The Crohn’s and Colitis foundation has an extra $20,000 it didn’t have last week and David Jackson has a first place ribbon around his neck for the second weekend in a row.
Jackson, from Abbotsford, was the fastest competitor in the Whistler Half Marathon with a time of one hour, 11 minutes and 24 seconds. His closest challenger was Nicholas Brown of Vancouver, who finished in 1:14:39. Vancouver’s Ed McCarthy was just under a minute behind Brown.
Jackson said after the race that he was happy to win after taking first place last weekend at a race in Abbotsford.
“I got away from the other two guys on the first big uphill,” said Jackson. “I just maintained my speed.”
Jackson and Brown didn’t compete in the event last year but McCarthy did and the third place finish for McCarthy is a copy of his placing last year. McCarthy’s time last year was faster by three minutes.
The fastest woman in the competition was Catrin Jones, who placed second last year. Jones, from Victoria, ran the course in 1:20:21. She too was faster last year by about three minutes.
Jones was followed by Anne-Marie Madden of Vancouver in 1:23:46 and Madden was followed a minute later by Victoria’s Care Nelson.
According to Jones, the weather was perfect and she really enjoyed the course.
“I was more-or-less alone at the halfway,” said Jones. “I’m usually strong second half but I did race a marathon last weekend so my legs were definitely a little bit fatigued.”
She said she ran on her own for some of the race and paced the last kilometre with a male competitor.
“It’s kind of a nice course to be alone, its just so beautiful out there,” Jones said.
Tara Gorman of Whistler was the fastest woman in the 10km event with her time of 41 minutes and 40 seconds. She was followed just 13 seconds later by Laura Bestow, also of Whistler. Emma Chadsey of Pemberton completed the Sea to Sky podium sweep with her third place finish in 43:25.
The top finishers in the men’s 10km race were Geoff Reid of Vancouver, followed by Whistler’s Alex Katzer-Dunn in second and Christopher Drozda of Vancouver in third. Reid crossed the finish line in 37 minutes and 47 seconds while Katzer-Dunn followed in 38:25.
Race organizer Dave Clark said the event raised more than $20,000 for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada on a course that racers look forward to running.
“The course, people just love it,” Clark said of the route that took competitors from Whistler Olympic Plaza, through the resort and back to the start.
“The views are endless,” he said.
The 10k distance was added this year and Clark said it was well received.
“A lot of people were commenting on the fact that they’ve been intimidated by the 21k so the 10k has been a bit of a balance for them to start off and have a little more achievable goal to work with,” said Clark.
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