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For a runner who doesn鈥檛 like rain, Jane Murage has competed well in a city known for it. Just the same, she is happy that this morning鈥檚 weather isn鈥檛 anticipated to be quite as wet as originally expected for the 37th GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon.
鈥淭his is a city where I run so well,鈥� Murage said.
鈥淏ut I am still not used to the rain.鈥�
Whether those drops are in the fall or spring.
Murage has put her stamp on the sa国际传媒 capital by winning four consecutive sa国际传媒 10K women鈥檚 titles in the annual April running fixture. Now, the 29-year-old native of Kenya has returned to the Island for the fall鈥檚 big running event and is the top-ranked woman for today鈥檚 half-marathon. Five of the past six Victoria half-marathon winners have been Olympians 鈥� Lisa Harvey in 2010, Natasha Wodak in 2011 and 2012, Hilary Stellingwerff in 2013 and defending-champion Malindi Elmore in 2015.
Murage figures that鈥檚 a nice target for her to chase.
鈥淚 love running in this city and am looking to do well,鈥� she said.
Murage will be among the athletes from 22 nations pounding the streets this morning, including more than 300 who are looking to post qualifying times for the 2017 Boston Marathon in April .
A total of 1,359 are registered for the marathon, 3,313 for the half-marathon, 2,580 for the 8K, 1,046 for the children鈥檚 run and 130 for the relay.
The past list of Victoria marathon men鈥檚 champions includes Olympians Bruce Deacon and Jon Brown, the latter who twice placed fourth in the Summer Games.
Two-time Olympian Deacon is still competing and will run the men鈥檚 8K. Two former Victoria marathon winners are back to compete 鈥� two-time defending 2014 and 2015 champion Daniel Kipkoech and 2013 champion Lamech Mokono, who holds the course record of 2:13:42.
Previous two-time champion Catrin Jones is top ranked for the women鈥檚 marathon.
The pro runners criss-cross the globe chasing prize purses. Total prize money today, including bonuses, is $32,800 for the top finishers.
It seems every self-respecting city has a big annual destination marathon or 10K event. Victoria has both, book-ending spring and fall. It is below the elites, at the mass-participation level, that the real value is felt. This is the kind of Spandex-clad demographic every city covets.
Organizers said that of today鈥檚 8,428 runners, 54 per cent are from off-Island.
鈥淲e are on an Island and need reasons for people to come here,鈥� said Paul Nursey, president and CEO of Tourism Victoria, during a GoodLife Marathon press conference.
鈥淭his is a great destination race. It鈥檚 a real platform on which to bring high-yield customers. It鈥檚 professionally organized and it鈥檚 measurable.鈥�
The familiar voice of Penticton鈥檚 Steven King, the legendary finish-line PA announcer, will again greet the runners as they cross. He works 50 running and triathlon races each year and said the GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon is among his top-shelf favourites and among the best organized.
鈥淵ou get to run through our beautiful capital city with the chance to qualify for Boston. It doesn鈥檛 get much better than that,鈥� King said.
