27th ANNUAL ISLAND RUNNER ELK/BEAVER ULTRAS
Hosted by Prairie Inn Harriers Running Club - Victoria, BC, Canada - May 10, 2014
Race Report
Once again it is my pleasure to report that this event was a great success. This year, we had the second largest field of athletes ever, coming from all over Canada and the States!
The weather, although a little changeable throughout the twelve hour duration of the race was almost ideal for the competitors. Although I can take little credit for this, many of our visitors commented on the stunningly beautiful lake and mountain vistas.
As race director, I elected to run 50K in the opposite direction than the competitors so had an ideal view of all the races as they progressed and was amazed how closely grouped the leader contenders were in the initial stages of the races. This also let me monitor the walkers.
100K (10 laps)
Oleg Tabelev from Calgary Alberta was our overall winner, with a time of 8:01:50, 2 minutes shy of his target 8 hours. Oleg has been a top competitor for many years and is very familiar with this slightly undulating lake trail course. His disciplined running and dedicated training paid off for him this year.
Second place in this race went to Michel Leblanc, from the lower mainland BC. he trains a lot in Delta, and actually said that he found the course twisty and more undulating than he was used to, but did very well finishing in 8:07:20
The women's race was won by Alissa St Laurent, in a great time of 8:50:34 making her 3rd overall! Second place in the women’s race went to local talent Bonnie Reszel (10:59:28), and third was Wendy Montgomery (11:11:00). Wendy was the previously holder of the women’s course record until surpassed 2010 by Ellie Greenwood.
12 athletes started the 100K and 8 finished this challenging race.
50 Mile
The 50 mile race, 8 laps with an additional measured out and back, was won outright by Alicia Woodside of North Vancouver, in a very good time of 6:58:28. Tara Berry, also from the mainland, kept up with her for 4 laps before slowing down and eventually dropping out. They were both were supported by a huge entourage of friends, who cheered them on and stayed for almost the entire day with us at race headquarters on Hamsterly Beach.
First male finisher was good friend Steven Johns (7:44:33), who came back for the third time to yet again improve his result from the previous year.
50K (5 laps)
Adrian Walton was our hometown winner in our largest field of the day (35 competitors). His time of 3:41:41 (5:26/K. pace) kept him ahead of the 4 main male challengers, who all completed this race within 18 minutes of each other, a close finish in Ultra terms. This race also had a barefoot runner: Alan Thwaits. Alan was eventually defeated by the new gravel, that the City of Victoria put in this winter, to help drain a few wet areas. He had run approximately marathon before having to pull out of the race.
Danielle Mennie of Victoria won the women's race with in a time of 4:20:57. She beat out the master's woman's winner, Teresa Nightingale, in the last lap by less than a minute.
The "First Timers" Marathon
This race is for anyone who has never entered a Marathon race before. This years winner, Samuel Smith a masters triathlete was in this category and although he won was not pleased with his stand alone marathon time, and blames it on "jet lag". From his itinerary over the last week or so had covered most of the known World.
The women's race was headed by Helen Fehr, who disqualified herself from the race as she had previously finished a full marathon, and the winner’s “victory stein” was awarded to a very surprised Nadine Carter (5:21:43).
40K Walk (4 Laps)
Won this year by Heather Stothard from Edmonton Alberta, who took the lead early and walked her way to a 6:36:58 victory.
The other two women, Kristie Congram and Christine Thate, walked together the whole day and I am sure got to know each other very well!
Full results and splits available on our web site.
Carlos Castillo
Race Director - Elk / Beaver Ultramarathons
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