40 years of Manitoba Marathons

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/06/2018 (2692 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The 40th Manitoba Marathon will take place on Father’s Day, June 17.

The first one was held on June 17, 1979 so let’s take a look back. The official name was the Manitoba Marathon for the Mentally Retarded.

Well-known Winnipeg broadcaster John Robertson served as chairman and Charlie Paille was the race director. Jim Daly, the respected 1967 Pan Am Games executive director,  took on the job of race talent organizer and he was successful in attracting top runners from Australia, Japan, Nigeria, Norway, Sweden and the United States. The committee was aiming for 12,000 runners.

On race day, more than 4,000 entrants began their run at the Winnipeg Stadium near Polo Park. The route took them east on Portage Avenue to Maryland Street, across the Assiniboine River on the Maryland Bridge, west on Wellington Crescent and Roblin Boulevard to Headlingley, then back east to the stadium.

A total of 1,588 runners completed the 26-mile, 385-yard course, which surprised organizers. Volunteers played an important role as they have done for 39 marathons. More than $400,000 was pledged in support of the less-fortunate.

The chief complaint about the course layout was the return down Portage Avenue. Winnipeg’s Greg Gemmell, who finished 15th, described it as “way too boring.”

Officials said the route seemed to be the best one to accommodate the large number of runners.
The top talent came through with Japan’s Wataru Sakamoto edging out countryman Katasumi Takashima by just over a minute for first place. Goran Hogberg from Sweden finished third and Australia’s John Stanley was fourth. Dick Beardsley from Minneapolis was the top American finishing fifth.

Sakamoto’s 2:17:31 is the fourth best winning time in Manitoba Marathon history. Six-time champion Dennis Rinde holds the record of 2:13:51, set in 1981.

Rick Bourrier from Winnipeg earned the title of top Canadian with a time of 2:25:44, good for 10th place.

Right behind and first in the wheelchair section was John Lundie from Winnipeg with a time of 2:26:20. Roger Schwegel of The Pas, who was at or near the top of the Manitoba list in future marathons, finished 16th in his first attempt. Eighteen-year-old Gail Volk from Seattle led the women with a time of 2:45:43. Sally Balchin, who had just graduated from Grant Park High School, was the best Manitoban, finishing 103rd overall in her first marathon.

A team from the Razorbacks club won the first team competition and earned a trip the next December to the Hawaii Marathon for three runners. Bob Walker finished 15th, Larry Switzer 16th and Jim Carrabee was 20th. Gary Cleave, 26th, and Ron Melinchuk, 28th, were the other Razorbacks. The group said they would pool their resources so all five could run in Hawaii.

Robertson had planned to run in the marathon but he ended up in the hospital with phlebitis. He transferred his pledges to his 14-year-old son, Timothy, who finished the course. The first drop-off point was Mile 4 and two future Manitoba Sports Hall-of-Fame builder inductees made it that far. Sam Fabro, Mr. Everything on the sports scene, was 59 at the time, while Canadian Amateur Hockey Association chair Frank McKinnon had celebrated his 45th birthday the previous day.  

Memories of Sport appears every second week in the Canstar Community News weeklies. Kent Morgan can be contacted at 204-489-6641 or email: sportsmemories@canstarnews.com