Aside from a few quick words of encouragement from coaches, there's almost a deathly silence before each heat as speed skaters step up to the line, five at a time.
The Allandale Recreation Centre is serving as the Ontario Winter Games venue this weekend for the sport.
Speed skating continues at the Bayview Drive facility on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Admission is free.
While Orillia may be the host city for Games, Barrie and other municipalities in the region are helping by holding some events.
This weekend, there are many different competitions throughout Barrie for the sports fan to check out. Badminton, fencing, futsal, judo, karate, kickboxing, speed skating, squash, weight lifting, wheelchair basketball and wrestling are taking place at 10 locations from Friday to Sunday.
A full listing of events, times and locations is available here.
