Catrin Jones of Victoria realized a life-long dream by competing in the Rift Valley Marathon in Kenya this year.
Thomas Omwenga grew up in the Rift Valley, the cradle of running, which has produced numerous Olympic champions.
From the Rift to the streets of the B.C. capital today, Jones and Omwenga go into the 34th GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon as the respective women’s and men’s race favourites.
“Running the Rift Valley was absolutely amazing and so inspiring,” said Jones, who hopes to add to her 2010 Victoria marathon title and to break her personal best of 2:44:30 set in Ottawa this year.
“I’m definitely pushing for a personal best, if all falls into place. Winning would be icing on the cake,” adds Jones, who so far this year has won the Squamish 50K, Kamloops Marathon, Vancouver Half and recently represented Canada in the 10,000 metres at the 2013 Francophone Games in Nice.
This will be the 16th career marathon for the 34-year-old massage therapist and sporting all-rounder, a former University of Victoria Vikes swimmer from Nanaimo, who swam finals at the 1996 Canadian Olympic trials for Atlanta.
“Victoria is one of my favourite marathons because of the organization and support . . . and because I get to sleep in my own bed,” said Jones, who was third woman across last year. “It showcases the best parts of Victoria, and the course is rolling with variety to it.”
Omwenga will be going for the hat-trick today after winning the last two Victoria marathon men’s and overall titles. He also won the 2013 BMO Vancouver Marathon this spring.
“I love the weather here because there is no humidity and it’s never too hot or too cold,” said the Kenyan with a personal best of 2:10:44, who has been adopted by the Victoria running community and who trains here a lot.
“The course is not too tough. But I like it because it’s a rolling course. I like this whole city. I feel at home here.”
He should, after two consecutive championships — with his 2011 title setting the Victoria marathon record of 2:14:33.
The GoodLife Victoria Marathon continues its affiliation to the Boston Marathon as an official qualifier. More than 500 competitors are running today specifically to qualify for the Boston Marathon. An average of about 300 runners qualify annually from Victoria for Boston. It’s a critical part of the Victoria marathon’s identity.
But the marathon isn’t the only, nor even the largest component, of the Victoria event.
A total of 11,768 people have registered to take part today on the streets of Greater Victoria —2,088 for the marathon, 5,471 for the half-marathon, 2,909 for the 8K and a sold-out 1,300 for the kid’s run.
That eclipses the 2012 total of 11,503.
The gender breakdown this year is 59 per cent female and 41 per cent male. Twenty-eight nations are represented. The top-five ranked marathoners for Sunday are all Kenyans — Omwenga, Lamech Mokono, Gilbert Kiptoo, Hamilton-based Josephat Ongeri and Lethbridge-based Kip Kangogo. Top-ranked female marathoners are Jones, Katherine Moore of Vancouver and Renee Gordon of Eugene, Ore. Victoria runners are top ranked for the half-marathon — Canadian international Geoff Martinson in men’s and 2012 London Olympian Hilary Stellingwerff in women’s. Nick Walker and two-time Olympian Bruce Deacon of Victoria are 1-2 ranked in the men’s 8K with Rachel Cliff of Vancouver and Brittany Therrien of Victoria 1-2 in the women’s 8K.
The 8K begins at 7:15 a.m., the half-marathon at 7:30 a.m. and marathon at 8:45 a.m.
The start line is on Menzies Street with the runners winding through downtown into James Bay and Beacon Hill Park, along Dallas Road into Fairfield, Oak Bay, Uplands and back to the finish line on Belleville in front of the legislature.
Traffic closures will be in effect along the route, the major one being that no traffic will be allowed on Dallas Road from 7:15 a.m. to 2 p.m. Information on all road closures, escape routes and parking can be found at runvictoriamarathon.com/weekend/roadclosures.php.
American running legend Dick Beardsley, part of the storied “Duel in the Sun” against Alberto Salazar in the 1982 Boston Marathon and a great friend of the Victoria marathon over the years as guest speaker, received his slab on the Walk of Fame outside the Frontrunners store.
It slots alongside those of Island greats such as Ironman Hawaii world champions Peter Reid and Lori Bowden, Olympic medallist Simon Whitfield and Olympic runners Jon Brown, Bruce Deacon, Diane Cummins and Zach Whitmarsh.
“This means an awful lot to me and I will cherish this forever,” said Beardsley.
Also enshrined on the Walk of Fame, during the annual induction that is part of marathon weekend, was tireless Victoria race volunteer Evan Fagan, who in his own career has ran 140 marathons after age 57, a total of 77 triathlons after age 59 and three Ironmans after age 67.
“I’m very humbled . . . It’s a pleasure for me to do what I do,” said Fagan.
