The fifth race of the Island Series, the Westcoast Sooke 10k, took place March 27. This rural course features rolling hills with a large descent near the start and a significant climb near the finish. The cool conditions were ideal for fast running, and many locals seized the day to do just that.
Once again, Logan Roots led the charge, winning the race overall in a time of 32:27. He described it as a good effort as he trains towards a fast time at the Eugene Marathon in early May. He was followed by Run to Beer compatriot Jordan Brietzke, who took second in his category in 37:30.
Comox Valle Road Runners president Rob Kelly had a solid day, winning his category in 39:21. In a breakout performance, Andrea Wilson finished just four seconds behind Kelly in a massive new personal best of 39:25. Not only did Wilson win her category, she was also the top female master for this race and cemented herself as the top female master for the overall series.
When asked about her performance, all that Wilson could say was, “I’m speechless.”
Derek Brenchley ran well to nip just under 40 minutes for the race, also winning his category.
Brian Stewart had a strong run to finish in 40:53, just three seconds ahead of CVRR vice-president Keith Wakelin, taking first and second in their category respectively. Wayne Crowe ran well to take second in his age group in 41:44. Tanya Ansley had a good day to claim second in her category in 47:47. Gord Harris had another solid day, also claiming second in his category in a time of 48:17. Darrell Fisher and Cindy Blackmore also ran well, finishing in 52:18 and 58:25. For full results go to racedaytiming.ca
The next local running event is The Cumby on Saturday, May 7. This is a fun trail running event with a variety of distances. Proceeds are donated to the Cumberland Community Forest Society. The event is sold out, but there are still lots of ways to get involved. For more information, go to cvrr.ca