Course record smashed at Oliver 10K
The Canadian Tire Interior Road Race Series held the third race of the eight-race series last Sunday, when 160 runners lined up at the starting line for one of the most popular races in the series — the Oliver 10K.
The race is flat, fast and scenic, and the top three in each age class receive a bottle of fine B.C. wine!
A surprise entrant from Vancouver, Geoff Martinson (M30-34), cruised to an easy win in a course-record time of 30:34. I believe this is the second-fastest 10K time ever run in one of the series races, beaten only by the time of Kelowna’s Phil Ellis at the 1989 Mid-Summer 10K where he ran a smoking 29:59!
Following Martinson was Summerland’s Hans Aabye (M40-44) and Penticton’s Josh Heinrichs (M35-39). The top woman was Penticton runner, Stacey Cleveland (F40-44) followed by Vernon’s Seija Deleenheer (F4044) and Penticton’s Amanda Kontkanen (F4044). The top-four women were all in the 40-44 age class and were well ahead of all the younger woman runners!
Full results are available at interiorrunningassociation.com/results/2018-oliver10k-results.html.
I would like to mention some age-class winners who had exceptional runs. Penticton’s Gwyn Pociluyko (F55-59), Kelowna’s running sisters, Cindy Rhodes and Laurelee Nelson (F60-64, 5th and 6th women overall!), Jill Watson (F65-69, Kelowna), Arnie Gash (F70-74, OK Falls), David Guss (M55-59, Kelowna, 4th overall), Bill Faulkner (M70-74, Penticton), Peter Pollhammer (M75-79, Kelowna) and the ageless Bruce Butcher (M80-84, Kamloops).
A special shout-out to Vernon’s Shanda Hill, the No. 1 female ultra triathlete in the world. Shanda’s strength is endurance, not speed, but she had a great run in Oliver — coming fourth in the F35-39 age class.
The fourth race in this popular series is the Blossom 10Miler on May 13 in Penticton. The rest of the Canadian Tire series schedule is: Race 5, the Blackwell Dairy 15K, May 27, Kamloops; Race 6, Conquer The Lake 5K, June 10, Lake Country; Race 7, Fresh Air Mid Summer 8K, July 8, Kelowna; and Race 8, Kamloops Half Marathon, July 22.
A new race series in our area is being organized by Mountain Equipment Co-op. The first race in this series takes place in West Kelowna this Sunday.
Unfortunately, if you haven’t entered, it is too late, as the event is sold out! However, there are still four races to be run in the five-race series. They are all in and around Kelowna. Race 2, 5K & 10K, is at Rose Valley on May 6; Race 3, a choice of 5, 10 or 21.1K (Half Marathon) takes place at Myra Station on the Kettle Valley Rail Trail on Aug. 12; Race 4, a 5/10K is at Knox Mountain on Sept. 9; and the final race in the series is a 5/10K at Mission Creek Greenway on Oct. 14.
For more information or to enter, go to events.mec.ca/node/193881.
CYCLING
Jordan Cheyne informs me that he will be racing in the four-stage Joe Martin Stage Race in Fayettville, Arkansas, April 12-15. This is a race that should suit Jordan’s skills as there are many climbs and an uphill time trial. The first stage is a 182-kilometre road race with 2,000 metres of climbing. Stage 2 is a 176-kilometre road race with 1,900 metres of climbing. Stage 3 is a 5K time trial with an average grade of five per cent. The final stage is a Criterium held on a technical two-kilometre course. A Criterium is a very fast race with many laps of hard, close-together riding.
Following the Joe Martin race, Cheyne will be competing at the Tour of Gila in Silver City, New Mexico, from April 18-22. This five-stage race covers 600 kilometres with three road races, a time trial and a criterium.
Locally, the warmer weather is starting to bring the Okanagan cyclists out of hibernation. I have been riding for a few weeks now, and for the first time this year, on my ride Monday, I saw quite a few other riders.
Derek Barile of the Fresh Air Experience/ Concept stores informs me that their weekly rides have begun. They have a Tuesday evening ride that is a hill ride, and an easier Thursday evening road ride. Both start at Fresh Air Concept at 5:30 p.m.
Their Saturday ride is my favorite. It is a no drop road ride, meaning that no one gets left behind, the fast riders stop every so often, and wait for the slower riders to catch up. The Saturday rides leave Fresh Air Concept at 9 a.m., weather permitting.
Lisa Jaffary’s Okanagan Shuswap Century ride on May 27 is, as usual, sold out. Registration for this event opened at 6 a.m. on April 2 and the 475-rider limit was reached in a couple of hours! Lisa has done a terrific job organizing this race for 20 years. She deserves a tremendous amount of credit for all the work she has done!
TRIATHLON
Kelowna pro triathletes, Heather and Trevor Wurtele, were at it again, competing in the Pro division at the Ironman Texas 70.3. Both had great races, with Trevor finishing sixth overall behind three Americans and two Aussies. Heather took third overall in the women’s field, only nine seconds behind the second-place Australian who passed her near the finish of the run portion.
The Kelowna Apple Triathlon, Aug. 18-19, is going to be a huge event this year. It will be the Canadian National Championship triathlon and also one of the CAMTRI Continental Cup races.
For more information and to enter, go to appletriathlon.com.