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International field expected to challenge course records at 10th Anniversary Scotiabank Vancouver Half MarathonVANCOUVER. 5th June 2008. A strong international field that is expected to challenge for records was announced today for this year's 10th Anniversary Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon, to be run on its famous, scenic, downhill course from UBC to Stanley Park on Sunday June 22nd. In keeping with tradition, "we expect some really good battles up front," said Race Director Clif Cunningham. More than 5,000 participants are expected to toe the Start line, in what is also a major fundraiser—collecting more than $250,000 for 10 local charities. 
The men's race promises a splendid battle between Ethiopian Kasime Adillo and Kenyans Moses Macharia and Josephat Ongeri. The 29 year old Adillo placed 3rd at last September's Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in a PR of 2:10:20, before going onto take 5th place at the prestigious Boston Marathon in April, running 2:12:24 on the tougher Boston course. I am happy to be back in Canada, said Adillo. I'm fit, recovered from Boston, and ready to set a new course record in Vancouver. To do so, he'll have to run under 63:10, the mark set last year by Kenyan Patrick Nthiwa. Pushing him all the way are likely to be Kenyans Macharia and Ongeri. Macharia has been tearing up the roads in the Canada Running Series this Spring, winning Harry's Spring Run Off Toronto 8K in 23:37 on April 5th, placing 2nd at a windy Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal on April 20th in 63:57, before recording another win at Sporting Life Toronto 10K on May 4th in a sizzling 28:18 — more than a minute faster than the winning time at this year's Sun Run. Ongeri was 3rd at the Canadian Half Marathon Championships at Banque Scotia 21k in 64:47, and 3rd again at Sporting Life 10K in 29:26. 
A group of Canada's best distance runners will also provide for a thrilling race within the race, as the best of the West faces off against some strong talent from the East. Victoria's Jim Finlayson and Jon Brown are guaranteed to be in the thick of things. While Brown has been beset with injury problems this Spring, that have prevented him qualifying to represent his new country of Canada in the marathon in Beijing, his pedigree is renowned: 4th in the last two Olympic marathons, a PR of 2:09, and a victory at the 2004 Scotia Half in 63:53, as a training run before Athens. If he's ready, he'll be the class of the Canadians, and could readily challenge the African supremacy. One of BC's best, Jim Finlayson has been in the top 10 perennially at the Scotia Half, most recently placing 4th two years ago in 66:55. As always, the popularity of the Canada Running Series circuit has also guaranteed that some of the best of the East will toe the Start line, led by defending Series champion, Danny Kassap of Toronto. Danny was the only Canadian to press the Kenyans last year, and the only runner to hang onto the record-setting Patrick Nthiwa—which he did until 16k before dropping back in the pouring rain to come home a very strong 2nd overall in 64:03. Since then, he's run 2:17 at last September's Scotia Toronto Waterfront Marathon, then 2:15 at London two months ago. Danny will be joined in the Eastern contingent by current Series' points leader, Paul Chafe of Toronto, and second-in-the-standings Dehbi Amor of Sherbrooke, QC. 
While Kenyan Florence Jepkoskei looks to be in a class of her own in the women's race, behind her an absorbing contest looks set to unfold. Last year's Canada Running Series Champion, veteran Olympian Lisa Harvey of Calgary, [who was also 2nd at the 2007 Scotia Half in 1:15:45] will have her hands full if she's going to repeat in second place this year. Victoria's Kirsty Smith, Toronto's Josiane Aboungono and Kingston's Emily Tallen are three talented, young up-and-comers to watch. The 24 year old Smith won the First Half Half Marathon in February in an impressive solo effort of 1:16:44, more than two minutes ahead of Harvey in second. At the Sporting Life 10K on May 5th, Jepkoskei broke the tape in 32:11; Tallen was 3rd in 33:50; and Aboungono was 4th in 34:11. At this year's SunRun, Harvey trounced the contenders, finishing 2nd woman, to Tallen's 7th and Smith's 10th. So watch for the sparks to fly all the way along Spanish Banks, through Kits down to Stanley Park on the 22nd. The contest for second place is just too close to call; it could be anybody's race on the day! Finally, defending Canada Running Series Men's Masters' champion will be out to strut their stuff and show why they're the best of the 40+ crowd—Montreal's Louis-Philippe Garneau will have to fight off a posse of BC's top vets led by Norm Tinkham, Richard Lee, Mark Bomba, Neil Holm and Art Boileau. Coquitlam's Nancy Tinari should have an easier time of things on the women's side. See Elite Start List as of June 11/08 (PDF) There's still time to book your place on the Start line and join the excitement in the 10th Anniversary Scotiabank Vancouver Half and accompanying 5K fun run. Online registration, plus the course map showing entertainment centres and best places to be a spectator are at www.vancouverhalf.com. VANCOUVER, British Columbia. June 24th, 2007.  