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Some are running to Rio. Others just to Oak Bay and back. Whether it's Copacabana or Cattle Point, there are more than 9,000 reasons to run today in the 36th GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon.
Every participant will have their own.
鈥淭his starts my training and qualifying season for Rio,鈥� said Hilary Stellingwerff, as she prepares for the 2016 Summer Olympics by racing in the 8K today.
鈥淚 love racing in my hometown,鈥� added Stellingwerff, who ran the 1,500 metres in the 2012 London Olympics, before giving birth to son Theo in June 2014.
鈥淚 am in better shape now than I was in 2011, when I was preparing for London.鈥�
It鈥檚 a family marathon weekend for Hilary, who is assistant coach of the University of Victoria track team. Husband Trent Stellingwerff, an applied sport physiologist, was part of the Race Expo speakers鈥� series on Saturday and addressed the runners about nutrition and hydration. Trent Stellingwerff heads the innovation and research department at the Canadian Sports Centre-Pacific鈥檚 Victoria campus, out of which is expected to come nearly 50 athletes for sa国际传媒 to the 2016 Rio Olympics in several sports.
Most of the participants today, of course, won鈥檛 be at that level.
Kim McLean, a stay-at-home mom, was a non-runner who decided in the spring to try something different. Today, she will be running the half-marathon as part of Team Sole Sisters: 鈥淚 was not a runner, but have received so much support and inspiration from this group.鈥�
It is in that part of the pack where some of the best stories are to be found.
鈥淭his is the most special weekend I can think of, because I believe physical activity and movement adds to one鈥檚 mental and physical life,鈥� said Olympic rowing legend Silken Laumann, representing title sponsor GoodLife Fitness.
Up a step, at the mid-level, are 413 runners who are out today to snare qualifying times for the 2016 Boston Marathon. A total of 260 runners qualified for the 2015 Boston Marathon from last year鈥檚 GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon, which was the second-best total for any Canadian race, behind only the Hamilton Marathon.
There鈥檚 another gear, yet. That is represented by the elites who will be at the front. Past Victoria marathon winners have included the likes of Jon Brown, who twice placed fourth in the Olympics, and two-time Olympian Bruce Deacon. Top-ranked for the marathon today is Lamech Mokono of Kenya for the men鈥檚 and Lioudmila Kortchaguina of Markham, Ont., for the women鈥檚. Mokono, the 2013 champion, will be looking to better his course record of two hours, 13 minutes, 42 seconds. Kortchaguina, the defending women鈥檚 champion, will be looking to repeat her success.
鈥淭his course is so beautiful, but it is a challenge and not so easy,鈥� said Kortchaguina, 44, a professional runner, who emigrated to sa国际传媒 from Russia 14 years ago.
鈥淚t is not flat. If you like a challenge, it is good.鈥�
But not so much if you want a fast time. Kortchaguina noted her personal best of 2:29:42 came in the National Capital Marathon, known for its flat route through Ottawa. By comparison, it took Kortchaguina 2:41:39 to win the GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon last year. Another factor today could be the weather. But Kortchaguina said she doesn鈥檛 mind rain.
鈥淥nly wind can affect you,鈥� said the mother of two.
A total of 9,081 runners have registered for today. Of those, 1,569 are for the marathon, 3,855 for the half-marathon, 2,570 for the 8K and 1,087 for the Thrifty Foods Kids Run.
鈥� The starting chute is on Menzies next to the legislature and the finish line is on Belleville Street in front of the buildings. The 8K starts at 7:15 a.m., half-marathon at 7:30 a.m., marathon at 8:45 a.m. and Kids 1.25K Run at 10:15 a.m.
The mostly-oceanside marathon route is through downtown to Dallas Road to Fairfield into Oak Bay, with the turnaround in Uplands and then back along the same route. The half-marathon follows the marathon route until the turnaround at Quamichan and Cowichan streets and back down Richardson. The 8K is through James Bay along Dallas Road to Beacon Hill Park and back.
Information on road closures, escape routes and parking is at runvictoriamarathon.com/race-weekend/road-closures-and-parking/.
