Another record turnout It was a ninth straight year of record-setting participation of 13,190 individuals that capped the 30th running of the Manitoba Marathon as the 2008 edition of the annual Father's Day event wrapped up Sunday afternoon.
"Oh my gosh, it's so exciting to have nine straight years where we had growth every year," said Shirley Lumb, Manitoba Marathon executive director. "It's amazing and it's due to local people, people from Manitoba. We are really a community event and we are growing in our numbers because of the community."
No time for ice-cream; half-marathoners make their way over the BDI bridge.
There were 842 competitors in the full marathon and 4,063 in the half-marathon, 906 in the walk, 3,689 in the Super Run, 3,640 in the relay, 10 in the wheelchair event and 40 in the Mini Mites Fun Run.
"It was a little cold (8 C at the 6:30 a.m. start of the Mini Mites Fun Run), but (it's) better than having heat." Lumb said.
"Everything went without hardly a glitch. We're really happy with improvements to our site. We have two new arches on the course at the half and the full (where the half-marathon splits and rejoins the full), so I've heard some good comments about that, that you just couldn't miss it."
Lumb noted the marathon increased its recycling program with plans to reduce its waste even further than last year to be more than 95 per cent "green."
The Winnipeg Kagemusha Drum Group cheers on a runner in the Manitoba Marathon at the Assiniboine Park Duck Pond Sunday morning.
Two great competitors
John McEvoy of Fargo, N.D., and Greg Penner of Steinbach raced neck-and-neck through the first 20 miles of the 26.2-mile full marathon until McEvoy pulled away at Mile 22.
It still gave the fans in the stands at the finish line in University of Manitoba Stadium some excitement as McEvoy raced in with a time of 2:36.31, followed closely by Penner at 2:37.43.
"Greg was with me most of the way... Greg ran a great race and I never knew how far behind me he was, so I was always concerned. I knew he was a fast runner and I knew he wasn't going to fade."
Penner, who improved to second place from third in 2007, earned accolades as the top Manitoban to finish the full marathon.
"It was a hard day out there, but it's awesome to be the top Manitoban," said Penner, 30, who ran in the New York City marathon last fall. "We ran from Mile Zero to 20 side by side and then he just got that gap and it slowly got bigger. I was watching my pace and we were running 5:40 miles at that time, and that's quite a bit faster than my average speed for this race, so I just couldn't keep that up. You have to make sure you make it to the finish line healthily."
Runners round the Duck Pond at Assiniboine Park to cross a checkpoint as their second hour of running approaches.
Penner joked that winning next year would be "a logical progression."
"It'll keep me motivated for another year, that's for sure!"
'Sandbagger' a winner
In the women's division of the full marathon, which was won by Meredith Kennedy of Winnipeg, third-place finisher Karin Nowak-Bailey, 35, of Winnipeg was jokingly dubbed "the sandbagger" by her training partners between hugs at the finish line.
Nowak-Bailey, who first ran the Manitoba Marathon in 2003, placed third in just her second marathon event with a personal best time of 3:22.09.
"I'm thrilled with being third, I was going for a sub-3:30 and this time has just swept me away," she said, smiling but wiping away a tear. "It's sunk in and I'm getting a little emotional about it. It's one of those self-actualization goals and it means a lot."
She said she only started training with Murray Vanderpont and Gord Fairman from The Running Room six months ago as they congratulated her and joked that she had "sandbagged" everyone.
"I don't know what came over me today, guys," she said to Vanderpont and Fairman. "They took me under their wing and they said if you want to do a sub-3:30, join us!"
First again, but in relay
Michael Booth is a Manitoba Marathon champion once again, only this time he's got a whole team behind him.
Booth, winner of the past three men's full marathons, helped his SCCAM Elite team to a first-place finish overall in the relay event, running the fourth leg of the race.
"It was a nice change of pace to be out here doing a relay and not having a lot of pressure on me this year," Booth said. "It was fun."
Booth's men's squad finished in 2:43.45 to take the relay title.