Winners Nthiwa and Mukunzi (Denise Relke photo) Nthiwa spots field a thirty-second start, then storms to new course record at Scotiabank Vancouver Half-MarathonOn a remarkable, wet Vancouver summer morning, Kenyan Patrick Nthiwa missed the start of the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon, then stormed his way past a record field of over 4,000 to set a new course record of 63:10, eclipsing Moroccan Mustapha Bennacer's 2003 mark by a mere four seconds.  Magdalene Mukunzi (Chris Relke photo) Fellow Kenyan Magdalene Mukunzi had a less-dramatic come-from-behind win as she made it three-for-three in head-to-head competition over Toronto's Lioudmila Kortchaguina this year, blowing past Canada's #1 ranked women's marathoner and Calgary's Lisa Harvey around 12k, then cruising to a comfortable victory in 1:14:02. Harvey was delighted with her second place finish [1:15:45], almost a minute and a half ahead of Kortchaguina who had a miserable day in the rain [1:17:11], after the Calgarian had been an ignominious 17 minutes behind Kortchaguina at the Ottawa Marathon just 4 weeks ago. The men started out with a fast, downhill 2:42 first kilometre on the University of British Columbia campus roads, before a group of 5 — Kenyan Joshua Kemei, Toronto's Danny Kassap and Giitah Macharia, Ottawa's Joseph Nsengiyumva and Nanaimo's Steve Osaduik — settled in to a steady pace around 3 minutes per kilometre. They passed 5km in 14:50, by which time Osaduik had slipped off the back. Nsengiyumva was next to drop, by 6km, as Kemei and Kassap maintained the pace. A 2:55 ninth kilometre put paid to Macharia; Kassap continued to push things along nicely passing 10k in 29:24 after a 2:38 on the big downhill to Spanish Banks, with Kemei tucked in behind.  Patrick Nthiwa (photo courtesy ASI) Nthiwa then emerged on the radar screen, running hard along the long flat stretch of Spanish Banks, right alongside the Pacific Ocean with the snowcapped North Shore Mountains in the background, from 10k to 13k. Dramatically, he caught the two leaders at the end of this stretch on the stiff uphill slope to West 4th Avenue, just before 14k. Continuing his relentless pursuit-pace, he ran 2:59 and 2:58 for the next 2 kilometres as Kemei dropped fast; Kassap held on only until 16k. By this time, the drizzle had turned to light rain, and then to a deluge. Alone, in a pouring rain that only those familiar with the Pacific Northwest can appreciate, Nthiwa battled the elements and the clock, chasing the extra $1,000 course record bonus. Coming down off the majestic Burrard Bridge, he had to hammer out 2:56 and 2:54 kilometres from 19k to 21k, in order to cross the line in world-famous Stanley park with the barest of margins — four seconds — to spare. Kassap continued strong to record a new PR of 64:03 on his birthday, signalling a welcome return to form. A tired, rain-sodden Kemei jogged in a distant third. Despite the quintessential British Columbia day with the rain, the mist and new snow on the peaks of the coastal mountains, there were lots of smiles: a record sized field, the new course record, and a new fundraising record in excess of a quarter of a million dollars for 6 local charities. The sun even appeared as astonishingly as the downpour, to brighten up the awards proceedings and the bedraggled volunteer crews. Full results available at www.canadarunningseries.com/svhm. 2006 SVHM Race Report
June 25/06: Bright sunny skies, no wind and pleasant 14°C temperatures greeted the record field of 4,000 runners in the 2006 Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon. Another 500 runners participated in the accompanying 5k in Stanley Park. Participants were drawn from nine different countries and eighteen American states. The Half Marathon took off at 7 am from the University of British Columbia. At the gun, the lead pack of six took off including Giitah Macharia of St. Catharines, Danny Kassap of Toronto, Joseph Nsengyiumva of Ottawa, Nourrdinne Betchim of Montreal and local favourites Jim Finlayson of Victoria and Steve Osaduik. At the 1k mark, the four easteners (Macharia, Kassap, Betchim and Nsengyiumva) split away to form a lead pack that would run comfortably together to 7k. Kassap and Macharia and Nsengyiumva continued to pace and dropped Betchim at 7k. The three continued together running strongly through the rolling mid- section of the course, no-one making any moves until the 18.5k mark heading down a short steep hill onto Beach Road, where Macharia and Kassap surged and dropped Nsengyiumva. 
