March 29, 2015

Around the Bay 30 km, Hamilton, ON

Congrats to Steve Whelan for running one of the classic races - Around the Bay is the oldest race in North America!  Steve ran the 30 km in 3:06:29 to nab 378th place in the Mens 40-44 division.  Congrats, Steve!

FEB 14, 2015
ctif Epica
St Malo to Winnipeg, MB

Jon Paradowski accomplished something truly special with his 6th place finish at the Epica race.  Jon teamed up on the run with Sue Lucas, the accomplished ultra runner from Winnipeg to finish the 130 km in 21 hours and 30 minutes.  The distance and time are impressive, yes, but listen to these other challenges:  

• Runners had to carry their supplies (Jon's pack weighed 50 pounds!!)

• The start of the race had a -43 windchill.  The temperature didn't rise much over the course of the day.

• Despite having his water pack and drinking tube double-insulated, the water froze.  Jon reports he drank only at the aid stations, i.e., only 6 or 7 times.

• Some of the course was on grid roads, but some was on the Trans Canada Trail, with snow drifts up to mid thigh.

• Runners had to do some way-finding with cue sheets and incomplete directions.  Jon and Sue ran an extra 12 km after getting lost.

Congratulations Jon, the club is so proud of you!

April 20, 2015
Boston Marathon

Congrats to our fabulous Regina area runners who excelled at Boston!  These are great times, and reflect a season of hard work and dedication.  Super job, you five!

Gary Thiel, 3:15:15, 306th M50-54

Robert McLeod, 3:17:39, 113th M55-59

Cari Bode, 3:35:08, 463rd W40-44

Laurie Johnson, 3:39:26, 339th W45-49

David Fox, 4:52:48, 817th M60-64 (2 months post surgery - WOW!)

April 26, 2015
Big Sur Marathon, California

Our President Cari Bode just completed the Boston to Big Sur Challenge - two marathons, make that, two HILLY marathons, in just six days.  Cari finished Big Sur in an impressive 3:49:30, placing 27th in the W40-44 division.

May 3, 2015
Vancouver Marathon and Half

Special congrats to Daryl Arendt for his new PR in the marathon!  Here are the Regina results.

Chad Debert, 4:17:08, 183rd M40

Daryl Arendt, 4:33:13, 205th M45

Donna Jackson, 5:18:27, 170th W40

Dhon Gumban, 5:22:45, 297th M30

Half Marathon

Carly Graham, 2:00:49, 268th W25

Florence Hwang, 2:30:37, 361st W40

May 31, 2015
Comrades Marathon, South Africa 

Eight Saskatchewan runners traveled to South Africa to do the renowned Comrades run - Durban to Pietermaritzburg - 87.8 km of hills.  This year was the up-year.

Rick Minett, 9:29:25, 18th M60

Gay Renouf, 9:42:36, 20th W50

Robert Neufeld, 11:41:19

Jennifer Ruland, 11:47:41, 953rd W Open

Jennifer Evancio, 11:57:15, 980th W40

The race is subject to very restrictive cut-off times.  This year, many pace bunnies (in Comrades parlance, "buses" didn't make those cut-offs.  Our Regina runners were caught by these as well.  These guys were the bravest of the group: Debbie running after missing 8 weeks of training to injury; Sean running with kidney stones and blood loss; and Mike with knee issues:

Debra Bellamy, 69 km

Sean Reidy, 58 km

Mike Renouf, 50 km

May 28, 2015
Blackfoot Ultra, Alberta

Jon Paradowski continued his max mileage ways by running the 100 km Blackfoot in a time of 11:52:53, good enough for 19th M.  Congrats, Jon!

May 31, 2015
Calgary Marathon

50KM
Richard Mawson, 5:07:41, 4th M55

Rand Luhning, 5:17:38, 1st M60

David Fox, 5:40:22, 3rd M60

Teresa Donley, 5:43:21, 2nd W55

Marathon

Jonathan Llewelyn-Williams, 4:04:21

Sage Fox, 4:10:53, 19th W30

Brian Lewis, 4:43:43, 62nd M40

Graham Hayes, 4:43:43, 63rd M40

La-Loni Fox, 4:47:01, 5th W55

Derek Smith, 5:03:30, 47th M45

Donna Jackson, 5:28:51, 49th W40

Monique Piche, 6:03:22, 12th W55

Half-Marathon, MM members only

Tricia Brown, 1:52:07, 34th W35

June 21, 2015
Banff marathon

Congrats to our Regina area runners who ran Banff!

Jennifer Bolt, 3:45:18, 2nd W30

Half Marathon (MM members only)

Pauline Beaulieu, 1:54:35, 8th W50

Peggy Junek, 1:55:44, 12th W40

Carly Graham, 2:17:13, 78th W25

July 28, 2015
Badwater 135, Death Valley CA

Stacey Shand completed her second Badwater race - "the world's toughest footrace" - in a PR time!  Stacey is a long-time Regina runner and triathlete who only recently moved to Kelowna, and included MM's Jon Paradowski as a pacer on her Badwater crew.  Badwater runs from the lowest point in the lower 48 states - Badwater - to Whitney Portals - the gate to the highest point in the lower 48 states.  It travels through Death Valley - the site of the highest recorded temperature in the western hemisphere.  Runners talk about running on the white line to avoid having their running shoes melt.  Stacey has told stories about sunburning the roof of her mouth, and being in temperatures so hot, it melted toenail polish!  Over the 135 miles, and 14,600 foot elevation gain, Stacey ran 40:39:21, nabbing the 3rd place in the Women's 30-39 age category!  Well done Stacey and crew!

Jen Ruland was also a Badwater pacer.  In Jen's case, she was pacing Frank McKinney, who had to pull out owing to health reasons.

 Aug 1-2, 2015
Canadian Death Race, Grande Cache Alberta

Congrats to Matt Ludlow, Q Johb and Kurt Matthewson, South Sask's soloists at the Canadian Death Race.  Matt finished the gruelling 125 km Death Race, covering 3 mountain ranges and 17,000 feet of elevation gain, in a time of 22:26:40, good enough for 30th place in Men's 30-39!  Q finished the 125 km in a time slightly over 24 hours, and Kurt finished three stages and 65 km in 11:10:55, but unfortunately didn't make the strict cutoff time.

Aug 16, 2015
Yorkton Road Race

Here are the results of the Marathon Matters runners at the half marathon in Yorktown.  I am pretty wowed - everyone placed in their age group!  And Jon Paradowski was 5th overall.