While it may have been cold for the volunteers, it was perfect weather for the race participants.
“It was a great day for a run,” said Kathie Schellenberg, the race manager for Sunday’s Golden Ears Half Marathon and 10K run.
“The rain stopped and the weather cleared and everyone loved it.”
Hundreds of runners shook off the weather — and the one-hour time change as a result of the clocks springing forward earlier that morning — to take part in the second annual race.
One hundred and 22 runners took part in the half marathon while another 136 ran in the 10-km run. The course began and ended in Pitt Meadows and crossed over into Langley via the Golden Ears Bridge.
The race, which is organized by Peninsula Runners, raises money for a pair of charitable causes on either side of the river: the Langley School Foundation’s School Meals Program and the Friends in Need Food Bank in Pitt Meadows.
Last year’s event raised $4,000.
Schellenberg expects the total amount raised to be finalized later this week.
She also said that they received great feedback from the race participants, especially in regards to the new South Bonson Community Centre, which was the starting and finishing point for the event.
Having the centre allowed the racers a warm, dry place indoors after they were done their run.
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Local runners who took top overall spot in three of the four categories, while three others won their respective age groups.
Rob Durrant and Suzy Van Dyk were the top male and female runners, respectively, in the half marathon.
Durrant, in the 40-49 age group, finished in 1:21:53.70 while Van Dyk, in the 20-39 category, crossed the finish line in 1:28:08.01.
Max Proske, in the U20 division, was tops in the 10km race at 38:11.27 while Coquitlam’s Olivia Willett, also in the U20 group, was the top female at 42:37.79.
Other age group winners included:
Half marathon:
20-39 Bryce Danek (Langley) 1:24:59.46
50-59 Geoff Hughes-Games (Abbotsford) 1:35:12.09
60-69 Mark Dumas (Maple Ridge) 1:48:59.74
70+ Rob Daniel (Burnaby) 1:55:25.55
40-49 Heather Steele (Maple Ridge) 1:43:35.01
50-59 Donna Burton (Maple Ridge) 1:50:15.76
60-69 Terri Dumas (Maple Ridge) 2:12:10.74
10km results:
50-59 Victor Mladenka (Burnaby) 38:41.91
20-39 Jean-Francois Bureau (Victoria) 40:15.18
40-49 Jim Novotny (Langley) 48:25.57
60-69 Dale Swanson (Surrey 52:28.26
70+ Bruce Johnson (Langley)1:00:16.35
40-49 Tina-Louise Harris (Coquitlam) 42:55.86
50-59 Suzy Shea (Maple Ridge) 45:53.60
20-39 Nicole Meech (Maple Ridge) 51:27.88
60-69 Lynette Baldock (Surrey) 55:13.43
For complete results, click here.