At 20k as Macharia and Kassap careened downhill to the seawall, Giitah made his decisive move, striding ahead, and continued his kick along the final stretch to win comfortably in 1:04:30. Danny followed closely in for second only eight seconds back in 1:04:38. Joseph completed the Eastern sweep, finishing in 1:04:52. Jim Finlayson was the top BC/Westerner, grabbing fourth spot in 1:06:56. In the women's race, the West swept the podium. Calgarian Lisa Harvey dominated from the start to finish running comfortably in for the win in 1:17:59. Local favourite Leah Pells of Coquitlam finished a strong second in 1:18:49. Rounding out the top three was Nancy Tinari of Vancouver in 1:22:10. The Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon was the fourth race in the 2006 Canada Running Series and raised more than 100,000 for the VGH/UBC Hospital Foundation. Macharia out-duels Rogers at Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon 26 June 2005, Vancouver, BC - Defending Canada Running Series Champ Giitah Macharia of St.Catharine's got the better of Eugene, Oregon's Nick Rogers in a good battle at the 7th Annual Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon this morning. Almost 3,500 toed the starting line at UBC for the dash down to Stanley Park, one of the world's most scenic half marathons alongside the Pacific shoreline. Another 600 participants did the accompanying 5K, all inside the park. The event grew 20% this year, and attracted runners from 20 countries and almost 30 US states. Conditions were good for running in late June—overcast skies and temperatures between 13 and 17° Celcius, though the morning was quite humid. Rogers took things out hard from the start, "to hurt a little", as he said, with Macharia on his shoulder. This immediately spread the field, with Toronto's Danny Kassap on his own in third, and half a dozen others strung out behind. Rogers pushed through 10k in just under 30 minutes, having done all the work over the first half of the race. Between 10k and 15k, the two runners worked together, see-sawing back and forth, until the Canadian made the decisive break at 15k. The American hung on well to finish only 13 seconds adrift, 64:55 to 65:08. Danny Kassap, winner of last autumn's Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, was adrift most of the morning, running almost all the way on his own. So much so, that he was almost caught by Montreal's Bagdad Rachem and Nanaimo, BC's, Steve Osadiuk, who pushed each other forward in a royal battle for 4th. In the end, the Montrealer took it by a step [65:48 to 65:49], but Osaduik was all smiles. The performance gave the soft-spoken Vancouver Islander the 2005 BC Half Marathon Championship crown, and two very big notches in his belt—those of Bruce Deacon, Canada's #1-ranked marathoner for more than a decade, and Jim Finlayson, who became this year's Canadian men's marathon champ with his 2:18 performance in Ottawa on May 30th. Deacon placed 6th today in 66:58, and Finlayson dropped out. All 3 being "Islanders", it should be a lively ride home on the ferry tonight!  The women's race was dull in comparison. Canadian women's marathon champ and last year's winner, Lioudmila Kortchaguina of Toronto, had things all her own way after late scratches from Tina Connelly and Sandy Jacobson. In the end, Lioudmila cruised down the course in a respectable 74:32, almost 5 minutes clear of Seattle's Gwen Greiner [79:10], and Port Coquitlam master's runner Nancy Tinari [79:24]. Tinari also became the BC Half marathon women's champion. General consensus gave "two thumbs up" to the new, modified course and the race charity, VGH/UBC Hospital Foundation, was all smiles as well, as the runners brought in $120,000 for them. Full results and photos at www.canadarunningseries.com/svhm. Canada Running Series Western NewsletterNEW WESTERN ADDITION TO THE CANADA RUNNING SERIESCRS is proud to add the ING James Cunningham Seawall Race to the Canada Running Series. Race date is Sunday October 31st, 2004—Stanley Park, Vancouver. 5.9 miles around the seawall, 9:30am start (9:10 for walkers). An extra opportunity to score points in the 2004 series! With the 34th annual edition falling on Halloween, you are encouraged to run in costume and receive a Halloween treat as you cross the finish line! Late registration and packet pickup at the Denman Running Room Oct 29 (5-9pm) and 30 (10am-5pm), and on race morning at the start (8-9am). Visit http://seawall.sierrasystems.com/ for all the race info. ONLINE REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR SCOTIABANK VANCOUVER HALF MARATHON & 5K 2005Yes, you can sign up now for the 2005 edition of SVHM, which will take place on June 26. Take advantage of early bird rate of $45 (half marathon) or $20 (5k) until January 19th, save $$! New Balance technical T-shirts ($40 value) to Half-Marathon registrants—so it's like paying just $5 for registration. And BC Athletics members pay $3 less. Start organizing your next summer race schedule! WESTERN ATHLETES AMONG TOP FINISHERS IN NATIONAL CRS STANDINGSBig congrats go to BC's Richard Lee who is the 2004 CRS Men's Masters winner