From the humble to the mighty, they gathered Sunday morning for the 38th time on the roads of the sa国际传媒 capital.
Kenyan Daniel Kipkoech, who has owned these streets, won the GoodLife Victoria Marathon for the fourth consecutive year, to go along with his pair of titles in the sa国际传媒 10K the past two years.
鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to be here because when I come here, I win,鈥� said the 30-year-old pro, who hails from the world鈥檚 greatest running nation.
鈥淭his feels like home.鈥�
With six Victoria marathon and 10K titles in total, why shouldn鈥檛 it?
But it was lonely out front Sunday: 鈥淚 was pushed until about 10K, then I was on my own. I ran by myself and that is tough. But it鈥檚 good to win.鈥�
Kipkoech was across in two hours, 21 minutes, 04 seconds, well ahead of fellow Kenyan and second place finisher Kip Kangogo (2:26:58) and third-place Nicholas Browne of Vancouver (2:30:51).
Evan Dunfee of Richmond, fourth in the 50K racewalk at the 2016 Rio Olympics, walked the Victoria marathon course in 3:26:30, which was faster than the great majority of those who ran it.
鈥淭here was so much support out there with people cheering you along, that it was easy to get going,鈥� said Dunfee.
鈥淭his is a great community with tons of support. I heard people say to each other: 鈥楬ey, that鈥檚 the Olympic racewalker.鈥� It鈥檚 great to be recognized. It鈥檚 great motivation for me because it provides recognition and awareness to racewalking. And the course was beautiful with the hills breaking up the monotony.鈥�
Lissa Zimmer of Vancouver, the first Canadian woman across the line in Boston in 2015, was the first female across Sunday in the Victoria marathon in 2:48:33.
鈥淚 guess I鈥檓 going to the grave being remembered for that [Boston],鈥� she quipped.
But winning the Victoria championship was a close second in terms of career running experiences.
鈥淚t was so special,鈥� she said, following the race Sunday. 鈥淚t was great to hear all the people along the course cheering for me, and I was cheering back at the fans. People were in the front yards and their condos. It gets you going.鈥�
The scenery on a sunny day was an added bonus.
鈥淒allas Road . . . you can鈥檛 compare . . . and there were no head winds this morning. 鈥� said Zimmer, whose previous marathon was in Sacramento in December.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a really fair course for all runners.鈥�
Geoff Martinson of Vancouver won the half-marathon in 1:04:28 with Julian Florez of Albuquerque, New Mexico, second in 1:06:05 and two-time Olympic marathoner Reid Coolsaet of Hamilton, Ont., third in 1:07:28. Sarah Inglis of Langley was the women鈥檚 half-marathon champion in 1:14:21.
Justin Kent of Burnaby won the men鈥檚 8K in 24:04 with Thomas Riva of Victoria second in 24:34. The women鈥檚 8K champion was Lindsay Carson of Burnaby in 27:25 with Justine Stecko of Victoria second in 27:39.
Far from the heady accomplishments of the elite runners were myriad personal stories among 7,956 who participated. There were 1,327 in the marathon, for which the Victoria race was again a qualifier for the Boston Marathon, 3,131 in the half-marathon, 2,407 in the 8K, 71 for the relay and 1,020 for the kids鈥� run. The total, however, was down from the 8,448 last year.
Bruce Haley of Fort St. John ran the marathon ran for his late wife Janet Haley. They had done the Victoria race on seven previous occasions before Janet passed away in May of ovarian cancer at age 49. Dallas Road was among 18 places from her life that Janet wanted her ashes spread, and teacher-by-profession Bruce fulfilled his school-principal wife鈥檚 wish during his race Sunday.
鈥淚 was thinking of her every step of the way,鈥� he said.
鈥淔or Janet, [cancer] was not a battle, it was a journey, and she embarked on it with grace and dignity. Janet ran two races even while she was receiving chemotherapy. We raced with our hearts together.鈥�
Scott Sebelsky of Camano Island, Washington, raced his 202nd marathon Sunday but his first in Victoria, and was instantly smitten.
鈥淏oston is my favourite marathon. And No. 2? You鈥檙e looking at it,鈥� he said, surveying the scene at the finish line on Belleville Street in front of the legislature.
鈥淭he scenery, the crowds, the fellow runners were all fantastic.鈥�
Victoria teacher Ruby Walser, in just her first marathon, qualified for Boston and said she hopes to have a crowd of family and friends cheering her on there, too.
Former Olympic rower Zoe Light gave birth to son Lochlan in March and the Victoria run was part of getting back in sporting shape.
鈥淚t was my first run post-baby and I was smiling the entire way just being out there with thousands of people in beautiful Victoria on a lovely day,鈥� said Light.
She later met up with husband and Olympic gold-medallist rower Kevin Light, who also ran the course, and daughter Zara.
Lance Watson ran the half-marathon and then prepared to board a plane to Kona, where he will coach top-10 favoured Brent McMahon of Victoria in next week鈥檚 Ironman Hawaii.
Victoria sisters Sarah and Emily Nuttall had the artsy 1920s Paris Left Bank look going as they ran, complete with berets and cigarettes. Michael and Beverly Desroches of Calgary had more of a Commonwealth look going as they ran the half-marathon in kilts in honour of their Scottish ancestry.
鈥淭here was no wind, and it was beautiful out there running, and the volunteers were amazing,鈥� said Michael Desroches.
Former Canadian international Lucy Smith set the Canadian age-group women鈥檚 half-marathon over-50 masters record by going 1:19:54.
鈥淚鈥檝e had my elite career . . . it鈥檚 over . . . but I鈥檝e moved on to a new, fun thing,鈥� said Smith.
鈥淩unning fast feels like running fast, no matter at what age.鈥�
