Melissa Ross was crowned Queen of the Forest and Shelby Drope King of the Forest at the Perseverance Trail Run Sunday in Cumberland.
Ross, a member of the Oceanside Running Club, covered the 11.5 kilometre mountain run in 1:00:40 while Drope of Nanaimo ran it in 51:37.
Sarah Runyon was second in the women’s division in 1:04:08 and Aislinn Deenihan third in 1:11:23. The second fastest man was Graham Forsyth in 53:29. Johnny Coffin was third in 57:35.
The 13th annual event — a fundraiser for the Cumberland Community Forest Society (CCFS) — attracted 475 registered racers from Vancouver Island. Competition on the 11.5k course was fierce at the front and fun at the back with many costumes seen on the trail.
More than 100 racers tackled the 3k cross-country run through the trails. Carlene Van Tongeren set a course record by running 13:16, earning Princess of the Forest honours in the process. Hugo Henckel ran 12:53 and was crowned Prince of the Forest.
The CCFS works to purchase and protect forest lands in the Cumberland area. Over the past 12 years, the Perseverance Trail Run and after party have raised well over $500,000 for the society.
For results and photos, visit www.perseverancetrailrun.com.