with an unreachable lead, 31 points ahead of Jamie Black and 38 ahead of Jerry Kooymans, both from Ontario. Richard's recent masters win, at the BELAIRdirect.com ZooRun Oct 16 in Toronto, shot him up to the lead. He also holds 4th place overall in Open Men. Giitah Macharia of St. Catherine's ON tops the list, followed by Danny Kassap of Toronto and Mustapha Bennacer of Montreal in 2nd and 3rd. CRS standings for 2004 are pretty much locked in now with just the single-point James Cunningham Race remaining, but at least one more Western athlete has a chance to move into the awards on October 31st. Nancy Tinari also scored top masters points at the BELAIRdirect.com ZooRun, which placed her 6th in the Masters Women standings. Being second overall put her 5th in the Open Women's standings. She could move up to 3rd in both Open and Masters by winning the ING James Cunningham Seawall Race this weekend. First and second Open Women's spots are locked in by Lioudmila Kortchaguina and Nicole Stevenson of Toronto, while Toronto's Lynn Kobayashi and Woodbridge's Angie Ferraro hold the top 2 masters spots. See all the CRS standings here. Prize money for the Series is as follows: Open: 1st $2500, 2nd $1500, 3rd $1000, 4th $750, 5th $500; Masters: 1st $750, 2nd $500, 3rd $250. REPORTS FROM TORONTO WATERFRONT MARATHONKRISTIE CONGRAM2003 SVHM trip for 2 winner Kristie Congram ran exactly the same time in TO as she did in her preparation Vancouver Marathon in May! She wrote the following about of her weekend in Toronto with friend Marie: "It was wonderful.... We did the early run and the light/scenery was just gorgeous. We kept saying 'Wouldn't that make a great picture'. We did have a camera but somehow most of the shots seemed to be when we were going downhill and didn't want to stop. I had been sniffling and thought it was a combination of the flight and the hotel a/c until about kilometre 4 and then realized it was a cold and rapidly getting nastier. I have to admit, it's a helluva way to sweat out a cold. I still enjoyed my run immensely and was only upset about the time as it was Marie's first marathon and I didn't want to spoil her time. By the 36km mark I had to walk more than run but once I figured out I only added about 15 minutes to the time Marie had been aiming for ... I felt much better. At the 40km mark we started to discuss the next marathon and the day I got home, cold and all, I signed up for Vancouver. "The volunteers, the Neighbourhood Challenge, the food, the music (especially the theme) were absolutely the best. Every time we heard that theme music—we started to dance! Seriously. The course was really neat too, not too much over the same ground but it didn't feel too stretched out either. We did get the giggles a few times when people mentioned hills. The only 'hill' we saw was the less-than-a-block long one coming up to the final turn towards the finish line. Don't get me wrong, I liked it that way! We sure couldn't have asked for better weather." TERESA'S STWM REPORTThe whole weekend experience was fantastic—I thoroughly enjoyed every minute! Working at the Expo for 2 days at the problem-solving and elite packet pickup table I got to meet quite a few of the participants, and see some people I haven't seen in ages. I even noticed there was a runner entered in the half with my maiden name (Teresa Rind)—not a common name! Didn't get to meet her but found her race photo online later. Hmmm, one day she may come across some of my old results with that name and wonder what's going on... On Saturday morning I joined the Friendship Run at the Running Room (see the video footage from Michigan Runner, linked from www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com) and enjoyed chatting with a runner from Vancouver and listening to humourous talks by John Stanton and John "The Penguin" Bingham. Speaking of John Bingham, the weekend in TO was also an opportunity to meet John and his wife Jenny Hadfield in person—as John is one of my newest website clients, for the John Bingham Racing series. Saturday evening was the Pasta Dinner with more funny stories from John, then a good night's sleep before run day (I signed up for the half-marathon but not to RACE it, being relatively out of shape after a kind of lazy summer with minimal training). Sunday morning dawned clear, about 12 degrees, low humidity, warming up gradually to 16 or so by noon. Almost no wind. Perfect running weather! 8am and we're off. Thought I was starting nice and easy, just a relaxed long run pace, but those great percussion bands and the slight downhill during the first few km's had me going through the first 5k about 2 minutes ahead of what I planned. I wasn't the only one. I came up on the 1:45 pace bunny at that point who was just saying to his followers, "We're backing way off, folks!" I tried to keep a slow song in my head to keep me from going too fast ("Into the West" sung by Annie Lennox, from the third LOTR movie) but at the start and at the 8k mark they were playing the STWM theme music (the one that Kristie C. liked so much, see her story above)... and let me tell you, even though I also really liked it at first, when you've heard a 2 minute piece of music over and over again about 350 TIMES, as I did working at the Expo, dancing isn't the first thing that comes to mind.... It took at least a kilometre to get it out of my head. And of course, there it was AGAIN at the 16k point (on the way back)! Feeling very comfortable, enjoying the scenery and live entertainment, I was wondering when my fitness would "run out"—I hadn't run longer than 1 hour since early August... well, I didn't have to wait long. Just after the turnaround at 12k—9 km to go and my quads feeling like wood! 