WELCOME TO THE 31st GOODLIFE FITNESS VICTORIA MARATHON!Congratulations for choosing Vancouver Island and the GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon Many of us have chosen to live in Victoria because of its running tradition. As the provincial capital Victoria is a gem with its Mediterranean climate and yes it is true - we can run in shorts year-round. Olympians and world champion athletes train and live here from Lori Bowden and Simon Whitfield to Jon Brown naming just three. We invite you to enjoy our environment and culture here in the Garden City - from our independent coffee bars to many great restaurants serving local organic produce. No wonder all the best foodies live here on the west coast! The running isn’t that bad either! Our waterfront is a runner’s dream creating a route with no stop lights for miles. Walkers can enjoy strolling around downtown along Government St to Chinatown, up Fort St to Craigdarroch Castle. And make sure you visit the Royal BC Museum - one of the best in Canada. Our event has grown over the years as more and more people discover how well organized it is. Our record registration numbers in 2009 say it all. The expo offers over 60 booths, great souvenir clothing and the speaker series continues to motivate runners all weekend. Our awards presentation in the expo area on Race Day specializes in sought-after hardware we are told. No matter what run you do you will be treated royally by our hundreds of volunteers who pride themselves in making the GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon the largest participatory annual event on Vancouver Island. Consider changing your flight and stay longer? We are happy to welcome you.
Sincerely, | ||
PRESIDENT’S REPORT — VICTORIA MARATHON SOCIETYAs the 31st annual GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon, Half Marathon, 8K Road Race, and Thrifty Foods Kids Run & Marathon approaches in October, runners of all shapes, sizes and abilities start their late summer and fall training for one of the most runner-friendly events in North America. I had the pleasure of watching the first marathon in September 1980, when Tom Howard blazed through the two-loop course in 2:21:45 to win the inaugural race where there were 681 finishers. Today, I have seen the event continually grow in prestige, stature and popularity to attract over 12,000 competitors. The Victoria Marathon (formerly RVM) is, and continues to be, the largest and most popular distance running festival on Vancouver Island. In British Columbia the Vancouver International Marathon, in May, and the GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon, in October, complement one another in both numbers and services and they offer runners an opportunity to choose a quality spring and fall event. I’ve seen the Victoria Marathon blossom from a single 26.2 mile race, where I worked the finish line 31 years ago, to today, where we offer five different events for all ages, and add excellent features such as our popular Expo, attractive New Balance technical race shirts, a beautiful, scenic race course, top-quality participant medals and awards, nearby hotels including the Fairmont Empress, massage, recovery zone, souvenir apparel and a host of other intangibles. You won’t find a more perfect backdrop for a finish line that the historic Parliament Buildings, the Pacific Ocean with the inner harbour, the Empress Hotel, the Provincial Museum and the majestic Olympic Mountains. Last year’s Royal Victoria Marathon saw an influx of Kenyan athletes with three finishing in the top four positions overall and collecting portions of the $26,000 offered in prize money. Hillary Cheruiyot led the field home with a time of 2:19:26 and three-time champion, Steve Osaduik, from Langley, placed second in 2:22:42. Kenyans Lameth Mosoti and Philip Samoei took third and fourth in 2:24:43 and 2:25:32. All three Kenyans loved the event and vowed to return with more friends in 2010 in an attempt to “smash the course record”. Victoria’s Cheryl Murphy won the women’s title for her second consecutive year in 2:44:01. Victoria’s Jon Brown, 1:04:57, and Marilyn Arsenault, 1:15:39, won the Royal Victoria Half Marathon while Victoria’s Matt Clout and Rachel Ruus, of Richmond, were the 8K Road Race Champions. There were 2,619 finishers in the Marathon, 4,608 in the Half, 2,153 in the 8K and over 2,000 in the Kids Runs, including parents, brothers and sisters accompanying the ambitious youngsters. The executive committee and race planning committee combined is comprised of 45 hard-working, conscientious individuals. I am proud to be a part of this cooperative and energetic team. Our tremendous volunteer crew of over 1,200 is second to none in comparison to the hundreds of other special events and festivals that Victoria stages annually. I have been fortunate to be involved as the Finish Line Assistant in 1980 and have progressed through the years to become Rules Referee, Venue Coordinator, Technical Race Director, Elite Athlete Director and now Chairman of the Board for a fifth term. The City of Victoria experiences a tremendous economic impact as over 60% of our participants are visitors from off-Island. As a Society, we welcome athletes to Victoria, the “Running Capital of Canada” and the “City of Champions”. We always endeavour to host a first-class event and we sincerely hope that everyone returns home as a champion. The Victoria Marathon is a popular destination marathon; it is a race “organized by runners for runners” with so many small, but special, touches. Best of luck to everyone participating in this 31st annual event! Bob Reid, 2010 President Victoria Marathon Society |
