The heat wave that has cooked the Ottawa Valley this past week is now gone, and we're into a new weather system, windy and cool, and it is extremely comfortable. Enough so that it's breezy work cutting the grass and weeding the gardens. Though I speak of weeding, it is primarily sunflower seedlings, some of which have grown to impressive size, that I'm taking out. Of course, leaving some to grow to maturity to show off their splendid flowers, but there are far too many and they're encroaching on the space given to perennials.

Runners take part in the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon, held in downtown Ottawa during the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, May 29, 2016. Tony Caldwell / Postmedia Network

The sizzling-hot conditions the weather posed was a real problem for those running marathon races at the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend. But things turned out extremely well, nonetheless. There were races for children of a single kilometre, and the longest one was 42.195 kilometres, taking place on Sunday. Altogether 47,000 racers involved themselves in the weekend's challenges.

Volunteers preparing to pitch in to allay runners' thirst -- CBC

Unsurprisingly, the winners were Ethiopians, and runners-up were both Kenyans and Ethiopian runners. They have cleaned up the medals for the last several years. Taking home with them jackpots of up to $30,000. As runners and athletes they are unparalleled in talent, stamina and endurance. Both the men's and the women's 42-K race were won by Ethiopians doing their damnedest to beat the pack, and they certainly did, with full honours.

46,940 runners
2,500 volunteers
43,000 bananas handed out
643, 520 litres of water used
716,791 kilometres run
$775,000 raised for charity
Three hospitalizated due to heat-related illnesses

Not only that, but marathoners involved in the various races had an additional agenda, to raise funds for research into medical conditions like cancer, like mitochondrial disease, like mental illness. The total intake for these charitable causes turned out to be $775,000; not a bad take for any event meant to benefit society.

Although these doughty souls taking part representing all age groups had a difficult time thanks to weather conditions, and people living along the routes were asked to haul out their garden hoses and douse runners as they ran past, good humour put exhaustion on a balance of effort and outcome. Casualties were few and recovery was swift. Everyone, from the runners to the organizers and the volunteers produced a superb event, one to be proud of. Congratulations!

Volunteers assess a runner at the finish line of the Ottawa marathon on Sunday, May 29, 2016 (CBC)