Murrin’s become a serious contender
Running with a plan, she’s won every race she’s entered this year; a Tely 10 title could be next
Following a third-place finish in the Tely 10 last July, St. John’s runner Jennifer Murrin decided it was time to get down to business with her new favourite sports pastime.
“I had always enjoyed running, but it was just running,” said the former competitive swimmer with the St. John’s Legends. “When I finished third, it was kind of like, ‘Wow!’ So I said to myself that maybe it was time to follow some sort of plan.
“I’ve done that, and I’m getting the results.”
No kidding.
Murrin, 36, has been the dominant runner on the local road race circuit this season, winning all five races she’s entered — the Boston Pizza Flat Out 5K, Mundy Pond 5K, Nautilus Harbour Front 10K, Mews Centre 8K and the Uniformed Services Run half-marathon.
In the latter event, she bettered her time over last year by seven-plus minutes, and finished fifth overall.
“This,” she said, “is the year for me.”
Murrin entered her first Tely 10 in 2014, finishing fifth overall behind Kate Bazeley, Julia Kawamoto, Caroline Mcilroy and Alison Walsh.
She ran again in 2015, but did not finish.
In the spirit of former Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Bobby Baun, Murrin fractured her fibula, but tried to run through the discomfort.
“I was in a lot of pain,” she said. “I had to stop.”
And then there was last year’s big run, a 1:03.06 showing which placed her 46th of 4,350 finishers.
The door is wide open on Sunday, with Bazeley, the defending champ and course record-holder, sitting out the race.
“We all know Kate is the best in the province,” Murrin said. “Yes, her not running has opened up an opportunity for me, but there are lots of great runners who could win on Sunday.”
“When I finished third (in the 2016 Tely 10), it was kind of like, ‘Wow!’ So I said to myself that maybe it was time to follow some sort of plan. I’ve done that, and I’m getting the results.”
Jennifer Murrin