The annual race was held Saturday, Jan 21 in good conditions, despite the pounding rain hours earlier threatening the usual winter ‘handicaps’. So, eager to get back post ‘active rest’ racing legs, a blue train 37 strong (likely the largest turnout ever) toed the line at their coach determined–sans bribes–starting times. The rest must have worked (or was it just getting a break from the coach?), as over half finished with personal bests (for 8Km/5 mile). Congratulations to new member Ben Hanemaayer for winning the “First Runner Home” Trophy, even though he thought he was just showing up for a regular workout! Times are as follows in order of descending actual times. (5 miles is ~10 seconds longer than 8K)

Kevin O’Connor 25:49 (fastest male trophy)
John Atkinson 28:23 PB
Roy Millen 29:05
Heather Durkin 29:22 PB (fastest female trophy)
Kristin Smart 29:52 PB
Jo Astoria 30:07
Brian Devereux 31:00
Steve Malyon 31:04 PB
Omid Kiamanesh 31:18 PB
Ryan Fetterly 31:30 PB
Rebecca Reid 31:40
Amiel Logan 31:45
Allison Tai 31:51 PB
Chris Brandt 31:58 (welcome back to racing!)
Vicki Harris 32:13 PB
Jackie Spencer 32:25 PB
Shannon Berardo 32:25 PB
Alex Lea 32:26 PB
Brooke Spence 32:26 PB
Allison Ezzat 32:28 PB
Amanda Groves 32:30 PB
Karyn Mitchell 32:31 PB
Susie Lang-Gould 32:52 PB
Sue Kwan 32:56 PB
Bob Wade 33:05
David Han 33:06
Alicia Woodside 33:38 PB
Scott Rotherham 33:39 PB
Angela D’Elia 33:40
Ben Hanemaayer 34:04 PB
Jim Davies 34:23
Adele Wilson 34:35 (Welcome back. Adele!)
Mary Walsh 34:43
Bill Codville 36:07
Chris Chan 36:24 PB
Dave Seabrook 36:32
Rick Horne 43:06

The annual Awards Night and Christmas Party was held on Friday, Dec 17 at the Brockton Pavilion. A large turnout of almost 60 people attended, enjoyed too much great food (well speaking for myself, anyhow) and kept the hapless bar attendant “hop”ping til 1AM (she obviously made a quick study of VFAC proclivities the previous year!)

Congratulations to the following award winners:

Outstanding Female Athlete
- Anne-Marie Madden

Outstanding Male Athlete
- Kevin O’Connor

Outstanding Master Female Athlete
- Catherine Watkins

Outstanding Master Male Athlete
- Kevin O’Connor

Outstanding Age-Rated Athlete
- Mark Bennett

Most Improved Athlete (Coaches Award)
- Kristin Smart

Hall of Fame Outstanding Service Award
- Janette Purdham
- Kevin O’Connor

Hall of Fame Athlete’s Athlete Award
- Janette Purdham

Big thanks to Janette for again organizing the party so capably, and to the MC’s KO and Karyn Mitchell.

The running season closed out Sunday with the most prestigious race of the VFAC calendar.
Long hours of training were put to the test in this year’s running of the VFAC Beer Mile.    A surprisingly close finish as last year’s champ Ryan Conroy was edged out by Jono Lloyd for the coveted title.
Full results can be found here.

