Runners begin the Cobble Hill 10K on Jan. 27. (Kevin Rothbauer/Citizen)

Runners begin the Cobble Hill 10K on Jan. 27. (Kevin Rothbauer/Citizen)

Victoria runners tops in Cobble Hill 10K

Cobble Hill's own Jed Leech is top Cowichan Valley finisher

Of 454 participants in the Cobble Hill 10K on Jan. 27, Victoria’s Andrew Russell was the overall winner, and Catrin Jones was the top female finisher.

Russell’s time of 32 minuets and 23 seconds was nearly a minute faster than second-place runner Shelby Drope of Nanaimo, who won the race in 2018.

Jones and Jen Millar, also from Victoria, shared the lead in the women’s pack until Jones pulled away with about four kilometres left. Jones finished in 36:44, 13 seconds ahead of Millar.

Russell also set an event record for the M35-39 age group, and Roslyn Smith of Comox set the F70-74 record with a time of 48:38.

Brentwood College School student Keaton Heisterman of Nanaimo finished seventh overall and won the M16-19 age group with a time of 35:05. Jed Leech of Cobble Hill was 13th overall at 36:06, Shawnigan Lake’s Mark Swannell was 16th overall at 36:33, Richard Light of Duncan was 31st overall at 38:32, and Mill Bay’s Lucas Tubman was 32nd overall at 38:52.

Hazura Sangha of Duncan won the M85-89 age group with a time of 1:22:33.

The Cobble Hill 10K was the second event of the Island Race Series, followed by the Cedar 12K this coming Sunday.

Nanaimo News Bulletin