Hundreds of runners and hundreds more cheering from the start/finish line making the 2023 Fort Langley Historic Half Marathon a huge success, raising more than $7,000 for the Langley senior centre.
Many tested their endurance for the first time, while some broke their personal records.
The annual event, which also includes a five- and 10-kilometre component, supported the Langley Senior Resources Society and was deemed by organizers as a hit.
Among the Langley participants was Brookswood’s own Carol Chesham, who concurred the event was “great.”
Chesham, who has stage 4 bone cancer, said the “walking went well, and it was nice to do the trail, but she had to push her walker hard to go up the hill.”
Despite the challenge, Chesham felt inspired to participate because she wanted to show that she is “more than her illness.”
Langley residents Sally and Al Frost also participated in the run, primarily to show their support for the senior centre. Sally said, “the resource centre is a great place to make friends and have fun. It’s a good place.”
The couple, both 80 plus years old, were pleased with their accomplishment after completing the 5K route, which was a bit of a walk for them.
Riya Gill, a Delta resident, was the first to cross the finish line in the 5K run.
She said, “[the run] was a great community experience. It was nice to get the energy and finish with support from family and friends around.”
Gill has been running for a few years and loved her first experience at the Fort Langley race.
Alex Otero, who came third in the 5K, specializes in running the 5K and 10K races. He has been running for three years now and his goal is to run Vancuver’s Sun Run in just under 33 minutes.
The Fort Langley race was a training race for Otero to get his speed up before his next upcoming race. He said it was good to be back out and racing, especially because of the lack of winter events.
Chesham recommends other seniors who want to participate in the 5K to start off small and build up.
“I think if you start off small and go and just do some short walks around your area, anybody can do it. I really feel that,” she said.
The Fort Langley Historic 5K, 10K, Half Marathon has been a Langley event for close to two decades, and the support of the community was on full display on Sunday.
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