5K

Overall Male / Overall Female

1 Jay MacDonald 15:20 / 1 Catherine Watkins 17:31
2 Kevin O’Connor 15:20 / 2 Heather Durkin 17:54
3 David Palermo 15:39 / 3 Katherine Moore 18:03
4 Ynuk Bosse 16:03 / 4 Kris Smart 18:58
5 Drew Nicholson 16:25 / 5 Helen Ritchie 19:10
6 Roy Millen 16:35 / 6 Karyn Mitchell 19:11
7 Mark Bennett 16:36 / 7 Rebecca Reid 19:23

Masters Male / Masters Female

1 Kevin O’Connor 15:20 / 1 Helen Ritchie 19:10
2 Mark Bennett 16:36 / 2 Karyn Mitchell 19:11
3 Will McKechnie 17:58 / 3 Rebecca Reid 19:23

8K

Overall Male / Overall Female

1 Kevin O’Connor 25:10 / 1 Anne-Marie Madden 28:41
2 David Palermo 25:49 / 2 Catherine Watkins 29:17
3 Drew Nicholson 26:29 / 3 Katherine Moore 29:36
4 Stan Jang 26:52* / 4 Kris Smart 31:05* (also 31:14 8K)
5 Mark Bennett 27:12 / 5 Helen Ritchie, Rebecca Reid 31:28*

Masters Male / Masters Female

1 Kevin O’Connor 25:10 / 1 Helen Ritchie 31:28*
2 Stan Jang 26:52* / 2 Rebecca Reid 31:28*
3 Mark Bennett 27:12 / 3 Karyn Mitchell 32:40*(also 32:48 8K)

* denotes time in 5 mile race minus 10 seconds

10K

Overall Male / Overall Female

1 Kevin O’Connor 31:14 / 1 Katherine Moore 36:37
2 Daniel Njenga 31:29 / 2 Anne-Marie Madden 36:40
3 Graeme Wilson 32:06 / 3 Catherine Watkins 36:56
4 David Palermo 32:35 / 4 Helen Ritchie 38:31
5 Jay MacDonald 32:46 / 5 Kris Smart 38:58
6 Drew Nicholson 33:15 / 6 Karyn Mitchell 39:21
7 Mark Bennett 33:34 / 7 Nancy Fedoruk 39:48
8 Ynuk Bosse 33:56 / 8 Tracy Wakaluk 40:29
9 Stan Jang 34:06 / 9 Janette Purdham 40:38
10 Roy Millen 34:28 / 10 Angela D’Elia 40:51

Masters Male / Masters Female

1 Kevin O’Connor 31:14 / 1 Helen Ritchie 38:31
2 Graeme Wilson 32:06 / 2 Karyn Mitchell 39:21
3 Mark Bennett 33:34 / 3 Tracy Wakaluk 40:29
4 Stan Jang 34:06 / 4 Janette Purdham 40:38
5 Dave Gibbons 35:47 / 5 Mary Walsh 41:44

Half Marathon

Overall Male / Overall Female

1 Kevin O’Connor 1:09:59 / 1 Anne-Marie Madden 1:19:47
2 Graeme Wilson 1:10:59 / 2 Catherine Watkins 1:20:48
3 Drew Nicholson 1:11:28 / 3 Katherine Moore 1:21:45
4 David Palermo 1:11:30 / 4 Heather Durkin 1:22:19
5 Daniel Njenga 1:12:18 / 5 Kris Smart 1:24:59
6 Ynuk Bosse 1:13:28 / 6 Rebecca Reid 1:25:47
7 Stan Jang 1:13:52 / 7 Helen Ritchie 1:26:22
8 Mark Bennett 1:14:36 / 8 Susie Lang-Gould 1:27:13
9 Jono Lloyd 1:17:56 / 9 Karyn Mitchell 1:27:45
10 Dave Stephens 1:19:44 / 10 Tracy Wakaluk 1:27:50

Masters Male / Masters Female

1 Kevin O’Connor 1:09:59 / 1 Rebecca Reid 1:25:47
2 Graeme Wilson 1:10:59 / 2 Helen Ritchie 1:26:22
3 Stan Jang 1:13:52 / 3 Susie Lang-Gould 1:27:13
4 Mark Bennett 1:14:36 / 4 Karyn Mitchell 1:27:45
5 Dave Stephens 1:19:44 / 5 Tracy Wakaluk 1:27:50
6 Russ Ladd 1:21:14 / 6 Janette Purdham 1:29:36
7 Will McKechnie 1:22:24 / 7 Mary Walsh 1:30:35

