Runners from age 14 to 74 put on their athletic gear Sunday, August 26, and gathered on Texada Island for the second annual Run the Rock marathon and half-marathon.
Fifty-eight people took part in the event, participating in either the full 42.2-kilometre marathon or the 21.1-kilometre half-marathon. They came from as far away as Texas, Washington State, Saskatchewan and Alberta. BC runners from Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland also came to test themselves against “the Rock.”
Keith Wakelin, 53, of Merville, BC, was the first male across the full marathon finish line for the second year, with a time of 3:08, 10 minutes faster than in 2011. Roslyn Smith, 63, of Comox, was the first female finisher with a time of 3:54. Seventeen-year-old Ross Waters of Campbell River, the youngest marathoner at the event, was the second male finisher with a time of 3:13. The third male was Greg Tait, 45, the only full marathon runner from Powell River. His time was 3:31. The second female across the line was veteran runner Janet Green, 58, of Courtenay, who was competing in her 266th marathon. Her time was 4:16. Kristy Jones of Ridgefield, Washington, was third with a time of 4:18.
In the 21.1-kilometre half-marathon, Wayne Crowe, 56, of Comox was the first male finisher with a time of 1:23. Lisa Morrow, 44, of Powell River was the first female across the line with a time of 1:40. The second male to finish was Jono Lloyd of North Vancouver. His time was 1:24. In third spot was Nicholas Toupin of Campbell River, who clocked in at 1:30. The second and third female finishers were Natasha Grant of Vancouver at 2:00 and Shawna Graham of Powell River at 2:03.
Competing in the half-marathon for the first time was a father and son from Powell River, Stephen Ball, 49, and his son Taku Ball, 14. Taku, the youngest competitor in the event and an enthusiastic new runner, finished with a time of 1:47, a minute faster than his dad. The oldest runner was Diane Palmason, 74, of Comox, who finished with a time of 2:13.
Race Director, Rob McWilliam, said this year’s event was a “transition year. Hopefully, runners will start to program Run the Rock into their training schedules since they know the event wasn’t a one-time wonder. Many runners left Texada Island promising to spread the word about Run the Rock and the fantastic community support they experienced during their visit.”
Complete standings are available on Avid Fitness Center’s website.
