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Runners tackle Comfortably Numb in two hours

Strong turnout for inaugural 25K trail run

One of the top three runners in the Comfortably Numb trail run had never run more than 12 kilometres before, and had only competed in a handful of competitive races.

Another was a race veteran who helped pace said newcomer on the last leg.

The third was Whistler’s own Kristina Rody, a professional marathoner who was running her first competitive trail race.

All told the inaugural race attracted a field of 95 runners and rave reviews about the course and the level of support along the way.

"We didn’t know what to expect. A month ago we only had about 30 people signed up," said Kevin Titus, one of the organizers of the event.

"The feedback so far has been really positive. I’m enjoying the way people are smiling when they get to the finish. Of course they could have been smiling because they don’t have to run any more."

Titus, a strong trail runner who holds the course record in the Knee Knackering North Shore Trail Run, said he knew he would want to run the course himself instead of acting as a marshall, so he ran the course the day before to get it out of his system.

"Every time I run that route I’m just amazed by how great it is," said Titus of the 25 km course.

The race began at the north end of the trail, in the Wedgemont parking lot at 9 a.m., and finished at Spruce Grove. Completed by local trailbuilder Chris Markle last fall, the new trail is known for its old growth forests, rock sections and incredible views of Whistler Valley.

It’s also well known for the amount of climbing involved, which is estimated at over 5,000 vertical feet.

The top two runners were Anthony Estey, 19, and Stefan Fairweather, 20, from the Harriers running club in Victoria. They crossed the finish line together in a time of two hours, one minute and nine seconds.

Estey was the newcomer to running with only a handful of races under his belt. His longest before Comfortably Numb was a 12 km event in Victoria.

"I didn’t know what to expect really, I didn’t know anything about the trail. I was told the course was beautiful, and that’s what really kept me going. Every time I got tired all I had to do was look out, look around me, and that gave me a boost," said Estey.

Estey and Fairweather were in fourth and fifth at the halfway point, and soon afterwards overtook the top three runners on the downhill. They could have broken the two-hour mark if Estey’s leg muscles hadn’t started to tighten up in the last few kilometres. Fairweather could have run ahead, but preferred to run with his partner.

"It was not what we were expecting," said Fairweather. "It was not as steep as I thought it would be, and although there was a lot of uphill running, they were always followed by downhill areas that gave you time to get your breath back. It was a great course.

"We wanted to do the sprint to the finish at the end, but Anthony’s leg was giving him trouble so we just jogged the rest of the way. We ran the course together, taking turns setting the pace, so it was right that we should have finished together."

Both runners said they likely will be back again next year to defend their title, and that Comfortably Numb, which is part of the provincial Iron Lung Trail Running Series, has the makings of a great annual event.

Whistler’s Kristina Rody was third overall in the race and first among the women with her time of 2:05:25. A former 10K champion, she recently made the move up to marathons where she is making an impact. Two weeks before Comfortably Numb she finished 37 th overall in the Ottawa Marathon, winning the 25 to 29 age group and placing fifth in a field of nearly 1,400 women.

This was her first long distance trail race and she was amazed how well it went.

"It was good, really fun," said Rody. "The first half was pretty tough with all the climbing, but the second half was pretty easy. I could actually keep up with the lead guys on the uphill sections after that but they pulled away on the downhills, and the whole last section goes straight down.

"Still, I’m pretty happy with my time."

Rody ran the course the previous weekend with the event organizers, Titus and Scott Pass, to get a feel for the course.

"But between last week and this week I actually forgot what it was like," she said. "At the halfway point I almost snapped, so I just stopped and recollected myself and it got a lot better after that."

Rody plans to take it easy over the summer, running a few local races before hitting the road again in the fall. She says she enjoys trail running more and more every time she does it, and plans to be back again for the second annual Comfortably Numb race.

Pemberton’s Sean Wolfe finished fifth overall in 2:08:02, and was first in the men’s 40 to 49 age bracket. He completed the trail on his bike and on foot this year to get a feel for it, and was happy with his race.

"My goal was to stay ahead of my brother today, and I did that so I can’t complain," said Wolfe, who is a veteran of the Knee Knackering and Nike ACG 5 Peaks races.

"I prefer trail running because I think it is easier on the body, and it’s a lot more interesting. You’re in the forest, there’s always something to look at. It’s more about the destination, and trails get you to some pretty neat destinations."

Daniel Havens, a local triathlete, decided to race in the Comfortably Numb race at the last minute. He hasn’t run more than 10 km competitively this season, but has done a training lap of Comfortably Numb.

He finished the course in 2:31:11, 26 th overall and fifth in the men’s 40-49 race.

"It was a perfect competition," said Havens. "The trail was magnificent. I was amazed by the amount of technical details that Chris Markle, the trail builder, put into this. There’s a lot of uphill but it’s always followed by a little downhill so you can recover. It keeps your mind working.

"I don’t think you can live in Whistler without doing Comfortably Numb, running or biking, it’s such an epic trail."

The next event in the Iron Lung Trail Running Series is the Run Inn Sane 10 km in Vancouver, followed by the 67 km STORMY in Squamish on Aug. 14. For more information visit www.ironlung.ca.

Results

Men 40 and Under

1. Anthony Estey – 2:01:09

1. Stefan Fairweather – 2:01:09

2. Andrew Clark – 2:08:02

Men 40-49

1. Sean Wolfe – 2:08:55

2. Rich Rawlings – 2:12:54

3. Glen Dorey – 2:16:05

Men 50 and Over

1. W. Allen Eisel – 2:53:55

2. Mike Duggan – 2: 55:00

3. Gottfried Grosser – 2:57:54

Women 40 and Under

1. Kristina Rody – 2:05:25

2. Carey Sather – 2:24:04

3. Claire Townsend – 2:29:38

Women 40-49

1. Diedre Wolfe – 2:22:16

2. Patricia Jensen – 2:32:59

3. Arlene Schieven – 2:37:48

Women 50 and Over

1. Carly McFetridge – 3:03:17