'So what,' I thought, 'I'm not racing so I'll just slow down as much as I have to.' Hmmm, didn't help the legs, just took longer to get anywhere. Finally at about 15k, a walk break of about 90 seconds, a bit of stretching, lots of water and Gatorade and my legs started to revive. Suddenly, only 3k to go—no problem! Got back into a reasonable pace at last. The CN Tower, which is right near the finish and can be seen from the turnaround onwards, was finally very close—then hey, what's happening, we're going past it! Okay, just a little bit past and then the final couple of turns and there's the finish line in sight. Great crowds and a real festival atmosphere. My final time was within a few seconds of what I planned, though it was the furthest thing from "even splits". The first marathoner arrived about 5 minutes later. For the next couple of hours I relaxed in the sunshine at the VIP tent by the finish line, having a blast cheering on all the finishers to the music of the 70's and 80's—at one point John Bingham was leading the spectators in the "YMCA" dance! Awesome to see three world records set: Ed Whitlock looked fantastic finishing in 2:54 (age 73!!), before that, Michal Kapral pushing his daughter in a baby jogger in 2:49 (Guinness World Record), and 93-year old Fauja Singh at 2:30 for the half. Inspiring to say the least. (So inspiring that I decided I am going back to race the full marathon in 2005—haven't done a marathon since 1995!) Then, a quick run back to the hotel to shower and grab the camera before the awards ceremony—see my pics in the STWM gallery. To top off the day, after some work updating the STWM website in the afternoon, I enjoyed dinner out with Alan (Brookes) and his wife Inge, and John and Jenny. The next morning (to my surprise, my legs weren't stiff and sore) there was enough time before heading to the airport to be a tourist and go up the CN Tower, something I'd never done before. Super view of course but my favourite part was standing on the glass floor—that's when you really know you're up so high. Even more fun was watching the other tourists who were too freaked out to even go near it! So, there you have it: my action-packed weekend at STWM. A ton of fun... I highly recommend it... very much looking forward to next year! — Teresa : ) Media Release June 27, 2004 Exciting half-marathon finish at today's Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5K Run/WalkEvent also raises funds for local breast cancer charity
The 5K Run/Walk saw Irish teen, Henry Rowan, cross the finish line first with a time of 17:58, while Canada Running Series Western coordinator Teresa Nightingale of B.C. was the top female finisher, and second across the line with a time of 19:30. The Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5K Run/Walk is part of the prestigious Canada Running Series. Growing annually in popularity, it is also a highly successful fundraising event. All pledges plus a portion of the team registration fees from both the Half-Marathon and 5K Run/Walk will fund fellowships to train more surgeons in breast reconstruction. While donations are still being tallied, the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation hopes to exceed last year's fundraising total of $65,000. Scotiabank will match up to $15,000 raised by its employees, many of whom participated in today's events. There was an emotional moment at the awards ceremony when Scotiabank employee and top fundraiser Patty Scrase spoke of a colleague who lost her battle with cancer, and the continuing battle of another. Patty raised a total of $6,700. For complete race results, please go to www.canadarunningseries.com/svhm or contact Race Director, Alan Brookes, at (416) 464-7437. - 30 - Media Contacts: Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5K Run/Walk: Devon Hanley (604) 990-1441, cell. (604) 250-8313 Scotiabank Public Affairs: Elite racers add competitive edge to this year's Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5K Run/WalkRunners will also raise money for local breast cancer causeVANCOUVER, June 24, 2004 - A roster of international elite runners will lead the half-marathon field of 3,000 plus participants at the sixth annual Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5K Run/Walk (SVHM) on Sunday, June 27. This Half-Marathon may well be the most competitive road race in B.C. this year. A purse of $9,000 is up for grabs as well as Canada Running Series Grand Prix points. An additional 1,000 participants are registered for the 5K Run/Walk, and organizers hope