Marathon

Overall Male / Overall Female

1 Graeme Wilson 2:29:32 / 1 Katherine Moore 2:48:44
2 Mark Bennett 2:41:03 / 2 Kris Smart 2:49:24
3 Drew Nicholson 2:42:29 / 3 Helen Ritchie 3:01:53
4 Dave Stephens 2:42:37 / 4 Shannon Berardo 3:07:48
5 Barry Young 2:47:30 / 5 Allison Tai 3:09:23
6 Kevin O’Connor 2:48:46 / 6 Karyn Mitchell 3:09:33
7 Ryan O Maol Chonaire 2:50:32 / 7 Sue Kwan 3:10:31
8 Russ Ladd 2:53:04 / 8 Heather Durkin 3:10:52

Masters Male / Masters Female

1 Graeme Wilson 2:29:32 / 1 Helen Ritchie 3:01:24
2 Mark Bennett 2:41:03 / 2 Karyn Mitchell 3:09:33
3 Dave Stephens 2:42:37 / 3 Janette Purdham 3:25:26
4 Kevin O’Connor 2:48:46 / 4 Kate Dilworth 3:26:11
5 Russ Ladd 2:53:04 / 5 Vicki Mann 3:44:38

John Atkinson has produced a couple more podcast interviews.

Episode 2 features Vancouver trail and ultra runner Chris “GT” Downie.  The podcast is in two parts.

Part 1 –

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Episode 3 features Scottish-Canadian ultra-runner and 2011 Western States 100 winner, Ellie Greenwood.   The podcast is in two parts.

Part 1 - 

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VFAC’s John Atkinson has launched a new podcast.   The premise is to interview exceptional runners and members of the running community – finding out why they run and how/why running has become such an integral part of their lives.

Kicking off the inaugural episode of Inside the Runner’s Mind is an interview with one of the fastest masters (over-40) runners around:  British expat and Canadian transplant, Kevin O’Connor.  Hear about Kev’s cherished red spikes, his nutrition secrets and how he famously hired a new coach after PB-ing in the ’96 Sun Run.

Listen to John’s interview with Kevin (press the play button below)

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John’s podcast website can be found here.

26.2 Miles of Magical Mystery Touring: Goodlife Fitness Victoria Marathon 2011

Part I…

Saturday, October 8th

Amiel picks me up at 8am and we head over to Main St. & 7th to pick Barry up. I try calling him after we arrive and there’s no answer. An unknown number then calls me, and it’s Barry wondering if we’ve arrived yet. I’d typed his # into my phone arse-about-face. I rectify my error.

Read the rest of this entry »

A large contingent of VFACer’s raced the 8k, Half Marathon and Marathon in Victoria on Sunday October 9th.

The 8k results can be found here.

The Half-Marathon results can be found here.

The Marathon results can be found here.

Rick Horne was taking photos on course and finish line video.

His pictures can be viewed here.

His video from the Half-Marathon can be viewed here.

His video from the Marathon can be viewed here.

The VFAC Summerfast 10k  results by “RaceDay Timing” can be found here.

Videos from Summerfast are in online in five parts and can be viewed at:

Part 1  (31:47 to 43:03)

Part 2  (43:08 to 54:33)

Part 3  (54:49 to 1:05:59)

Part 4  (1:06:44 to 1:16:34)

Part 5  (1:17:55 to 1:27:50)

Pictures from Summerfast can be viewed  here.

Thanks to the hard work of VFAC member and photographer Rick Horne, the pictures are searchable by bib number.  Enter your bib number in the format (11-xxx) in the search box in the upper right corner of the flickr page.   Click on “VFAC by RR Horne Photostream” in the drop down box.   Click “tags only” on the right hand side of the search box on the results page to see your photos.