As I crossed into Central Park on November 7th with less than four kilometres to go until crossing the finish line of the New York City Marathon, I reflected on those who supported me to achieve this goal. I thought of my sisters, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, running community, and my partner. I also thought about Old Ottawa East – my training grounds for the last four years and, more intensively, for the four months leading up to the race.
Fiona Harper, and Matthias Neil display a copy of the New York Times
newspaper announcing the 50th anniversary of the NYC Marathon.
Running has been one of my greatest joys and the most consistent practice throughout my life. It has provided an outlet for me to meditate on those things causing excitement, anxiety, happiness, unrest, or pain. It has allowed me to spend hours outdoors in all weather conditions. It has introduced me to an incredible community of athletes and friends. Finally, it has encouraged me to explore my surroundings in an intimate way.
I have been fortunate to travel widely throughout my life. In the years immediately preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, I travelled across Canada for work. Whether early in the mornings or after long days of meetings and before work dinners, I squeezed in runs through the streets of Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, and Saskatoon. Through personal travels, I have had the good fortune to run through Colombian and Irish countrysides, along cobblestone streets in Mexico and Antigua, along back roads in Ghana, and in both urban and rural centres across North America.
Every run in a new location provides a unique opportunity to explore that small section of the world in a way that is unfamiliar to many others. It has become a common occurrence for me to stumble across coffeeshops or bookstores located on side streets or outside of tourist areas during my travel runs and then returning to those spots later on in the trip to explore in less-sweaty attire.
The opportunity that running provides to explore one’s surroundings is one of my favourite elements of the sport and, as I have discovered, exploration through running is not unique to travelling. I moved to Ottawa to pursue a professional degree in 2015. At that time, I was living in the Byward Market and from my small apartment on Cumberland Street, I would embark on meandering runs through Gatineau Park, Rockcliffe Park, and along the Rideau Canal.
My very close friend and fellow runner joined me on these adventures. It was during our time in school that we began to pursue running more seriously than we had in the past. We ran the Gatineau Park Half Marathon multiple times and participated in the Ottawa race weekend, amongst other races. Since that time, we have both completed marathons and will be travelling to Boston together in the spring to participate in the Boston Marathon.
My partner and I moved to Old Ottawa East (OOE) in autumn 2018 and immediately fell in love with our new neighbourhood, and with the people, businesses, and greenspaces, that comprise this community. I was awestruck by our neighbourhoods’ offerings for runners – with easy access to both the Canal and the river pathways, Old Ottawa East is my dream running headquarters.
As my neighbours and friends can attest, I can often be seen running along the Canal to Hog’s Back Falls or the Arboretum, along the river path in Brantwood Park, or right down Main Street. I can also be found in and around OOE with a large group of runners from Mile to Marathon, a running club that comes together several times a week to train and support each other in its members’ various running endeavours.
As a result of my expeditions around the neighborhood, I know this community well. I now recognize which houses in OOE have the most elaborate holiday lighting displays and those homes with extraordinarily beautiful gardens. I know when the tennis courts at Brantwood Park have the longest lines and when is a good time to visit the Green Door restaurant to avoid crowds. I know that the empathetic baristas at Happy Goat Coffee will provide a glass of water to a weary runner at the end of a workout. Finally, I know that, no matter which neighbourhood street I choose to run down, I will be guaranteed to pass a runner who, like me, is enjoying the beautiful surroundings of OOE.
