‘It really propels me forward’: Women’s half marathon winner digs deep

There was a time not long ago when Alison McPherson dreamed of following in her mother Sheila’s footsteps.

Before her teenage years arrived, McPherson remembers riding her bike to try to keep up as her mom trained for the Manitoba Marathon.

All of that pedalling eventually gave way to running herself.

Although she moved from Winnipeg to Calgary at the age of 10, McPherson still comes back to Manitoba to run: a testament to a strong family bond that turned into an extension of a tradition.

“Actually, it started at the Manitoba Marathon here,” McPherson said when asked how running became her passion. “As a kid, I was out here cheering her on and watching her finish. Watching her running journey, the inspiration began.”

Sheila’s inspiration has taken Alison a lot of different places and helped her launch a career in Canmore, Alta. as a running coach, where she opened Rhythm Run coaching.

On Sunday, McPherson crossed the finish line first in the women’s half marathon with a time of one hour, 22 minutes and 11 seconds.

“It’s my first time winning this half marathon,” said McPherson. “It’s pretty special crossing the line, especially in this big stadium. There’s such a nice crowd in here.”

McPherson, who was one of nearly 13,000 participants in the race, wrote an inspirational message in ink on her hand on Sunday that read: dig deep.

“A little mantra,” she explained. “I usually write something on my hand for when it gets tough, to look down and remind myself why I’m out here and that I can find that extra gear.”

Finding the extra gear is nothing new for McPherson, who participated in the Manitoba Marathon (half marathon) for the first time when she was 16 years old and ran her first full marathon in her early 20s.

McPherson remembers another occasion when her mother provided an important source of inspiration.

“When I started running…back in 2003, she first qualified for Boston and when she was going and I was eight years old, I was like ‘one day, I want to do that,’” said McPherson, who turned that dream into a reality in 2018. “We went together for the first time and this year, we went for the second time together.

“It was such a fun weekend. Boston is just electric, so to be there and experience that with my mom is the best-case scenario.”

McPherson had plenty of family members cheering her on inside Princess Auto Stadium, as her partner Dustin Schellenberg hails from Steinbach.

Schellenberg finished 18th in the full marathon, with a time of two hours, 52 minutes and 59 seconds, so the family connections run deep.

That’s part of what makes competing in the Manitoba Marathon so special for McPherson.

“One hundred per cent. It definitely makes me want to come back and it’s just kind of like a full circle moment,” said McPherson. “Having his family here is really neat.”

McPherson isn’t sure what the next item on her marathon bucket list might be.

“I’m pretty intrinsically competitive, so I’m always just trying to beat my own time and see where it brings me,” she said. “I want to experience new races and to go with my partner is always fun. I’m not sure what’s next though. It’s always cool to travel to new places. Maybe we’ll do Tokyo one day, but it’s really hard to get into.”

One thing is certain: the familial bond helps make all of the training and sacrifices worthwhile.

“It really propels me forward,” said McPherson. “The family understands and encourages me to chase my dreams like she chased hers. It’s definitely a team sport in my family.”

Three generations running

Those family connections were plentiful on Sunday; the support was on full display.

Winnipegger Tracy Bowman has been running the half marathon since she was a teenager, but on Sunday, it was the first time her son Hayden joined her for the race.

At least officially.

“In fact, I ran three half marathons when I was pregnant with Hayden,” said Bowman, who estimates that she’s competed in roughly 150 half marathons over the years.

Bowman’s inspiration for running came from her father, Verne Kozar.

“My dad is the one who got me into running and my dad (Verne Kozar) ran half marathons. Now he’s 84, so he’s walking,” said Bowman. “Up until his 50s, he was still running the half marathon. I’ve been running them since I was a teenager. There are a few that I missed and then, I ran two full marathons. So, probably at least 35 Manitoba half marathons.”

Tracy and Hayden trained for the event together, which brought a new wrinkle.

“He’s run a few other half marathons before, but never this race,” said Tracy. “He’s so much faster than I am, so we start together but then, he just runs so much faster than me. He’s always wanted to run the Manitoba Marathon and the stars aligned that we were able to do it together today. It’s really special — and there’s something special about it being on Father’s Day. Which is really nice. You see all of the dad’s that are out, either running or cheering on their partners or wives that are running.”

Hayden certainly felt that support.

“It’s really special. I’ve been running with her for years, so it was cool to do this,” said Hayden. “I was trying to get a new PB (personal best) for myself, and I got it. So, that was a really good feeling.”

What’s it like for Tracy to see Hayden carrying the torch?

“This is our third generation of running,” said Bowman.

According to Hayden, it won’t be the last, either.

“My kids will definitely be running,” said Hayden. “There’s no question about it.”

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

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