Sunday’s Chilly Half Marathon in Burlington, Ont., lived up to its frosty name. More than 2,500 determined runners embraced the bone-chilling temperatures—plunging to -10 C (at the start)—and battled frozen water stations to test their fitness in Ontario’s first big road race of 2025.
Race director Kelly Arnott said she was surprised by the strong turnout despite the extreme cold. “We gave runners the option to defer their entry to 2026 due to the bad weather, and around 700 chose to do so,” Arnott said.
Despite the high number of deferrals, the event saw a record number of finishers under an hour and 45 minutes, with over 950 runners achieving the milestone. “It seems like 1:45 is the new two-hour mark,” Arnott joked. “Or maybe people were just running faster to escape the cold!”
The freezing conditions caused issues on the course, with cups at the water stations turning into blocks of ice, making it difficult for the volunteers to provide hydration. Organizers rented out the city’s Performing Arts Centre as a home base to keep runners warm, and post-run Stag Chili was served at six nearby restaurants, boosting business in Burlington’s downtown core.
Toronto’s Rob Kanko took the overall win for the second consecutive year, crossing the finish line in 66:27. On the women’s side, the frigid temperatures did not deter Port Elgin, Ont.’s Rachel Hannah from setting a new course record of 1:13:42, She to break the previous time set by Canadian Olympian Krista Duchene in 2015.
Arnott told Canadian Running that while the cold was a challenge, she was grateful there wasn’t snow. “We needed there to be no snow to set up the water stations,” she explained. “We had about 150 volunteers helping out, and my husband and co-race director, Mark, started clearing ice and setting up from 5 a.m. The whole team put in a nine-hour day to make this event happen.”
Over the past three years, Arnott said the race hasn’t received a single complaint. “This year, we hosted 3,000 runners, and so many people reached out to thank us,” she said. “It means the world, considering how much effort we’ve put into making this event happen for 29 years.”
As for the 30th anniversary next year, Arnott hinted something special is in the works—giving runners another reason to mark their calendars for the first Sunday in March 2026.
You can view full results from the race, here.
