Welland Long Course post-race report from Daryl Flacks

— By Daryl Flacks

This past weekend (June 23/24) was MultiSport Canada’s season opener presented by Skechers Performance in Welland. The Long Course races were held Saturday, with Sunday dedicated to the sprint & give-it-a-tri races. Sunday’s bike course was held entirely on fully closed roads. I raced Saturday in the Long Course 56k Bike / 15k Run and the weather was near perfect for racing. This year saw a new bike course and as always, the bike course was flat and FAST!! New for 2018 – The Run Course was comprised of two laps along the fitness paths that border the canal. The course took runners past the finish line grandstands twice per lap which made for an exciting and energetic spectating area!

Sunday, I returned to cheer on the Sprint participants, in particular the duathletes who braved the torrential downpours to be greeted by your friendly neighbourhood “gnome”. Each finisher received the customary handshake from legendary race director John Salt and finisher medal for all participants.

I love this venue and have raced it multiple years. MultiSport Canada is constantly working to make your race experience the best it can be, with alterations to enhance your experience and keep it fresh from year to year.

The highlight of the weekend for me was volunteering and seeing so many happy faces cross the finish line with smiles on their face and expressions of gratitude. Being a part of the MultiSport family is awesome and I could not think of a better way to spend my weekend than with people who make me smile, laugh and feel like family.