A strong group of runners made the trip to Vancouver, June 23, for the Scotiabank Half Marathon. This race features a challenging course that traces a spectacular route from UBC along the shorelines of Spanish Banks, Jericho and Point Grey. It then climbs the Burrard Street Bridge before finishing to roaring crowds that await at the finish line in Stanley Park. This is an extremely competitive race that draws more than 6,000 racers.
Despite the heavy competition, a contingent from the Comox Valley Road Runners was outstanding. Rob Kelly was the first local finisher. In a breakthrough performance, he ran 1:24 and placed second in the men’s 55-59 division. In a duel to the finish, Les Disher managed to outkick Derek Brenchley, finishing in 1:29:27 and 1:29:28, respectively. Disher won the 65-69 division and Brenchley was third in the 60-64 category. Hot on their heels was Danny Keyes, who ran a controlled race to finish under 1:30 and place fifth in M55-59. Close behind was Wayne Crowe, who ran 1:30:39 to finish fourth in M60-64. Rounding out the stellar performance by CVRR racers was Brian Stewart, who also took a top-10 finish in the M55-59 division.
The next local running event is the Nautical Days 4 miler. Not only is this a fabulous event, but it is the longest continuously held race in B.C. The family-oriented event takes place Monday, Aug. 5. Start time is 9 a.m. Register online or on race day starting at 8 a.m.
FMI: cvrr.ca
