By: María Carla Rosales Gerpe
New Cambridge Mill Race organizers avid planners, unlikely runners
Cantabrigian Maria Michel is a runner that doesn’t love running. “I do a lot of running, but I don’t love it. Connecting with others, taking care of my mental health, that’s what it’s about for me,” says Michel, co-lead of the running group Running Rarebits.
If your mouth is watering and your brain conflicted, that’s because rarebits, according to Wikipedia, is a Welsh dish where toast is deliciously adorned with hot cheese sauce. The name accidentally complemented the spirit of the group.
Co-founder Chris Mintz and Michel thought the name rarebits referred to the animal. “It was a couple of months after forming the group that we learned about the real meaning, so we leaned into it,” recollects Michel.
Think, “no pressure,” or running enthusiasts rather than athletes. “The reason I love running is that in a race, no matter your skill level, you can still run beside an Olympic medalist. It’s about having fun,” explains Michel.
Together with Marjolein Wijbenga-Groot, lead organizer of Hespeler Running, Michel is co-planning the ninth installment of the Cambridge Mill Race, which took a hiatus in 2020 amid the throes of the pandemic.
This will be the first time that Michel and Wijbenga-Groot will organize the Cambridge Mill Race, but Michel is a veteran fundraiser and has helped organize in the past plenty an-event including the race Conquer the Canuck in 2023.
One of such events earned her, Mintz and the Running Rarebits a Guinness World Record “for most cakes sold,” relays Michel about the 14,534 sold baked goods while raising funds for KidsAbility, a local foundation supporting children with learning needs.
Cambridge Mill Race remains an important event for the community
Hundreds of adults and kids typically gather for the race. “So far, we have 79 participants from the Waterloo region to run the 8K race, and 32 kids registered for the 1k race,” notes Michel who hopes to see the numbers meet the maximum of 200 for the 8 km race, and 100 for the 1 km course.
“This is the first year the race is coming back to Cambridge,” Michel emphasizes, pointing out how important the race is for the community. “It’s about supporting the community, and getting kids involved in sports,” Michel says, adding that this year the race will also include a fun mascot, and complementary face painting for the kids after the race.
The Cambridge Mill Race will be held on Sunday, Jun 9, 2024 at Riverbuffs Park, where runners will take to the Walter Bean Grand River Trail in Cambridge, Ontario. The race will be run in support of the rare Charitable Research Reserve, “a community-based urban land trust and environmental institute that protects over 1,200 acres of highly sensitive lands across eight properties in Waterloo Region and Wellington County,” according to the charity’s website.
The rare Charitable Research Reserve oversees River Bluffs Park’s Pollinator Preserve, aimed to protect birds, insects, and bees native to the area. The charity’s environmental sustainability work is close to Michel’s heart who is a beekeeper when she’s not managing a small team of analysts.
Currently, Michel is hoping for additional businesses to get involved by donating so the organizers are able to randomly draw prizes for participants. “A full list of all prizes and sponsors will be announced on our Facebook and the random participant draws will take place the day before the race,” adds Michel.
Sponsors for the race so far include Cambridge Mill (title sponsor), Toyota Motor Manufacturing Company, Runner’s Choice, Cambridge Centre Dental Care, Reid’s Candy & Nut Shop (race partners), Parke Massage, Play with Clay, Grand Café, 5th Sister Studio, Culligan, Colour Paradise Greenhouses, Core Climbing Gym, Krajewski Gallery, Fit Body Boot Camp, Drayton Entertainment, Grand River Sports Medicine Centre, and Kinder Law Office (race supporters).
For more information about the race, and how to register, please visit cambridgemillrace.ca
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