Special moment for Petersons

Father, son finish first, second in 42nd annual Dunk River Run

BEDEQUE – A Charlottetown family experienced another special moment for the second year in a row at the Callbeck’s Home Hardware Dunk River Run.

Mike Peterson was the overall winner of the 11.6-kilometre event, racing his 18-year-old son Samuel to the finish line in the 47-runner event on Sunday morning.

“It’s always fun (running with family members),” said Mike, 47. “We’ve been running as a family for a long time and it’s kind of fun we get to duke it out every once in a while.

“It’s good supper table conversation and some goodnatured ribbing.”

In 2018, Mike was the overall winner in 44:51 while his daughter, Sophie Peterson, was the top female runner in

51:44. This year, Mike stopped the clock in 45:39 while a hard-charging Samuel finished second in 46:15. Sophie did not run in the 42nd annual race.

“I tried to get him at the end, but I couldn’t get him up the hill,” said Samuel referring to the final leg of the race to the finish line at the junction of Routes 1A and 171.

Mike noted it is always a special feeling to run events with family members. Sunday was no different.

“I am just happy for (Samuel)

to run well,” said Mike. “I just want him to have a good time and enjoy running.

“It’s fun when we are neck and neck at times. He has a lot more speed than I do, so anything short (distance) he’s going to get me. But, in the longer stuff, I can sometimes nip him.”

Mike said he was “pretty happy” with his time.

“I am doing a 100-mile trail race in August (in Nova Scotia), so I have been putting a lot of miles on my legs,” said Mike, a school counsellor at Colonel Gray High School in Charlottetown, where he also coaches the cross-country and track and field teams. “I was like, ‘We’ll start the race, see how they feel and whatever happens just happens’.

“I felt actually kind of better than I thought I would. Trying to keep up with him,” Mike said while glancing at Samuel, “is pretty good motivation, too.”

Samuel, a 2018 graduate of Colonel Gray who will run cross-country with the UPEI Panthers in the fall, said he was “happy” with his time.

“This is always one of my favourite races on the circuit,” said Samuel. “The last hill on Route 1A is pretty tough, but it’s a real enjoyable race.”

Samuel has now run the Dunk River Run three times. That past experience came in handy.

“I didn’t go out too hard and that was the goal,” said Samuel. “I held on and just gave it all heck the last 2K or 3K up the hill.”

Alex Bain led for the first four kilometres while the Petersons ran together for the same distance. Then Mike made a move up a climb for about two kilometres.

“I took a little bit of a risk and tried to push the pace there and gapped (Samuel) a little bit, but he came back on me and I turned around and he was right there,” explained Mike. “I pushed hard up that last hill and took it home.”

Veteran runner Scott Clark (46:50), Bain (46:53) and Erin Poirier (49:16), the top female runner, rounded out the topfive finishers.