VR PRO Inc. COVID-19 Policy

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

Since the start of the pandemic, VR PRO has made the health and safety of the running community our top priority. From keeping runners motivated through virtual races to hosting safe in-person events, we have been working hard to keep you safe, motivated and healthy.

COVID-19 has had a large impact on our community and it still continues to pose a threat to the health and safety of our runners. As we begin to return to in-person races and events we want to do our part to help keep the community and the cities we operate in safe. Given the steady supply of vaccines available in Ontario, VR PRO has made the decision to make vaccines mandatory for participation in our in-person races. Meaning that in order to participate in our live races you must be fully vaccinated. This will allow us to host safer in-person events and help stop the spread of COVID-19.

If you are not vaccinated, or if you are not comfortable participating in an in-person event we will continue to have a virtual option available for all of our races.

COVID-19 Exposure or Illness

If you have any symptoms of COVID-19 within 5 days of the race date you will not be permitted to attend the event. If you test positive for COVID-19 within 10 days of the race, you will not be permitted to attend the event. If you are exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 within 10 days of the race, please self-monitor and if you have any symptoms do not attend the event.

Refund Policy

We will not be issuing refunds of any kind. If the event is cancelled from our end, or you are not able to attend due to illness or personal reasons, you will automatically be switched to the virtual race. There will be no refunds or differences in pricing returned. We will mail your race kit to you and you can complete your virtual race at your own convenience.

Many of the costs of putting on a race are incurred well before the event. Registration fees directly cover these costs. We appreciate your understanding of why we are not able to accommodate refunds, and appreciate your continued support.

Thank you for your understanding and for doing your part to keep our running community safe.

The VR PRO team

Chilly Half Marathon: Update to In-Person Race

January 14, 2022

Dear Racer,

Thank you so much for being part of the Chilly Half Marathon, Ontario’s premier half-marathon, taking place on March 6, 2022.

As you know, the Burlington-hosted race was held virtually in 2021 as we battled COVID-19 together. Optimistically, and based on the COVID-19 trends in 2021, it looked like 2022 was going to be the year we returned to in-person racing. Unfortunately, this is not the case, as the Omicron variant continues to spread and impact our hospitals.

I have received advice from the medical community that hosting an in-person run is not in the best interest of the health and safety of our participants, volunteers and local community. Instead, we will move to our virtual format to protect everyone involved.

You will automatically be registered to run the race from wherever you are. You will still receive your race kit and can complete your race on your own and submit your results. 

Fundraising for Health Care

At this challenging time for our health care system, you can be proud that you are contributing to meeting the needs of the local health care community while participating in a premier race.

Here is a message from Anissa Hilborn, president of the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation:

“We acknowledge and appreciate the very difficult decision by VR Pro to transition to a virtual event in 2022 in the interest of the health and safety of all participants and our community. We are grateful to VR Pro for their incredible support over the years, raising almost $20,000 through this year’s event for the urgent priorities of our hospital.”

Thank you

Thank you for being part of the Chilly Half Marathon. For more information about the race, please contact Kelly Arnott by text or phone at 905.512.2488, by email at: kelly@vrpro.ca, or visit the information page at raceroster.com. I look forward to hearing your race story and seeing the photos of your success!