There were many highlights at this year’s Cedar 12K race.
A member of the host Bastion Running Club from Nanaimo won the race, and a new record was set for the men’s 45-49 age category.
The Cedar 12K, the third race in the Frontrunners Island Race Series, took place Sunday, Feb. 8 in Cedar. Jeremy Clegg from the host club, the Bastion Running Club, won, with Kim Doerksen from Gibsons winning the women’s race.
“It was nice to see Jeremy win,” said race director John Durkin. “There were quite a few people standing at the finish line waiting to see who would be first to appear, and when it was Jeremy, there was a big cheer.”
There were 382 finishers this year, which Durkin says is down quite a bit from previous years. Durkin thinks that a lot of people were away for the Family Day long weekend, and also, many people had the cold or flu that has been going around.
Durkin says the weather was ideal for the race.
“It turned out pretty good,” he said. “We had almost no wind, no rain, and ideal temperatures, not too hot for running,” he said.
Clegg won the race in 39:57, with Craig Odermatt second in 40:20, and Andrew McCartney third in 41:16.
Clegg said afterwards that he was determined to win, particularly as his club organized the race.
“I knew I would have a lot of support out there on the course, and wanted to take advantage of that,” Clegg said in a press release. “After finishing the Cobble Hill 10K, I regretted not going out more aggressively with eventual race winner Derek Vinge. My plan for this race was to go out strong, and work the hills. I made a push on the first notable hill on the course and created a gap that I was able to maintain until the end. I knew Craig was behind me all along, and I had to push hard and not let him feel he had a chance to reel me back in.
“It was a thrill to have the support of the local crowd and the push of some great competition,” he added.
Odermatt was the top Master in the race, and he also set a new age category record for M45-49, breaking a 14-year record set by Rob Reid.
Odermatt told organizers he hadn’t been sure he was going to run, as he had just returned from Hawaii on an overnight flight.
“Considering the tiring travel, I felt not too bad,” he said. “I tried to just run strong and see how it went. I was actually aware of the Masters course record (39:23) and thought I could beat it, but overall, I did well and I was happy with the context of the situation, treating it as a good workout.”
Doerksen, the 2014 BMO Vancouver Marathon champion, won her race in 44:51. Claire Morgan was second in 45:08 and finished as the top female Master, while Danelle Kabush was third in 45:50.
“The win was unexpected, but it was something I definitely had in the back of my mind, but it was the first race of the season so I didn’t want to put too much pressure on the end result,” Doerksen said in the release. “I set myself a time goal, and if the placing was there, that would be the cherry on top. Not having ever raced this event, it was a hilly course! I should be used to those types of routes coming from the Sunshine Coast, but it certainly made the downhill sections sweet relief from the big climbs. Overall, I’m really pleased with the result and was impressed with the organization of the race, and the post-race treats were delicious. Thanks to the Bastion Running Club for hosting an excellent event.”
The average time for the race was 1:04:30.
The top Chemainus finisher was John Weber, who ran the race in 58:51 and was 140th. The top Ladysmith runner was Susan Miller, with a time of 1:00:25 and a 154th-place finish.
Durkin says the Cedar 12K seems to be popular with runners.
“We always get lots of nice comments about the volunteers, marshals and water tables on the course,” he said. “We always get lots of comments, we have a Celtic band in the gym playing while people come in and while we wait for the awards. We get lots of positive feedback from the runners.”
In the club standings for the series, the Prairie Inn Harriers lead with 1,557 points, followed by Comox Valley Road Runners with 927, and Bastion Running Club with 739.
Full results can be found at http://racedaytiming.ca/vira/2015.
Eight races make up the Frontrunners Island Race Series. The next race is the Hatley Castle 8K on Feb. 22, followed by the Synergy Health Management Ltd Bazan Bay 5K on March 8, Comox Valley RV Half Marathon on March 22, Merville 15K on April 12, and Sooke River 10K on April 19.
To register online for the series, visit www.vira.bc.ca.
Historical results from races dating back to 1980 from previous race series can be found online at http://pih.bc.ca/results/island-series/Summary.php.
