ROYAL VICTORIA MARATHON

October 9, 2005

 

On Sunday, October 9, 2005, I wished that I had a clone that I could send to run the Portland Marathon to keep my 20 year string (since 1985) going.  From 1990 until 2004 I had participated at the Royal Victoria Marathon one week later with never a conflict between these two marathons – until this year when both of these favorite events were conducted simultaneously.  It was a difficult choice, but I had an obligation to be at Victoria.

 

Steve King, race announcer at the Vancouver Sun Run 10K, the Royal Victoria Marathon, the Vancouver Marathon, the Peach City Marathon and the Canada Ironman at Penticton etc. and author of a book on running had invited me to write a chapter in a new book on running that he was developing.  This book is titled Running in the Zone, a Handbook for Seasoned Athletes, and it’s edited by Steve King and Dan Cumming.  Both are avid runners, marathoners, writers and editors with years of experience.

 

Rob Reid, race director of the Royal Victoria Marathon, wrote the Foreword of the book and one of the chapters.  Altogether there are 26 authors for the chapters, and all of them are runners residing in Canada and the United States.  They are long term veterans of the sport of running and have a wide range of experience and philosophy that they share with the reader.

 

My chapter was titled Goal Setting and Adjusting Expectations.  At the conclusion of my discussion, I describe the running accomplishments of some friends and others who have inspired me through my running career.

 

A unique feature of the Victoria Marathon is the Celebrity Writers Breakfast on the day before the races.  Lenore and I had attended the breakfast the previous two years and enjoyed listening to Dick Beardsley, Joe Henderson, Steve King and others describe their latest books.

 

This year the highlight of the breakfast was the unveiling of Running in the Zone and the introduction of Terry, the saga of Terry Fox when he ran across Canada for charity as an amputee due to the cancer that claimed him at an early age.  This book was written by Douglas Copeland, and Douglas Alward who accompanied Terry on this venture was a featured speaker at the breakfast.

 

The marathon went really well, and the weather was as close to ideal as I have seen it at Victoria.  It was overcast for most of the race with the air temperature in the mid 50’s and calm to 10 mph winds.

 

The starting line was on the street adjacent to the Parliament Buildings and the Embassy Inn where we stay every year.  Rob Reid started the marathon field at 8:30 a.m., and our chips beeped as we crossed the timing mats.  We circled the square of legislative buildings before we passed the regal Empress Hotel and looked at the Victoria Harbour as we passed it.   Then we ran through the city center on our way to the suburbs, Beacon Hill Park and the bluffs overlooking Haro Strait.

 

On our way to a course turn-around at about 15 miles, we ran through the town of Oak Bay, Victoria Golf Club and Oak Bay proper with boats in marinas.  Most of the race course is an out-and-back configuration, so we could see the front runners returning and many friends and acquaintances as well.

 

As I was running north in about my 10th mile, the front runner sped by going south.  I learned later that it was Jim Finlayson of Victoria.  He finished in 2:24:13 with a commanding lead over the rest of the field.  In second place was Jason Loulitt of Calgary, AB, who ran a 2:29:00.  Oliver Utting of Burnaby, BC, was third with a 2:33:57.

 

Suzanne Evans of New Westminster, BC, was the winner of the women’s race with a 2:50:24.  The second place woman was Judith Leroy of Victoria who ran a 2:53:21 and outdistanced Lynn Koyzan, 45+, of Richmond, BC, as she finished in 2:58:29.  Lynn was the first masters woman to finish.

 

It was a day that Terry Sentinella, 40+, a Marathon Maniac and race director for the Skagit Flats Marathon, will never forget.  He ran his first sub-three hour marathon!!  His new PR of 2:59:25 was accomplished with a negative split.  Near the end of the race he had overtaken his friend Brian Robertson, 30, of Bellingham, WA, to gain a five second edge.  Congratulations to Brian as he ran a PR of 2:59:30.  At the recent Skagit Flats Marathon on September 11, 2005, he was third overall with another good time of 2:59:46.

 

Congratulations to Stuart Sims, 31, of Victoria for running his first marathon.  We met when he caught up with me near Mile 23.  We ran and walked together until he pulled ahead to finish in 5:18:33.  With a time of 5:21:16, I was finisher #1,841 (of 1,958) and second in the 75-79M age division.  Grant Yule, 75+, of Prince George, BC, was first with a time of 4:48:50

 

There are many opportunities to socialize at the Victoria Marathon weekend.  We enjoyed visiting with Jack and Gunhild Swanson of Spokane several times.  Every year we have an annual tradition to spend some time with Bill Schnitzler and his wife of Calgary, AB.  This year they joined Jon Gissberg and us at the “always great” Carbo Gala.  Jon registered as Barefoot Jon and ran the marathon shoeless!

 

Because I was wearing my new marathon shirt and finishers medal, we were drawn into several interesting conversations after the race.  As we were leaving Milestones, a waterfront restaurant, we talked to a threesome from Leon, Mexico.  I congratulated Arturo Vazquez, 40+, for running his first marathon in 4:20:40.  His younger brother, Fernando, 30+, ran his fifth marathon at Victoria in 3:36:36 and brought his wife along to cheer them on.