"(Winning) was unexpected," he said. "We kind of put this team together at the last minute and we weren't really sure how we were going to do. When I got the relay baton, I was surprised to find out that we were in the lead, so I had to run a little bit harder than I was planning."
Booth's training commitments with sponsor Brooks Canada kept him out of the full marathon this year, as he's focusing on qualifying for the 2009 world championship in shorter distances.
Meanwhile, the Bison Babes team took first in the women's relay, and the mixed-division title was claimed by Lyle Style.
It's a personal passion His shoes are six years old and are falling apart. His sign is scrawled in humble black marker.
He has wool socks pulled up to his knees. However, 64-year-old Billy Joe Flett from St. Theresa Point isn't here to run the half marathon looking like a Lululemon catalogue.
That's right, he does it for himself. And he's done it here annually since 1984. Well, with one exception.
"One year, I quit," he said, adding he stopped to pose for a picture and it was the kiss of death for his run.
"When I stop, it's like you're frozen, it's like my muscles froze on me."
Flett, a semi-retired teacher, said he flew in Saturday from the community 450 air kilometres northeast of Winnipeg to do the run.
He isn't looking for fanfare - but he said he'd like to see more members of his community, particularly youth, take part in the marathon.
"I don't advertise it. I just do what I have to do," he said.
Donovan Guinn, 10, left a little blood on the trail but it was nothing a popsicle couldn't fix.
Guinn was close to finishing his run in the Super Run with his friend Paul Genaille, nine and Paul's dad Rob Vachon, 44, when he tripped.
"I wiped out pretty bad there but I'm OK, it was a little bump (on the way into University of Manitoba Stadium to reach the finish line)," Guinn said.
It was the first time for the two boys who trained with the running club at their Crescentview School.
Ken Bentley, University of Manitoba Bisons women's volleyball head coach, and his six-year-old daughter Katreena, ran in the Super Run after Katreena made her debut last year in the Might Mites Fun Run.
"Dad did pretty good, he wasn't (puffing) too bad," Katreena said, laughing.
Spencer Hassin, nine, and his dad Allie found themselves standing around at the finish line after the Super Run when their burst of speed saw them finish well ahead of Spencer's grandfather Brian Cunningham and mom Shannon Hassin.
"It wasn't that hard but we went pretty fast at the end there," Spencer said. "It's fun to be here."
Allie said Spencer's grandfather and mom told them to go on ahead.
"They didn't want to hold Spencer back! He was really moving!" he said.
Mites run really early
It was a false start that became a fast start as nothing was going to stop a determined group of 40 athletes -- and they all were presented with a balloon at the finish line.
It was the annual Mini Mites Fun Run, a short 100-metre dash for children aged five and under, which starts at 6:30 a.m. before the other five main events of the Manitoba Marathon.
As the announcer asked the official starter if he had his air gun ready, the official suddenly blasted the horn. The kids were sharp and took off like a shot.
Among the first to cross the finish line was five-year-old Josh Yeroschak, displaying athletic ability similar to his dad who is Canada's national men's volleyball team setter Mike Munday.
"Really fun," Josh said after the race where he was cheered on by his mom Shannon Yeroschak, his dad Mike and Mike's wife Penny. "I like Superman (so) I have to run really fast."
Zachary Hargreaves, 4, ran with his little brother Logan, 3, and both seemed to be torn between being like their dad Brad who runs Ironman Triathlons and Ironman the superhero.
"I'm like Ironman, I run super fast!" said Zachary, cheered on by Brad and mom Jodi.
Linda Sander brought her 26-month-old daughter Amy Kersey to experience her first Mini Mites run. Amy found it a little cold as she shivered with teeth chattering despite multiple layers of clothing.
"I told her we were going to a great big party! It was pretty early but she got up really good because she was so excited," Sander said, who went on to the 10-kilometre walk with Amy in her jogger stroller.
-Prest
-- Gabrielle Giroday, Eric Mackenzie, Ashley Prest
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