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Titus regains Knacker title, smashes Masters record

48 KM Trail race from Horshoe Bay to Deep Cove is Canada’s toughest
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Running Man Kevin Titus crosses the Knee Knacker finish line on Saturday, breaking the record for the 50 to 59 age category by 53 minutes. Photo by Scott Pass.

For trail runners it doesn’t get any more challenging than the Knee Knackering North Shore Trail Run. From end to end the course is 48 km, following the Baden Powell Centennial Trail from Horseshoe Bay to Deep Cove. From start to finish runners climb and descend over 2,400 metres of extremely technical trail over Black, Cypress, Grouse and Seymour mountains.

Very little of the trail is on flat ground, and the ground can be steep and technical — most runners have to use their hands to get up and down some sections, and many come to the finish line with some sort of injury from a fall.

Whistler Secondary teacher and guidance counselor Kevin Titus returned to the field Saturday, July 14 with the goal of setting a new course record for the 50 to 59 age category. Titus set the overall course record in 2003 with a time of four hours, 42 minutes and 37 seconds, smashing the previous record by almost three full minutes.

Despite the growing popularity of long-distance trail running — just eight people competed in the first Knee Knacker in 1989, while more than 400 entered the lottery to get into this year’s event — nobody has come close to Titus’s record. This year the field was deep, with Mark Bates, a six-time Knee Knacker champion in the running, as well as past record holder Peter Findlay, adventure racer Kevin Vallely, and marathon champion Oliver Utting. Organizers called it the strongest field in the race’s 19-year history.

Despite the added competition, Titus pretty much ran his own race on Saturday. The other runners kept up on the first climb, but by the time he reached the first checkpoint at Cypress Bowl it was Titus’s race. Titus had the lead coming into all four stages of the race, and at one point had a lead of 6:20 over Mark Bates. Bates picked up his pace in the last stage to close the gap slightly, but Titus was too far ahead to catch.

Titus won the race in 4:52:49, smashing the previous Men’s 50 to 59 record by almost 15 minutes.

Bates was second in 4:56:46, followed by Vallely in 5:09:21.

On the women’s side, women’s record holder Suzanne Evans of New Westminister had no trouble holding onto her title with a time of 5:26:10. Nicola Gildersleeve was second among women in 5:48:26, and Patricia Jensen third in 6:05:53.

From Whistler, Duncan Munro placed 18 th overall in the race in 5:56:32. It was slower than his previous race in 2005, where he finished ninth, but he was happy with his time given the calibre of runners this year, the changes to the course as a result of Olympic work at Cypress, and the damage caused by fallen trees.

“I loved it, I signed up for next year today when the registration opened,” he said on Tuesday. “My legs are sore, but you know a race is good when it’s two days later and you’re signing up again to do it next year.”

Munro coaches the Whistler Off-Road Cycling Association’s youth dirt camps, and spent the week leading up to the race on his bike in 30 degree weather.

“It wasn’t the ideal rest week, but I still felt great and had a good time — I wish I could have placed better but under six hours is pretty good with the caliber of runners in this year’s race,” he said. “I also got to run with some friends, and watch Kevin (Titus) win after going for a few training runs with him — I had a good race, but he had a great race.

“The volunteers out there are absolutely amazing and so encouraging. I loved that and can’t wait to go again next year.”

Munro’s next trail run is the STORMY in Squamish. If he gets asked to an adventure race in Montana he’ll likely race the 50 mile (80 km) course, but otherwise he plans to enter the 100 mile category (160 km) and try to qualify for the Badwater 135 mile (217 km) race.

Walter Wallgram finished 36 th overall in 6:26:35, fifth in the men’s 50 to 59 race. This was Wallgram’s second Knee Knacker after he was invited by Titus to run it for the first time in 2003. Although he went slower this time around, he enjoyed it a lot more and plans to be back in the field next year.

“It was fantastic, I had a great time,” he said. “I took it easy on the first half and couldn’t catch up to the other runners, but the second half was much more enjoyable and I found myself passing people all the way to the end, which feels nice after that distance. I should have gone out a little bit harder, but no regrets.”

Wallgram races the Five Peaks series, as well as any local running races in the region. He says the 25 km Rubble Creek Classic is his favourite run in the Whistler area.

Although he had his share of low points and close calls on the Knee Knacker — he came close but never fell — Wallgram credited the organizers and volunteers for keeping his spirits up.

“I loved the way that volunteers had everything ready for you, you’re in the bush and you come out to a big cheer. You get such a welcoming from all the volunteers on course and spectators, it’s just fantastic that way,” he said.

Craig Johnson, formerly of Whistler, raced the event for the first time and met his goal of finishing under eight hours with a time of 7:53:12. He was 124 th overall.

Of 209 starters (the event was capped at 200, with some exceptions made for past champions), 193 runners made it to the finish line. The heat took its toll on the field, as well as injuries.