the combined events will raise $70,000 for the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation in support of the Breast Reconstruction Program at UBC Hospital. Watch for Victoria's Jon Brown, a British Olympian who placed fourth in Sydney and will also run the marathon in Athens this summer. Expect a close race between Brown and Mustafa Bennacer of Montreal, last year's SVHM winner. Bennacer made his marathon debut May 30, 2004 at the Ottawa marathon, delivering the fastest marathon run by a Canadian resident in a decade at 2:12:02. Other top-seeded men include Danny Kassap Tshindid (Toronto), and Moses Cheserek and David Njuguna of Kenya. The fastest woman in last year's SVHM at 1:10:50, Toronto's Lioudmila Kortchaguina, (originally from Russia), has just won the Ottawa and Salt Lake City marathons, both in 2:30. Kortchaguina will face serious competition from Anastasia Ndereba, the younger sister of former world-record holder, Chicago and Boston marathon winner, Catherine Ndereba. Anastasia has completed two "2:29" marathons. Also running is B.C.'s best, Tina Connelly and Toronto's Lynn Kobayashi. One of the fastest and most scenic half-marathon courses, the race begins at 7:30 a.m. at UBC's Osborne Centre. The start line is on Thunderbird Boulevard, immediately East of East Mall, in front of the Osborne Centre, with the finish line at Lumberman's Arch in Stanley Park. Led once again by B.C. Lions' legend, Lui Passaglia, the 5K Run/Walk starts at 9 a.m. at Lumberman's Arch. All pledges plus a portion of each individual and team registration fee from both the Half-Marathon and the 5K Run/Walk will fund fellowships to train more surgeons in breast reconstruction. "We are proud to support the Breast Reconstruction Program at UBC Hospital through this event. Almost three-quarters of our employees are women, and some of them are battling this disease, so this is a particularly relevant cause for our organization. It's wonderful to see that the number of event participants and funds raised for the charity have been growing in leaps and bounds every year," said Bev Voice, Senior Vice-President, BC & Yukon Region, Scotiabank. It's not too late to enter. Register at Forerunners June 24 at 1396 Marine Dr, North Vancouver or June 25 & 26 at 3504 West 4th, Vancouver. Note: No day-of race registration for the half-marathon. For more information please visit www.canadarunningseries/svhm, or call Forerunners at 604-732-4535. To make a donation or for more information about the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation phone 604-875-4676 or visit www.supportvgh.ca. - 30 - Media Contacts: Why are YOU running the 2004 Scotiabank Half Marathon or 5K? Participants tell all!Next Sunday, June 27th, there will be close to 4,000 of you running
the 6th Annual Scotiabank Half and 5K. Top 10 reasons for doing the Scotiabank Half or 5K.10. My cat Bubba told me to do it Whatever motivates you, we'll see you all next Sunday. Good luck in following your dreams! Olympian Jonathan Brown confirmed for 2004 Scotiabank Vancouver Half: Interview by Alan Brookes (Canada Running Series)
CRS: When did you come to Canada, and why? JB: My wife and I came to Canada for the 1994 Commonwealth Games and we really liked the B.C. lifestyle and environment. The following year we applied to become permanent residents. We moved here in 1996 after the Atlanta Olympics. CRS: Can you tell us a few words about your family and home in Victoria? JB: My wife Martina is from Germany and we have 2 children; Dylan aged 6 and Rosa aged 3. We live in the Broadmead area of Saanich which is noted for its trees and trails. It is great for running. CRS: Is it home now / what do you do in Victoria? JB: We have been in Victoria for 3 years now after moving here from Vancouver. Victoria is a great place to live and we plan on staying especially as the kids are now in school. Right now I'm lucky to be able to earn enough income from running to train full-time. CRS: Do you think you will eventually become a Canadian citizen? JB: I've already applied. My citizenship should be processed by the end of the summer. CRS: You were an amazing 4th in the Sydney Olympics marathon....what do you remember most about the race and the overall experience? JB: What I remember most about the race is the noise from the spectators and also that it was a very windy day. The volume from the spectators was incredible; it physically hurt it was so loud. At around 30 km into the race we passed over a famous suspension type bridge; at the crest of the bridge the lead pack came to a dead stop due to the strength of the wind. I remember thinking 'I can't stop this is the Olympics!' We staggered through it for 100m then descended off. CRS: How are your preparations coming along for Athens? JB: Right now really well. I've completed the first part of my preparations without injury problems. My speed is good and I'm doing lots of volume for strength. CRS: When I saw you last at the London Marathon, you were embroiled in a controversy with Dave Bedford. How has that affected your preparations and your feelings on running for Great Britain? JB: The