Calgary man wins Okanagan Marathon
Locals show well in the shorter distances, winning 10K and 5K titles
Taking a decade-long break from longdistance running didn’t slow down Curtis Sampson.
Sampson placed first in the 24th annual SunRype Okanagan Marathon on Sunday — his first such race in 10 years.
“I turn 50 next year and to qualify for New York you have to run a time of 3:14 — and that was my first goal,” Sampson said.
“I’ve never done any of the big races, so now I can rest the next two or three months and start training for that,” Sampson said.
Sampson, from Calgary, crossed the finish line in Kelowna with a time of 2:59:59.
More than 2,500 people from eight countries competed in this year’s races, many drawn by the relatively flat terrain afforded by Kelowna’s mostly lakefront course. Competitors ranged in age up to 79. “It’s really exciting to see the runners, of all ages, coming back year after year and enjoying this run,” said race director Tara Melville. “Kelowna truly embraces the family festival feel of this event.”
The top female finisher was Cosette Lemelin, who ran with her husband for most of the race.
“We ran to our plan, we stuck to our plan, and it was a nice surprise that I came out in the lead,” Lemelin said.
In the shorter categories, Jeff Vogt of Kelowna won the 10K with a time of 34:56, and Melissa Paauwe of Calgary was the fastest woman, with a time of 37:49.
Keagan Ingram won the 5K race in the men’s category 16:26, while his sister Tayla won the women’s division with a time of 20:24.
Over the years, the marathon has raised more than $270,000 for the The Sunshine Foundation of Canada, helping dreams come true for kids with serious medical challenges or life-threatening conditions.
Runners came from across Canada, the U.S., and as far away as Australia, Italy, Brazil, China, Japan and the United Kingdom.
For a full list of finishers in the various categories, go online to okanaganmarathon.ca.