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Comox Valley RV Half Marathon crowns two new champions

A total of 548 finishers crossed the final timing mat of the 2023 Comox Valley RV Half Marathon on Sunday, March 19.

A total of 548 finishers crossed the final timing mat of the 2023 Comox Valley RV Half Marathon on Sunday, March 19.

Amongst them was debutant Jackson Bocksnick with his 1:08:50 win.

Meanwhile, Kylie Acford won the women’s race in 1:20:21 — a new personal best time. Both are from Victoria.

The men’s race started out with a pack of four for 6K. There is a very gentle uphill roll to 6K, then the hills start in earnest to halfway. The lead was soon down to single file, with a gap growing as the kilometres rolled by. Pre-race favourites Logan Roots and Dusty Spiller faded. Bocksnick led the rest of the way.

Bocksnick is training for his debut in the marathon. He will be running the Boston Marathon on April 17.

Former winner (2019) and former UVic Vike Matt Noseworthy knew going in that he wasn’t in shape to challenge for the win. However, Bocksnick, also a former Vike, was a week removed from the longest training run of his career at just over 38K.

“It took me a while this week to get over that long run.”

He made the win look easy.

“I am happy with the time, double that, and add a little and that is my goal — weather dependent — for Boston.”

Bocksnick is hoping for “low-2:20s.” Pressed for a number, he went with 2:21:00, however, Boston’s weather can be unpredictable.

During the second half of the race, which is net downhill, if he had had competition, the result would have been minutes faster.

Acford is a veteran triathlete and won a 70.3 or half-ironman event in North Carolina in 2021. She will be racing another in June. Comox was her standalone half-marathon personal best. The 32-year-old has run the distance seconds faster in a 70.3 competition.

“I think I run better off the bike,” she chuckled.

Acford juggles a coaching career with club Mercury Rising, training and motherhood in Victoria.

Finishing in second place was ultramarathon 50K specialist and first master Catrin Jones (Prairie Inn Harriers) in the time of 1:23:30. Emily Bugoy (Mettle Heart Endurance) took third stopping the clock at 1:24:14.

Rounding out the top-three men were Dusty Spiller (Cowichan Valley Running) in 1:10:00 and Logan Roots (Esprit RC) in 1:11:28. The men’s top master was Stuart White (Esprit RC) in the time of 1:16:37.

A national 70-74 age-group record was broken by Rozlyn Smith of the host club, the Comox Valley Road Runners. She is coached by Wayne Crowe, who happens to be the race director. Smith finished in 1:44:31. At age 74. The post-race crowd cheered enough to bring her to tears.

The 548 finishers were the second most in the 38-year history of the race. The record from 2010 is 601.