The Comox Valley Road Runner turned in another strong showing at the Merville 15K. The seventh race of the Frontrunners Island Series was held Sunday, April 7.
This is always a difficult race as it is an unusual distance and comes immediately after the Half Marathon, leaving the racers with tired legs heading into this event. The Merville 15K is hosted by the River Runners club from Campbell River.
The race was won by Nick Walker in a time of 50:12. Mark Cryderman (Shore Runners/Brooks) of Campbell River posted an excellent result in his first race as a master, winning that category and placing third overall. The women’s race was won by Cheryl Davies of Bastion Running Club in Nanaimo with a time of 1:02. The top master’s woman was Yanna Debelic, also of Bastion.
There were many excellent performances by members of the Road Runners. Diane Palmason and Vince Brotherston both won their respective age groups. It was also an excellent day for the Plamondons, with Angela Plamondon earning a second-place finish in her age group while Roger Plamondon finished third. Keith Wakelin claimed second place and Ken Richardson earned a third-place finish. The collective effort of the team puts the club into an unassailable third place for the series.
The final race of the series, the Sooke 10K, takes place Sunday, April 21.
– Comox Valley Road Runners
