Winning at home
More than 2,000 people take part in the 41st annual event
Dave MacLennan won at home for the 11th time on Sunday.
Johnny Miles is his – and many other runners’ – home marathon, making a first-place finish in Pictou County a special feat.
“When I started running, all you knew was the Johnny Miles Marathon. You didn’t know of anything else, except for Boston of course,” he said Sunday morning about what it means to do well at the New Glasgow race.
“You never think you’re going to get another one, because they’re getting harder now as I’m getting older. If you get one, great. If you don’t, it’s just nice to be out there,” the 52-year-old runner said about the win.
MacLennan crossed the finish line with a time of 2:54:52, fighting 25-degree weather, sun and wind. While it wasn’t the most difficult Johnny Miles run he’s done – the hardest being four years ago with heat, humidity and wind – it still required runners to be a little more vigilant about making sure they’re hydrated.
“We’re not used to the heat right now, that’s the problem. We haven’t had any heat. This is it, basically. We haven’t had any time to train in the heat or anything like that. You just got to do the best you can with it,” the Scotsburn runner said.
The weather forecast prompted organizers to decide on Friday that they would offer a staggered start time for any marathoners who wanted to hit the road a little earlier.
Seventy-five per cent of the marathon runners lined up for a 7 a.m. start, co-organizer Terry Curley said, adding that organizers were pleased the heat didn’t end up being as much of a factor as they anticipated.
He said there were a few more medical issues than normal because of dehydration, but nothing serious was encountered.
“We’re always looking at ways to improve our race, so we may have to look at an earlier start next year. We’ll do that analysis after the race and see what we have to do for next year. The staggered start didn’t create any logistical issues for us. And I think the runners appreciate it,” he said.
More than 2,000 people registered for the 41st race, selling out before race day – numbers Curley attributes to a good winter for training.
“All the early season races, the numbers are up because of that,” he said, noting that numbers were down last year because of the harsh and long winter.
Curley noted that lots of recreational runners and first-timers participated this weekend, which is something organizers try to promote.
“Our mandate with Johnny Miles is to create a healthier community … and get people active and we’re gaining traction with this event.”
He thanked everyone involved with the race, including the spectators, adding that it couldn’t happen without community support.
Dave MacLennan captures his 11th win at the Johnny Miles Marathon.
“As long as they keep supporting it, we’re happy to keep organizing it.”