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

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.

Several VFAC’ers out to race the Vancouver Scotiabank Half Marathon very early the morning of Sunday June 26, 2011.
Sure the course is a “net down”, but it’s far from easy – there are a couple of stupid uphills along the way.
Rick Horne caught the strained/pained look on faces just before the finish.

Rick’s pictures can be found here.

Rick’s finish area video can be found here.

The overall results from the race are posted here.

Significant VFAC presence for the Sandcastle 10k in Whiterock on Sunday June 12th.

The race results can be found  here.

Rick Horne was taking pictures and finish line video.

The pictures are here

… and the video is here.

The 2011 Vancouver BMO Marathon was held Sunday May 1st, 2011.

Race results:

8k

Half

Full

Rick Horne’s pictures of the Full can be found here and his pictures of the Half can be found here.

The 34th annual Sunshine Coast April Fool’s Run was held April 3, 2011.

The results posted on the “Race Headquarters” website can be found here.

The ever-present Rick Horne was at the race taking pictures.   His photos of VFAC members at the race can be viewed here and photos of other finishers can be viewed here.    Rick’s finish line video can be viewed here.

Photos of the 2011 “Dave Reed Spring Classic 5k” taken by Rick Horne can be found here.   Rick also documented the finish on video.   Part I of his video is posted here, and part II is found here.

On a beautiful almost spring day, Kevin O’Connor might want to consider a full time running grandfather career, after picking up $450 cash as 1st master and 4th overall in a VFAC Masters record of 25:40. David Palermo was 6th overall in a 25:49 PB, and the blue trained masters swept with 50 year old Mark Bennett running a 27:12 PB and Stan Jang in 3rd. Dave Stephens was 2nd in the M50-55, Jim Peacock won the M55-60 in 32:50, Angela D’Elia ran her first race in the blue (and a long time) with a 34:34, and Brian Devereux ran a solid 29:35.

Guys,

Hot on the heels of Kate & Janette’s praise, I just wanted to belatedly second (or I guess that should be third?) their words of thanks and appreciation for all your great support out there on Sunday:

Fresh in my memory are Jo, Mary, Drew & Ellie sending us on our way at & just past the start; Coach Johnny, Sabrina, Bonnie, Sharon, Marty & Rory (& Ellie again) cheering us through the first 10k (& passing young Davey Palermo as he led the way in the 8k); high-fiving young Brian (Irish) in Gastown; a drenched Denis & Enej riding with us on the way into Stanley Park, then firing us up as we exited it; Davey Seabrook pumping us up just before half-way; Coach Johnny shouting out our half-way splits on Stanley Park Drive (& his twin brother doing the same on the run-in to the finish); passing Jay & Kim on Pipeline, then posing for Rick at the Corner of Lost Lagoon; high-fiving Sharon & Marty as I turned to tackle Burrard Bridge for the first time; then feeding off the energy & support of Emily, Bonnie, Sabrina, Mike & Amy Wood, CP Chris, Helen, Anne-Marie & Susanne during the tough stretch through Kitsilano. The turn onto Pacific (after negotiating Burrard Bridge a second time) and sprint for home was all a bit of a blur, but I know many of you were out in force again along Pacific — including ace photographer Rick, who (as you’ve seen) did another sterling job in capturing some of those magical (and sometimes painful) marathon (& half-marathon) moments.

And what about those performances? Graeme was 3rd overall in a mind-blowing 2:28:17 (only 20 secs from a PB, I believe); Guy ran a NEGATIVE SPLIT! in posting a 2:47:02 (only around 4 mins shy of his PB); Dave broke 2:50 (2:49:48) despite missing a stretch of training through injury; Mikey P. knocked almost 2 minutes of his best BMO VIM (2009) time in clocking 2:53:37; I snuck in a few minutes behind in 2:56:33 (a PB by just over a minute), Kristin set something like a 4-minute PB in running a stellar 3:15:02; Janette was just behind in 3:20:43, another solid effort off less-than-perfect training; and Kate showed SHE’S BACK, cruising under 3:30 with a time of 3:29:13 which put her (more-or-less) in the top 10 of the field. There were also notable performances from Ian (1:14:34 and 3rd M30-34), Katrina (1:21:56 and 4th overall female) & Shu (1:27:29) in the half, and the young Welsh-Italian stallion, Davey Palermo, who took second overall in the 8k (27:23), just behind honorary VFACer Ben Maas.

Sorry if I missed anyone out there.

We may not have been blessed with the sunshine of 2009, but your terrific support and those sterling performances still made it a day to remember… and one I’m going to dine out on for quite a while!

Cheers,

Johnny A

Editor’s Notes:

-Graeme won $750 for 3rd overall, plus $500 as 2nd Canadian
-Guy and Dave were 1st and 2nd in the Male 50+
-Janette was 2nd in the Female 40-44
-Charles Mackey resumed his long career with a respectable 3:49:35 (just to prepare himself to come back to workouts and to get to indulge in the 4-5 pints that follow)