal.

For a boutique race for which we registered 4 months in advance we were not impressed when we went for race kit pick up to find out they did not have our sizes. First we were told the supplier did not send enough, then we were told "oh it happens" and then we were told it was because they allowed people that picked up their race kits before us to swap out their sizes. We had expected so much more from this "boutique" race and not the run around we were given.

Great information. Lucky me I ran across your blog by chance (stumbleupon).

I've bookmarked it for later!

Not a bad race for city running. Good organisation. Good race kit and tshirt, which is kind of expected due to the large registration fee. They said no same day race kit pick up online but I saw a booth with race kit pickup when at the race. I am glad we could go into the school before and after for bathroom usage. The course was flat through city streets with good signage and police at major intersections. Not the nicest medal, I was looking forward to the beautiful tree that is usually on the medals but this one was black aluminum. Amazing food after the race, I wish I had brought a bag to carry home extras.

I agree with everybody else's assessment of this race. It was top notch: great race kit, fast course, well organized, great post-race food.

My only suggestions for improvement would have been to have water available at the start line. I jogged the 4k from my apartment to the start line, and by the time I got there I was dying for just a little bit of water and didn't have time to seek out the school to see if there would be some available there. But that's just me. I imagine most people were more organized. Also, even though I loved the food selection post race, there was a definite limit to the number of sugary snacks that I want to eat after a race. I would have loved more fruit.

I understand that the organizers wanted to go with a unifying aesthetic for the whole B&O headphone themed race, but I was pretty disappointed by the medal. I've seen some of the beauties that have been handed out in the past, so I was quite unenthused when I saw the plain black disk.

I'm certainly looking forward to seeing what the organizers come up with next year. I can't imagine they can give out headphones every time. I'll be curious to see how this effects the registration fee, and if it will stay at $100, which is a lot for 5k, even a fancy one. Also, I hope the medal is a little livelier next year.

Yet again this 5K race raises the bar. The move to the school for pre/post race festivities was a fantastic idea. It took care of the crowded feel that there was in previous years. A great race kit, awesome volunteers and a fast course. This is definitely one of the best races of the year.

Fantastic Race - great place to run a personal best. This was my third time at this race.

PROS
- Better course that previous years. Very fast downhill to dundas, you gotta work back uphill along university, turn the corner and fast to the finish. Well coordinated to close off those streets, plenty of police supervision.
- Very well organized bag drop, safe and inside school - volunteers were quick and responsible.
- post race reception had tons of food, snacks (veal sandwiches, nutella pastries, bagels, cheese cake, cinnabun, beet crostini, oatmeal cookies, bananas, rice krispie squares, biscotti), drinks (vega protein shakes, david's tea samples), water (smart water full bottles).
- Great to see plenty of volunteers distributing food and working - good job for whoever gave them instructions/training.
- Finisher medals were a modern black disc with printing. May appeal to some, I prefer the embossed metal medals.
- Fantastic idea to have the elite runners, canadian championships, run separate from regular recreational runners.

CONS
- start line should have had some fencing so people know how narrow the starting line timing mats are.
- improve announcer and signage to corral people according to estimated run time. Slower runners at the start create a hazard and risk people tripping and getting bumped.

Well organized, great swag and nice course.
Wasn't impressed at the early cut off for entry. Must have backfired too because there seemed to be less of a turnout than last year. I ran with four other people in 2013 who didn't do it this year because when they went to register it was closed. Yet a month later they open up again. Not smart.
The championship race before overshadowed the run for those of us who aren't elite.
No age group prizes....what is with that???
Prizes for the championship and not even a crappy medal for top three in age group.
I've done the race three times. Time to move on.

Ran this event in 2012 and again this year...loved it again. Amazing swag bag, well worth the slightly higher registration fee for a 5k. The post race food - AMAZING...Nutella in flaky pastry was to die for!! Very fast course with a great field of runners. Lots of volunteers and police keeping the course clear and safe. Well marked. See you again in 2015!

This was my third time running this race.

Pros:

-Really nice race kit-new balance t shirt (probably the best race shirt I own after 6 years of running many races), B&O headphones, david's tea and vega protein powder.
-race kit pick-up was easy and well organized
-post-race food was very good; lots of dessert items, samples of tea, fresh juices and freshi salads
-warm up before run by catalyst was a lot of fun
-well organized race over all

Cons:

Not too much to say here. I understand this was a high end boutique race and although the race kit and food at the end was really great, the registration price was double what it was in previous years. I felt that $100 for a 5k race is too much.
Also, I appreciate that the new race director and team wanted to put a spin on the medal and make it unique, but I found the medal to be a tad bland. For such a high end race, I thought it would be more creative.

