2005
Deerfoot 10km - August 6th
by
Myron Neville
With
music by 'Without A Net', with Star FM on location,
with the Nike Test Truck on site,
and a with new sponsor - Running Room!! .....it all added to the general
excitement of the moment!! The Deerfoot 10k got undewway
with 1996 Atlanta Olympic women’s 1500m finalist Leah
Pells present as the guest starter and with the runners
dancing in the streets!
Abbotsford’s
Ken Williams who has won several of the Fraser Valley Road
Running Series events recorded his third win for the year.
Williams bolted into the lead of the Deerfoot 10K and
never looking back coasted to a 35:46 win and the 2005
Open Deerfoot Trophy
Duncan’s
Janine Frank, visiting family in Mission, charged around
the runner friendly two-loop course winning handily in
42:55. Frank’s performance earned her the women’s Open
Deerfoot Trophy and Masters Dogwood Award for the day.
In
the men’s race Mission’s Mike Ross and the eventual
leading men’s master athlete raced 38:26 for second, a
silver medal, and the Dogwood Award. Surrey’s Rob Lang,
who kept Ross looking over his shoulder for a good part of
the way, finished up in third with a 38:41 runner-up
masters’ spot, and the bronze medal. Following them home
in a “vet’s field day” of leading finishers were
Abbotsford athletes Mark Nemethy (39:13), and Ray Cobb
(39:36) all making the “Top Five”.
Inspired
by Frank’s Top 10 effort at the front – the youngest
entrant of the day – New Westminster’s
fifteen year Ketty Alfaro paced herself to a fine 47:03
and the silver medal. North Delta’s Margaret McBride
just missed slipping under the fifty-minute mark while
running to a 50:01 third place and a bronze medal.
The
stellar performance of the day was definitely in the
making with Abbotsford’s 65 year-old Inez Price’s
fourth place battle against time. Price left Father Time
in her dust with an outstanding 51:42 that was one of the
best age group performances (4th) in the
province for the year. Running in Price’s slipstream and
completing the Top Five and
women’s individual age group leading performances
was Abbotsford’s Sonya Gronberg in 51:48.
Other
leading age group performances for the day in the 2005
Deerfoot 10K were set by John Turene (40:10) in the 30-39
age group and for the 50-59er’s it was Glen Wall
(41:11). Vancouver runner Rob Daniels (52:59) was the
leader for the 60-69 men, and bringing home the 70+ “old
boy’s honors” was Abbotsford’s own Ray Rousseau
(71:43).
The
runners more than once said how much they enjoyed
themselves!
Now
the organizers get ready for the last event of the series
for this year – The
Running Pumpkin 5K
– October 8th.