problem I had with London is now finally resolved. That issue was basically a problem between Dave and myself and nothing to do with the UK federation. The British have given me good support for the last 8 years and have always believed in me. Even though I will be a Canadian by the end of this year the thought of having to work with Athletics Canada is not appealing right now. The Canadian federation does a terrible job for its athletes and has no long term strategy or quality leadership. I'd love to run for Canada after this year but unless the federation sorts itself out I can't see that happening. CRS: How does the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon fit into your Athens schedule? JB: The race lies in the second phase of my Athens build-up so I'll be running the race during a 120 mile training week. It will be a good long hard run for me at a pace just slightly quicker than my marathon pace. It will tell how my marathon strength is going. CRS: What are your hopes and dreams, and reality for Athens? JB: If my training goes well and according to plan I feel that I am capable of a top 8 finish in Athens. It will be a very difficult and technical course which will be to my advantage. CRS: Can you tell us what a typical week of training looks like for an Olympic-bound marathoner looks like right now? JB: For 6 days a week I aim to get in between 18-23 miles. Twice a week I'll run fast quality workouts either on the track or road. My long run of the week is 2½ hours on a hilly course. CRS: What is your favourite workout? JB: My 1 hour easy day on Saturday! My favourite quality workout is 6 X 5 minutes with 1 minute rest between each. CRS: What is your best training tip for recreational and club runners? JB: Train with a heart-rate monitor as most runners run too hard on their easy days and not hard enough on their quality days.
Records Fall Along With The Rain In Vancouver!by Alan Brookes June 2003, Vancouver - The 5th Annual Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon continued the torrid pace of Canada Running Series 2003, with records galore, set in ideal running conditions on Sunday. A record field of 3,426 [2,777 in the Half and 649 in the 5K Fun Run], up a remarkable 43% from 2002 [2,389], set off under overcast skies and a temperature of 13 Celsius at start time. Before everyone was done, the weather blossomed into a perfect Vancouver running morning with mist over the mountains, a light rain, and then a steady downpour. Undaunted, the fun-runners had fun on a beautiful loop over the trails and seawall of Stanley Park with Lui Passaglia and the Felions, and the Half marathoners ran fast on "the world's most scenic and fastest half marathon" from UBC down to the park. Records fell like the rain. Montreal's Mustapha Bennacer led the charge with an impressive men's course record of 63:14, after a good duel with Kenyan David Njuguna. These two set the pace from the start, testing the competition in the charge down NW Marine Drive to Spanish Banks. By the time they hit the flats [6K] after the 2km drop from UBC, Bennacer and Njuguna were comfortably clear of Kenyan Samuel Karanja, Djamel Boukhari, Bruce Deacon, Scott McClennan, Jim Finlayson, Danny Tshindid and Todd Howard, who were already strung out behind. Some, most noticeably Boukhari, were already looking the worse for wear. Stride for stride, the current Canada Running Series leader in his burgundy McGill vest and the Kenyan ran together, down through Point Grey and Kits Beach, up the slope to the Burrard Bridge. Then, on the sharp downhill from the bridge and on Thurlow, between 14K and 15K, Bennacer struck. This was exactly the same point when last year's winner, Enos Ketter [Kenya] had made his decisive move. By English Bay Beach House [15K], Bennacer was 50 metres clear, and he continued to press his advantage for a 47 second margin of victory by the time they hit the finish at Lumberman's Arch. Karanja ran a steady third, while British Columbians Deacon, McClennan and Finlayson swept by a suffering Boukhari to claim 4th, 5th and 6th. Deacon and McClennan, along with first master Richard Lee, also claimed the top 3 spots in the BC Athletics Half Marathon Championships. Even more impressive was Lioudmila Kortchaguina's victory in the women's race. After personal best runs in the LA [2nd] and Pittsburgh [1st in 2:29] Marathons this spring, the Toronto runner came to Vancouver not only to defend her win from last year, but openly in search of a fast time for her bio, to go with the marathon mark from Pittsburgh. She looked very strong and full of purpose from the gun, and her 70:50 victory destroyed the competition with a time that ranks her in the top 35 in the world this year. It put in the shade otherwise impressive runs from Nicole Stevenson [1:12:54] and Tina Connelly [1:13:15] who had a grand, see-saw battle down the course. For Toronto's Stevenson, it was a big confidence-restorer after a disappointing marathon in Ottawa; and Connelly continued to demonstrate that she is rebounding very strongly after childbirth last year, as she claimed the women's BC Half Marathon Championship crown. Our spirits undampened by the steady downpour at this stage, we were warmed by the thought that Canadian women's marathoning has not looked this promising in a long while, as we move towards Athens [especially if Kortchaguina transfers her Landed Immigrant status to citizenship!]