(Updated June 18, 2015): My latest article about this annual summer event in Toronto is “One View of the 2015 Toronto Challenge 5K Charity Run“.

As the title says, today I registered for the 2011 Toronto Challenge 5Km run event.

It will be held June 12 in downtown Toronto. The race starts at 9:30 am. Be part of the crowd on Wellington St. at John St.; or sit and wait at Metro Hall.

There is also a 5Km walk and a 1Km walk. Those choices are terrific for the people who benefit from this fund-raising event: the residents at many of Toronto’s assisted care homes, nursing homes and special needs residences.

How to Register for the 2011 Toronto Challenge Event

You can register online via Running Room. (Or go to the registration page and find that same link, or other ways to register).

Fundraising and Sponsorship for the Toronto Challenge

The neat fundraising twist is that you can sign up to sponsor a specific agency. This is an umbrella fundraising event for all of them, but each benefits based on its own supporters.

Of course, if anyone asks you to sponsor them, you should do so gladly.

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My Own History with the Toronto Challenge 5Km Race

This was the first “race event” I entered. My wife encouraged me since we had strong ties to one of the agencies that would benefit from donations I would collect. That first year, I ran 5 1-Km sections and took walk breaks because I was out of breath. It was so much fun to participate with hundreds of others…and to block traffic safely!…that I vowed to run a marathon someday. But that’s another story.

I’ve run each year since then, and made a few friends along the way. It’s fun to try to push my pace.

My proudest moment in running came at this event. I was warming up on Front Street, a block south of Wellington where the event would start. Several people asked for directions, but one also asked if he could warm up with me. “Sure”. Later, he asked if I would set the pace for him, since we had the same goal time. He explained he usually ran shorter distances on the track, and was not sure how to pace himself over 5Km.

“Sure, but there’s no guarantee that I can set the pace I want”. So we ran the race. He stayed right at my shoulder for over 4.5Km. I always enjoy having a buddy during a run, and it was good to have his presence.

When we got into the final straightaway, I told him the balloons in the distance marked the finish line. “You’re a track runner; you will want to sprint for the final. Pick your own spot”, I gasped as we ran. Suddenly he took off like a shot. I had to wait a bit before making my move, and watched him finish from a distance.

He made his goal; I was just behind mine. Later, when he thanked me for the help, he said he had run for Canada in the Special Olympics and similar events. His condition showed as an odd gait that I had noticed but had not understood.

Anyway, that was my proudest moment in sports: helping a world-class Canadian set his personal best.

Your Mission is to Enter the Toronto Challenge

You have the link information above. Early entries close June 4, but you can just show up around 7:30am at Metro Hall on June 12.

By the way: their cotton T-shirts are awesome! They give away the best, longest-lasting cotton T-shirts that I have ever received from any event. If you don’t enter early, I don’t know if you would get the free T-shirt.