Attendance doubles last year at Running with the Bulls

Mascot, who had no name until the event, has been a social media star in several videos at sponsoring businesses for Running with the Bulls, but had no name. It was decided to name Mascot T-Burg. Organizer Tamara Bull is pictured with T-Burg. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Editor

Attendance at Saturday’s Running with the Bulls doubled from last year.

The second annual running event stepped it up a notch with an association with the Kindred Association. This charity helps families who have a member diagnosed with cancer.

Bull started the event as a way of giving back after her son was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. When it was initially thought he would need an expensive treatment regimen in the United States, the community was generous through a GoFundMe initiative. Bull started Running with the Bulls as a way of giving back to families with cancer.

The featured a 10-kilometre run, a 5-kilometre event, a 1-kilometre Kiddie Bull Charge, and the Marwood 2k Memorial Family Walk. The turnout was huge, with 375 runners, not including those in the walk. Last year had a total of 222 participants, including walkers.

“It was amazing to see,” Bull said Monday. “Easily I doubled the amount of runners, I was just so happy.”

For runners, the event took on a new level of significance as it was a chip-time certified run. The course was certified last year, and it was sanctioned through Ontario Athletics. This combination is normally only seen in runs in larger centre.

“All of those are qualifiers that will draw a true runner to your race,” Bull said.

Breaking down attendance further, there were 161 in the 10-kilometre run, 153.5 in the five-kilometer event, and 61 in the one-kilometre youth event. Registration wasn’t required for the memorial walk.

Anita, who was first across the finish line for ladies in the 10K race, was from the Netherlands. Another runner was from Jacksonville, Florida. Canadian runners came from New Brunswick and Alberta at the extremes, as well as from Ottawa, Belleville, the GTA, Windsor, Sarnia, and everywhere in between.

Bull said there were real “heart-warming” stories she heard at the event. One was two VON nurses showing up with her mother, who is in a wheelchair, and pushing her the entire length of the memorial walk. With her father passing away the week before the race, this family connection tugged at Bull’s heart strings.

Another overwhelming story was from a runner who has lung cancer. He hadn’t run since he was diagnosed with cancer, which then went into remission, before coming back.

“He knew it was something he had to do himself because it’s the last run he will ever do,” Bull said.

She isn’t sure of how much she raised yet, having to turn back to her family and making arrangesments for her father this week. There were opportunities for people to purchase memorial signs along the trail and runners could seek sponsorship in addition to paying their registration fee.

Tillsonburg Councillor Chris Parker was the top fundraiser with $642 in pledges.

“He ran 10K, and that guy hasn’t run in years, but he did it for the cause,” Bull said.

With Running with the Bulls being a charity for her father’s memorial, it threw another unknown into the mix.

Last year’s event raised $22,178.

“I know it will surpass that for sure, I just don’t know what it will be,” she said.

Bull was thankful for all the community support for local businesses, from the Lion’s Club and individuals in making the event a success.