I love this race! It is my first year and I dragged my boyfriend and my girlfriend to run with me. I think it was heavily promoted and well organised. Race kit pick-up was a bit tricky in terms of parking but the volunteers were super nice and helpful! I will definitely register next year. I love the swag: rain coat was a nice touch and technical t-shirt was good too! I love the food at the end! The medal was beautiful. The only bad thing was the distance. If they increased it to 10 km... That would be great. Otherwise, I have absolutely no complaints. Do this race! The route was quick. If I could give them a banana bread rating, I would! 5 Bananas all the way! Next year, I am going to fundraise for their charity. This is how much I love this race! I even love the warm-up exercises. It really pumped the crowd up!

My first race ever and I had a great time. Well organized, great location, lots of prizes and great food afterwards. If you are doing your first race then this is the one to do, you won't be disappointed.

Fantastic race event. Everything from the race kit with tons of giveaways including $1250 coupon off a Lexus! Great T-Shirt, Kway jacket, clean events with tons of volunteers, post-race food, snacks, drinks. Super motivating to do this race again next year. The course was fast and clear, easy to score a PB for 5K. The photos were uploaded and indexed only 2 days after the race and they were FREE to download from one of their sponsors - first time i've ever seen that for a run. Totally worth the $50 registration. Lets hope they keep it up for next year.

Loved the race this year! Even more so than when I ran it two years ago.

The race delivers on every promise. I'm not sure about the parking issue, because I drove and parked at a green P.

Amazing race (new PB), fantastic medal, the best race kit I have ever received, great warm up before the race and incredible post race food.

I would highly recommend this race to anyone. I can't wait to do it again next year! If I could sign up for it now, I would.

This is now my 2nd year running this race and I'm glad I did. I found last years event to be awesome and this year was even better. The only negative items I had pointed out last year were resolved this year.

A shout out has to go to all the volunteers of this event. This event is very well organized. The course is great, well marked and didn't get too congested. The post race party was great. Kit pickup was easy. Overall I have nothing but good things to say about this race.

I'll be back again next year!

First time doing this race and loved it. Great swag, loved the medal and the fast course through Yorkville. Awesome food at the end and overall a great atmosphere. On the list for next year for sure.

Great race. I did the 2013 race for the first time and found it very well-run with lots of extras. Extremely well organized and some of the coolest swag around. It can be pricey if you register close to race date, but the early bird prices are comparable to other 5k races in Toronto and the race kit can't be beat.

STRENGTHS

Great Organization – For a race through Yorkville that stops traffic on Bloor, Bay and other major streets, this event had a lot of police support, wide lanes for runners with no major congestion problems, clear markers, and just a generally stress-free run. Lines for the potties were manageable before the race (about a 10 min wait), and the bag check was easy and well organized. Runners and walkers were seeded fairly well according to expected pace, and the pre-race warmup was AWESOME. Volunteers were amazing as well.

Amazing Race Kit - The marketing doesn't lie. There's a ton of cool stuff in the race kit, and unlike some races, the quality is high enough and the items are unique enough that you'll actually use them. This year's kit included a very high-quality stylish tshirt (one of the best designs I've seen), a K-way rain slicker that folds up into a pouch (this I will actually wear after the race), a nice protein shaker (will also use), and lots of food samples (about 4 different drinks, protein bar, nut bar, cereal, and an espresso at the kit pickup). After the race sponsors also handed out water bottles. There were also opportunities to win awesome prizes by picking up the race kit in advance, wearing the race shirt during the run, or by being a top fundraiser.

Tshirt – The shirt itself had a really stylish graphic and was a high quality and comfortable performance material. Bonus points for matching the design on the race bib! The fit is very flattering. I will definitely wear this shirt again. Also appreciate that, while the B&O logo is classy, they actually spelled out Bang & Olufsen on the front of the shirt – since people might not want to break a sweat in a shirt that shouts BO!

Medal – Awesome spinner design this year. The medal design changes slightly every year, which is great if you’re a repeat runner, but it generally features the B&O logo and a tree to symbolize Yorkville. Very much tells the story of the race in a simple, colourful, and unique image, and highlights the sponsors without being obnoxious about it. High quality and classy. As a medal geek, this is one of my favs.

Post-Race Party – A lot of energy has gone into this event and it’s great whether you want to get through quickly or stick around for a while with friends and family. Locating the event at Cumberland and Belair gives a great outdoor space with easy exit routes. The event features B&O products and music, plus amazing food and free massages – fairly unique for a 5k. This year’s food included cheesecake, cinnamon buns, tons of fruit, blueberry bagels, espresso, and lots of snack bars.

