UBC’s Martinson the runner-up in another Sun Run
Pharmacology student dreaming of title after consecutive second-place finishes
Geoff Martinson took second place for a second straight year at The Vancouver Sun Run.
The 32-year-old UBC pharmacology student originally from Prince George was 21 seconds behind winner Brendan Gregg, 28, a Davis, Calif., product who finished the 10-kilometre course in 29 minutes 14 seconds.
In 2017, Martinson was eight seconds behind Joseph Gray of Colorado Springs, Colo., who clocked a 29:38.
“I would love to win in front of the home crowd,” said Martinson. “Come down off the Cambie Street Bridge … it would be sweet. I have to do it one of these days.
“I’m coming back next year. I think I have to.”
It’s easy to suggest he’ll have an easier time with training next year. In the midst of preparation for this, he’s been working on wrapping up his schooling. Martinson said he completed at two-month practicum in Oliver Friday to finish off his degree.
“I think, for me, today there’s a certain amount of stress that’s lifted being done school,” said Martinson. “I’m not going to pretend today didn’t hurt, but there’s an enjoyment knowing that I don’t have work today. I can go home and nap afterwards and I guarantee that I will.
“I can’t complain. Everybody out there is working. But to be at that level, where you’re trying to compete with the best internationally, you really have to be patient. You’re going to finish work, you’re going to be tired, you’re going out there to train and you’re not going to feel your best. You have to trust that you’re putting in the necessary training.”
Don’t be misled. Martinson has an extensive athletic resume, highlighted by making the semifinals in the 1,500 metres at the 2011 world championships in Daegu, South Korea. In March, he was representing Canada at the world half-marathon championships in Valencia, Spain.
That was a result of Martinson posting the second-fastest halfmarathon time this year for a Canadian, putting together a 1:03:38 at an event in Houston in January to place 33rd.
Gregg was at the same event and came in with a 1:02:55, which was good for 26th.
“I knew he was the guy to beat today,” said Martinson. “There were moments in the race where I was started to pull closer to him, but in the last couple of kilometres he started to pull away. I wasn’t making up the ground. He ran well. No doubt about it.”
Sun Run rookie Gregg is part of the Hanson-Brooks Distance Project, an Olympic development team that’s based in Michigan and features Boston Marathon champion Desiree Linden.
Gregg starred at Stanford. He and sister Kaitlin Gregg Goodman received attention in 2016 when they both ran the U.S. Olympic trials in the marathon. Neither wound up qualifying.
“I’d love to come back if it fits,” Gregg said of the Sun Run. “That’s the thing. You’re always torn between going to new races and trying out different events and going back to the ones that you have already done and know are great.
“From an American standpoint, we know all about the big races in the U.S. This doesn’t have as big a profile. And I don’t know if I want to tell too many buddies about it because I want come back and defend the title.”
Gregg said that his first trip to the Sun Run was aided by a tour of the course Saturday.
“You can look at the elevation profile online, but until you see it, you don’t really know,” said Gregg. “That was super helpful to get the lay of the land.”
Calgary’s Matthew Travaglini took third spot with a time of 29:49.