Given that the drive from Calgary to Vulcan was a challenge, I was not too surprised that the race was called 15 minutes before we arrived for my heat. On their site, the Tinman organizers claim that the only reason to cancel a race is lightning (rain or even snow aren't enough).
I didn't see any lightning, but in my books, rising water and the potential for hydroplaning road bikes is enough of a safety concern to call a race!
I spent the entire drive down trying to mentally prepare for the race-- thinking about how towelling off after the swim would be pointless, about how many layers I'd have to wear, about how I'd have to wear my mirrored sunglasses despite the dark skies... so I was little relieved that the race was called.
At least the Betty's Run for ALS went ahead. In fact, we got there at 9:30, and had perfect running conditions. The rain let up, and it was warm enough to be comfortable, but not too hot to slow anyone down.
This year was the first year they've used timing chips, thanks to the Running Room. I don't see any results posted yet, but I came in around 38 minutes for the 8km race-- I was very happy with that.
I've done the Betty's Run for the past few years, and I'm amazed at how well organized it is, and by how passionate the volunteers are. Last year, the run raised $532,215... which is pretty amazing for an event with around 700 participants.