CRITICISMS

I don’t have a lot to criticize about this race. The price can be on the higher end for a 5k, but there are decent early bird rates and you get a ton of value for the price. My only issue personally is that the timing during the first weekend of TIFF is a problem. I can see where it would have made sense when Yorkville was TIFF Central, but now that the film festival has moved down to King St, there doesn’t seem to be any apparent benefit to doing the event this week as opposed to a week or two later. This is the same weekend as the Energizer Night Race and the Island Girl Half, and for those of us who work TIFF or festival pretty hard, or for students recovering from back to school partying, it’s not the best day to try running on tired legs and a week of sleeping 3-4 hours a night. If this race was in mid-September rather than the first weekend after Labour Day, I would definitely do it again. With the current timing, I will have to think carefully about doing it next year, but I would HIGHLY ENDORSE this race to others.

Overall, this is a flat, fast and fun race that supports a good cause. Great food afterwards, nice finishing medals and a great race kit.

The only problem I had with this race when I ran it in 2011 is that I had to stop at a few stoplights so that traffic wouldn't be so congested. This throws off your race time!

I think this is one of the best value 5K races in the downtown core - very well organized, great range of runners, awesome sponsors and delicious post race snacks from the local restaurants in yorkville. For a relatively small field of runners (under 1000), the amount of sponsorship was tremendous (ie. free stuff) - well worth the registration fee. Timing was great and quick to post times including chip times/gun times. The course itself is very quick and flat just like they say on their website, easy place to run a PB.

Great race and venue!! Very fast course and field of runners...a definite for runners of all abilities!! Excellent prizes, loot bag and lots of different foods for post race. A louder speaker system would be beneficial, as I found it difficult to hear announcements pre and post race and during the awards. Looking forward to going back next year!

as noted previously, there seemed to be a miscommunication between the race organizers and guest services regarding the free parking, but a quick stop in Wholefoods for a can of post race rehydration coconut water and away I went.

What a great race!! This course was well planned, flat (and slightly downhill even it seemed!), fast, and had fantastic post race events (I.e. full sized cinnamon roles, sandwiches, sorbets, cookies, etc.) AND post race massages free!
Plus, the race kits, technical shirts, and medals were top notch. Definitely doing this run again! Did I mention it was a PB??

Only major criticism: the advertised free parking was not only not free, but guest services at the underground parking pad reported that they had never event spoken w the event organizers, and would not validate parking. This was a nasty surprise on the way out with no credit card on my person with which I needed to pay to exit. Grr...

I participated in the 2012 race today. Overall it was a fantastic day. The start was a little congested, but I've been in much worse. The course is great and it is by no means a boring run. After race food and beverage was fantastic. Definitely will be participating in this event again next year. The one thing that could be improved upon is the awards ceremony. The area was too small for the crowd and it was difficult to hear the announcers.

Beautiful finishers medals, great tech shirts, free ECCO biom running shoes for all the 5-year age group winners, and a huge prize purse for overall winners!

And a flat, fast, scenic course. This race has something for everyone!

This is a very well organized event. First class. You can run with Canada's fastest runners over a super fast course. Great place to set a PB!

I did the B&O Yorkville Run last year and I loved it. I normally only do marathons and halfs but I was attracted to the Yorkville run because of the great cause, the amazing sponsors and the outstanding location. The race was very well organized and it was lots of fun. The food afterwards was fantastic and the caliber of other participants was top notch. I will definitely be participating again this year!

This event is well run, great sponsors and fun to be a participate in!

Nor really a runner or an athlete in many ways, but I have been doing it every year and always enjoyed it... Nice people, great charity and a lot of fun...

I plan to participate in the B&O Yorkville Charity Run for the third time this September. The race is always well-organized with real athletes and great sponsors. Running through the downtown core minus car traffic gives you a really nice perspective of the city too. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of creative touches B&O has in store for us this year.

My favourite 5k of the running season. I took part in 2010 and 2011 and consistently run personal bests here due to the well planned course. Top it off with a great goodie bag and a charitable cause worth supporting, and I would recommend it to anyone!

I have participated in this run since it started and plan to do it annually! It's so great to get to run through the city, have an unobstructed view of Yonge Street, Queen's Park, Cumberland, Yorkville, etc.

The cause is important, the food is always great, the sponsors impressive, and the organizer is very professional!

I'm more of an amateur runner, but I find this event is great for a runner of any level. A definite must on any runner's calendar!

A quick fun race in a perfect setting. Lots of energey and good selection of food and goodies after the race. Nice medals too. Overall, very well organized and an ejoyable experience.

Great Course...start line could have been a little better planned, needed some barriers to ensure all runners crossed over timing mats. Lots of food afterwards...beautiful metal and a lot of really fast runners!

Great weather, course and atmosphere!

I was at the site as a spectator last year and ran the race this year.
From start to finish, it was very exciting.

Great goodie bag too!

I watched this race as a spectator last year (2010) and was very impressed with the speedy field. Great downtown location for a 5K. Well organised, as indeed it had to be with it being in such a busy part of Toronto. Lots of happy runners when they crossed the finish line.