For the second year in a row, a new record was set in the 2018 Mount Hays Quickclimb on Aug. 25.
Judson Rowse dug deep, gritted his teeth and and scrambled over the last few metres of the six-kilometre race to take first place overall out of 36 competitors with a time of 37:02.782.
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It was a beautiful, cool morning for a hill climb and Rowse, who came in second place in 2017, said he felt good throughout his entire run even though it was a challenge.
“It was a hard run,” he said. “I was breathing hard at the top and really put everything into it and it came together.”
Shannon Lough had the best overall time with the women, finishing the race with a time of 50:42.32. Lough said the ascent was a grind at times, but credited her running partner, Erin Mutrie, with keeping her motivated and energized.
“You get in your head sometimes when you’re on these grinds,” she said. “But when you have a good support system and a really good friend to be with it helps.”
This is the fourth straight year for the Quickclimb after it took a brief hiatus from 2011-2013. Mutrie, who was also one of the event’s organizers, said that in addition to good weather conditions, a deep contingent of volunteers helped make the race a success.
There was also more of a mix between runners and hikers in this year’s Quickclimb, something Mutrie said she was happy to see, as hill runs can be intimidating to new runners or those who just want to enjoy Mount Hays.
“This event is for anyone who wants to get up Mount Hays no matter how quickly they want to do it,” she said. “It’s for walkers, runners, families people with strollers or dogs, everyone is welcome.
“I think Kaien Trails just wants to get more people outside and active and enjoying the beautiful landscapes around Prince Rupert.”
READ MORE: Record broken at 2017 Quickclimb
Other top finishes:
Men:
Second: Timothy Grevers – 44:50.219
Third: Michael Hoffman – 46:54.577
Women:
Second: Erin Mutrie – 50:44.255
Third: Andrea Pollock – 53:14.501
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