Walkers run well

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Men's full-marathon winner, Thomas Omwega, crosses the finish line at the University of Manitoba Stadium on Sunday. The Kenyan won in a time of 2:25.13. (TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

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Full-marathon top six (from left): Nadia Fry, Anna Kibor, Brian Walker, Thomas Omwenga, Bradley Keefe and Cathy Cullen. (TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

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Darolyn Walker, second in the women's half marathon, celebrates with son Braedan, six months. (TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

The Walker family ran away with the local spotlight at the 2012 Manitoba Marathon, placing second in three of the four main races in the 34th annual Father's Day event.

Darolyn Walker, 30, placed second in the women's half marathon with a time of one hour 27.10 minutes, her husband Brian Walker was second in the men's full marathon with his time of 2:33.18, and his twin brother, Jeremy Walker, took second in the men's half marathon at 1:13.46.

There were 13,367 participants, who began and finished at the University of Manitoba.

"There were a lot of us (Walker family) running today and it turned out pretty well," said Brian Walker, 30, whose wife Darolyn gave birth just six months ago to their son, Braedan. The baby was born five weeks premature. "Especially for Darolyn, to go through what she did and then run here, that outshines anything we did."

All three Walkers are former U of M Bisons track team members (2000-2005).

"I never thought I'd be able to come back, so it's really encouraging. It's six months, and I'm almost back to where I was and I'm just thrilled," Darolyn said, noting her husband encouraged her to start running again after Braedan was born.

She trains in the early morning before Brian goes to work. "I just want it to be part of everyday life."

Thomas Omwenga, 33, of Kenya, won the men's full marathon with a time of 2:25.13, his 10th full-marathon win of the 20 he's competed in. He has won the Vancouver Marathon three times.

His running partner, Anna Kibor, 48, also of Kenya, won the women's full marathon in 2:49.45.

Omwenga, far ahead of the pack from the outset, said running without anyone pushing him presented a challenge.

"The course is good, flat, except that, you know, running a solo race, I was alone and so it's mental, not physical, when you are running alone," said Omwenga, referring to the mental challenge of self-motivating on the course.

"This day is a great day for me, and I thank all the people of Winnipeg and Manitoba for what they are doing to make it a great race."

He said his personal best time is 2:10.24, which he ran in South Korea in 2004.

Kibor ran a full marathon for the first time in two years after recovering from a knee injury.

"I'm very happy," Kibor said. "I felt good out there. I'm really happy to be able to race here."

Omwenga and Kibor came to Winnipeg for the event at the urging of their friend and Winnipeg native Jeff Golfman, who invited them to compete in the Manitoba Marathon.

Brian Walker said he met Omwenga at the Ottawa marathon on May 27, where Omwenga placed 11th (2:18.45) and Walker placed 19th (2:31.20).

"I knew it was going to be hard to beat Thomas. We both ran the Ottawa marathon three weeks ago, and he ran pretty fast in Ottawa, so I knew I had to run my own race and hopefully my legs would hold up," Walker said.

Four-time men's marathon winner Michael Booth of Winnipeg finished in 2:42.10.

In the half marathon, Kate Gustafson of Toronto won the women's event in 1:23.22. It was her eighth half marathon but her first half-marathon victory. Last month, she placed second in a half marathon in Toronto.

"It's so much fun. The fans in Winnipeg are so supportive," said Gustafson, a native of Kenora, who works for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment in Toronto. She said her brother, Ben, was running the full marathon.

"It's very exciting. It just makes all the hard work you put into training worth it. It's just incredible to see all the different types of runners out there. It's a great race for Winnipeg, and I'd come back next year, it's so much fun."

For Winnipegger Corey Gallagher, 25, the notion of next year had been on his mind since he placed second in last year's half marathon. He made good on his plan by placing first with a time of 1:10:14 in the men's race.

"This is what I've been gearing for since last year's second," he said. "It felt like at the end my body was hurting a bit. I've been battling injuries, so at about the ninth, 10th mile, I started feeling it, but at that point, it was just hold on."

Chester Draper topped the leaderboard in the wheelchair full marathon with a time of 1:39:48.

"Are we in Brandon?" joked the 72-year-old Draper as he crossed the finish line.

Draper, who started competing in marathons two weeks after his 70th birthday, was one of three wheelchair racers in the full marathon.

"I'm just happy to cross the line. It's just awesome," he said. "I felt really good and it's just a beautiful, beautiful day."

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca

jeff.hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 18, 2012 0