. As the mid-packers poured in, many exuberant with new PRs, VGH/UBC Hospital volunteers counted the money the runners had raised for the charity, and were similarly ebullient to announce another record at the awards ceremony—over $54,000 collected for Breast Cancer Equipment and a much-needed Zeiss microscope for the hospitals [up from $45,000 last year]. Everywhere, there was a sense of excitement, and a buzz that SVHM had "arrived" on the Vancouver scene. Jamie Pitblado, Director for the Sun Run came out to run, and Derek Hodge, Director of the Vancouver International Marathon and some of his crew came out to lend a hand. The number of American participants more than doubled, and included a group of 35 who combined the run with an Alaska cruise vacation. With its 43% growth, it has become BC's 6th or 7th largest run, the 2nd largest in the Sun Run Series [after the Sun Run], and the 3rd largest in the Canada Running Series. As one respected local running observer put it, "there are over 600 hundred running events a year in BC right now. They happen on Saturdays and Sundays. They're forgotten by Monday. This one, they'll be talking about till at least Wednesday." THANKS to everyone who came out and made it happen. If you missed it, make sure you mark 27th June 27, 2004, now! For full results and photos, see www.canadarunningseries.com/svhm. For Immediate Release June 22, 2003 'New Canadian', Mustapha Bennacer of Montreal beats Kenyans at this Sunday's Scotiabank Vancouver Half-MarathonVancouver, BC—The results are in for the 5th annual Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5K Run/Walk. Not even the rain could dampen the spirits of these runners, a record breaking 3,426 participants combined competed in today's event and over $54,000 was raised in support of UBC Hospital's Breast Cancer Surgical Unit. In the Half-Marathon, New Canadian, Mustapha Bennacer (Montreal) proved to be too much competition for Kenyans, David Njuguna and Samuel Karanja. A strong contender from the start, Mustapha Bennacer ran an incredibly solid race and defeated the favoured Kenyans, with a time of 63 minutes and 14 seconds. In the womens division last years winner Lioudmila Kortchaguina (Toronto) ran her own strong race to retain her title and cross the finish line with a time of 70 minutes and 50 seconds. Other race highlights:Open Men & Women Half-MarathonMen Women BC Athletics Champions Men & Women Half-MarathonMen Women The official race results and photos can be viewed on www.canadarunningseries.com/svhm. Thanks to the commitment and efforts of runners and their supporters, a record $54,000 was raised in support of VGH and UBC Hospital Foundations. Funds raised will used to purchase a Zeiss Microscope, an essential piece of equipment for improved care of patients undergoing complex breast reconstruction procedure. The top three pledge collectors for 2003 are: The Scotiabank Half-Marathon & 5K Run/Walk is a part of the prestigious Canada Running Series/Circuit du Canada, and is also a part of the Sun Run Series. For further information on both the Half-Marathon and 5K Run/Walk please visit www.canadarunningseries.com/svhm or call 604.732.4535. |
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VANCOUVER, June
27, 2004 - More than 3,600 competitors, including a roster of
elite half-marathon racers and running enthusiasts, helped make
the Sixth Annual Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon (SVHM) &
5K Run/Walk one of the most competitive and fastest road races
of the season. Participants were also running to raise money for
the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation in support of the Breast
Reconstruction Program at UBC Hospital.
In
the men's half-marathon, Victoria's Jon Brown, a British Olympian
preparing for his marathon run in Athens this August, made his
decisive break from the field at the 7 kilometre mark and by 9
k, had established a clear lead to win the race in 1:03:53. It
was a tight race between St. Catherines' Gitaa Macharia and fellow
Congolese runner, Toronto's Danny Kassap. In the final 100 metres,
Macharia surged forward to take second place with a time of 1:05:22,
with the 22 year-old Kassap a close third at 1:05:24.
Last
year's SVHM top female half-marathoner, Toronto's Lioudmila Kortchaguina,
led the women's race from the start line, finishing with a time
of 1:15:19. Anastasia Ndereba of Kenya placed a solid second just
behind her with 1:15:41. One of B.C.'s top runners, Tina Connelly,
said she was "happy to be in the top three" and ran
"her own race" to finish third in 1:18:52.
British Olympian Jon Brown, who currently lives and trains in Victoria,
BC, is now confirmed for the Scotiabank Vancouver Half. He's preparing
for the Olympic Marathon in Athens, and gave the following interview
with Alan Brookes of the Canada Running Series (CRS).
