Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

speakup

Things are really starting to move as the running season kicks into full gear. This weekend in Saint John we have a new run on the calendar and it promises to be a great one. The Get Your Blood Pumping 10 k is a fundraiser for Canadian Blood Service and promotes this service that is so vital to those in need. The course is very challenging but makes up for it with some of the best scenery you will ever see on a run. Rockwood Park, the Cherry Brook Zoo, Tucker Park and the beautiful Kennebecasis River are just a few of the high points on this great run. To register go to http://www.events.runningroom.com/site/?raceId=3486

---

FREDERICTON MARATHON: Last weekend it was another amazing Fredericton Marathon to celebrate its 30 anniversary. There were close to 1,000 runners and walkers in the various events and the conditions were perfect for some good times, and believe me, there were some good times. Let's take a peek at the marathon results. For the men, it was Travis Saunders of Kingston, Ont., (although he is really a New Brunswicker) with a strong lead in a time of 2:43:36 leaving Fredericton's Len Falkenstein and Rothesay's Bruce Rosvall to duke it out for second and third in times of 2:53:37 and 2:55:55 respectively. Meanwhile, the women were tearing up the trail as well. Janice Ashworth and Daun Lynch of Halifax were first and second with times of 3:06:31 and 3:14:19. Protecting from a Nova Scotia sweep, Maggie Johnson of Quispamsis took third with a great time of 3:21:06.

The half marathon was a bit of a run away as Saint John's Chris Brake put it in gear and never looked back as he cruised to a 1:15:43 victory.

---

BOSTON QUALIFIERS: This week there are multiple winners for Person on the Run. Jerry Power, Maggie Johnson, Alonzo Reardon, Connie Coffin and Frank Kelly all qualified for the Boston Marathon. For Jerry Power it was the runner's version of the movie 27 Dresses as he stepped out of the shadow of 25 attempts to qualify for Boston with this excellent run. Not only did he meet the qualifying standard, he hit it out of the park. Frank Kelly gave us all inspiration as he qualified for Boston on his first try, at 69 years of age. Congratulations to all five runners on this milestone.

---

TIP OF THE HAT: And another quick tip of the hat to some local adventure racers. The team of Sarah Vlug and Dave Regan were followed by Shawn Bethune and Denise Hamel as the two teams finished first and second co-ed teams in the 24-hour Eco Endurance Challenge just outside Halifax. We will keep an eye on these awesome athletes as the season moves on.

Gotta run"‰"¦

Daryl Steeves is the department head of Allied Health at the NBCC Saint John campus. He writes a weekly column throughout the running season. Visit his website at www.ontherun411.com