 

On the promenade along the waterfront we struck up a conversation with Dennis White, 64, of Dursban in the Union of South Africa who was visiting his daughter Delayne White, 35+, and her husband, residents of nearby Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island.  The father and daughter had run the half marathon together in 2:00:35.  Dennis is an ultramarathoner who has run the 53 mile Comrades Race in South Africa eleven times.  His black cap had Comrades embroidered on it in gold and a green number 500.  This meant that bib number 500 was reserved for him permanently.  This world famous race is point-to-point with the course direction going north one year and rotating to the south the next.

 

On the ferry ride back to Tsawwassen we visited with Nester and Joyce Slywka of Burnaby.  We see them often in our marathon travels.  Our wives have a lot in common.  They support our marathoning and volunteer at many of the races where we’re participants.  Nester earned an age class award for finishing in third place in the 70-75M division with a 4:32:01.

 

Thanks to Rob Reid and his race committee and many volunteers who again made the Royal Victoria Marathon and associated races and events special for the runners and their families.  We shall return!

 

……………………………….Written by Bob Dolphin

 

 

*********Running in the Zone is available at http://trafford.com/05-1768 or contact Trafford Publishing in Victoria, BC:  toll free phone, 1-888-232-4444.  For more information contact Dan Cumming at dbcumming@shaw.ca or Steve King at stking@vip.net.  The book will soon be available in running and bookstores near you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Partial Results – Royal Victoria Marathon, October 9, 2005

 

2:24:13  Jim Finlayson, 30-34, Victoria, BC, 1st in age division

2:29:00  Jason Loutitt, 30-34, Banff, AB, 2nd

2:33:57  Oliver Utting, 30-34, Burnaby, BC, 3rd

2:50:24  Suzanne Evans, 30-34, Westminster, BC, 1st

2:52:43  Herb Philips, 65-69, Burnaby, BC, 1st

2:53:21  Judith Leroy, 30-34, Victoria, BC, 2nd

2:53:53  Pete Hansen, 45-49, Ferndale, WA, 3rd

2:58:29  Lynn Koyzan, 45-49, Richmond, BC, 1st

2:59:25  Terry Sentinella, 40-44, Anacortes, WA, MM,

2:59:30  Bryan Robertson, 30-34, Bellingham, WA

 

3:15:30  Leland Wakelin, 45-59, Surrey, BC

3:35:28  Jim Morton, 45-49, Duncan, BC, MM

3:36:27  Neil Wakelin, 55-59, North Vancouver, BC

3:36:36  Fernando Vazquez, 30-34, Leon, Mexico

3:39:43  Janet Green, 50-54, Coutenay, BC, 3rd

3:48:20  Robert Lopez, 35-39, Seattle, WA, MM

3:49:54  Jon Mahoney, 50-54, Vernon, BC

3:53:15  Gunhild Swanson, 61, Spokane, WA, MM, 2nd

3:58:25  Ken Bonner, 60-64, Victoria, BC

4:01:39  Janna Cumming, 25-29, Vancouver, BC

4:12:50  Thomas Coan, 50-54, Seattle, WA

4:20:40  Arturo Vazquez, 40-44, Leon, Mexico

4:24:50  Amanda Cohn, 35-59, Seattle, WA

4:25:53  Bill Schnitzler, 55-59, Calgary, AB

4:27:04  Barefoot Jon Gissberg, 60-64, Seattle, WA

4:29:53  Carol Stevenson, 30-34, Port Angeles, WA

4:32:01  Nester Slywka, 70-74, Burnaby, BC, 3rd

4:48:50  Grant Yule, 75-79, Prince George, BC, 1st

4:51:20  Wendy Marshall, 40-44, Victoria, BC, MM

4:52:23  Jack Swanson, 71, Spokane, WA, MM, 4th

5:10:32  Richard Andrew, 60-64, Mukilteo, WA

5:18:33  Stuart Sim, 31, Victoria, BC

5:18:50  Jennifer Beck, 30-34, Calgary, AB

5:21:16  Bob Dolphin, 76, Yakima/Renton, WA, MM, 2nd

5:29:14  Virginia Farneman, 65-69, Powell, OH, 1st

5:38:24  Albert Homenchuk, 70-74, Burnaby, BC

 

 

Partial Results – Victoria Half Marathon

 

1:03:54  Jon Brown, 30-34, Victoria, BC, 1st in age division

1:08:26  David Jackson, 25-29, Victoria, BC, 1st

1:08:45  Warren Barker, 35-59, West Vancouver, BC, 1st

1:18:22  Cheryl Murphy, 35-39, Victoria, BC, 1st

1:20:01  Meghan Day, 30-34, Victoria, BC, 1st

1:21:20  Nancy Baxendale, 40-44, Shawnigan Lake, BC, 1st

1:42:41  Larry Little, 50-54, Port Angeles, WA

1:45:07  Michelle Little, 35-59, Port Angeles, WA

2:00:35  Delayne White, 35-59, Qualicum Beach, BC

2:00:35  Dennis White, 64,  Dursban, Union of South Africa

2:05:02  Daniel Cumming, 60-64, Vancouver, BC