'It was really special': What winning Around the Bay means to Hamilton runner Victoria Coates

Around the Bay is the longest race Victoria Coates has ever competed in.

But that didn't stop her from winning on Sunday. 

"It was really special," Coates said about her win. "It's the oldest road race in North America. Everyone knows about 'the Bay,' so it was really awesome to run into that stadium [FirstOntario Centre] and hear the crowd cheer." 

Coates took top place for women in the 30-kilometre race, while Kevin Coffey from Kingston, Ont., was first for men. 

Following her win, Coates told CBC Hamilton on Monday she's been training for this year's race since January. Along with running almost every day, she makes sure to get a long run in once a week and practices interval training, even throughout the cold season. 

Despite being end of March, Sunday had the look and feel of a cold, winter's day in Hamilton.

"The one good thing was that we were prepared for that," she said. "Because it was such a rough winter." 

As Coates mentioned, Around the Bay has the distinction of being the oldest race in North America. Its participants have gone on to win larger races like the Boston Marathon, as well as gold medals in the Olympics. 

The race saw almost 4,000 participants this year — the first in-person race since 2019, after being cancelled in 2020 and virtual in 2021 — and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for various causes. For St. Joseph's Healthcare Foundation alone, 20 teams and individuals raised $275,000 for two emergency care projects. 

Coates was raised in Newmarket and now calls Hamilton home, where she works as an urban planner with the City of Brantford. She says although she grew up running, her official start in the sport started when she joined McMaster University's cross-country team. 

It was there that she meant her husband, and the two vowed to plant roots in Hamilton. Part of her love for the city is the goings-on downtown but also that the landscape of the surrounding area makes Hamilton a dream for passionate runners like Coates, she said. 

The Dundas Valley Conservation Area, for instance, is "just amazing in terms of trails," said Coates, who has competed around the world in the past five years, including for Canada at the World Half Marathon Championships in Spain in 2018. 

Not only is there an abundance of trails in the area but they are also well maintained by the city, she said, making them accessible in the winter months. 

"Another huge asset is the waterfront trail at Bayfront Park," she added. "The city takes care of that in the winter so well, it's a priority for plowing and salting."