When he was growing up in Kenya, Thomas Omwenga would watch on TV every step at every Olympics that his nations many running heroes took.
That motivated me, he said.
Omwenga has taken plenty of steps himself, including on the streets of the B.C. capital, as he returns to defend his title in Sundays GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon.
He has his gaze fixed on breaking the course record of two hours, 13 minutes 44 seconds that he set last year.
Im aiming at the record again but sometimes that is difficult to do, said Omwenga, whose 2012 triumphs also included victories in the Quebec Marathon and Manitoba Marathon.
I like Victoria, especially running in Beacon Hill Park. Its a nice city with good weather for running and a good course, added the 33-year-old, whose all-time personal best is 2:10:44.
I have been training the past four months in Hamilton [Ontario]. That is at sea level, which should help me this weekend in Victoria.
Three of the top-five ranked marathoners for Sunday are Kenyans with Omwenga rated first, Philip Samoei second and Gilbert Kiptoo fourth. Ryan Day of Cache Creek is ranked third and Graeme Wilson of Vancouver fifth.
The 33rd annual Victoria Marathon had 11,118 runners registered as of Friday. Of that total, 2,146 were for the marathon, more than 5,400 for the half-marathon, 2,611 for the 8K and 964 for the Thrifty Foods Kids Fun Run.
Of the registrants, 59 per cent are female, led by marathon top-ranked Anne Kibor of Kenya, second-rated Haille Janssen of Portland and third-ranked Catrin Jones of Victoria. The defending Victoria womens marathon champion, course-record holder Lucy Njeri of Calgary, is switching to the half-marathon this year.
I see that picture of Joan Benoit [winner of the first Olympic womens marathon at L.A. in 1984] on the wall [of the Frontrunners store] and marvel at how much weve progressed since then, said Steve King, the legendary finish-line PA announcer for running and triathlon races, who will again call the Victoria event Sunday.
The Victoria event features what is called a destination marathon, with 70 per cent of the runners from off-Island. It has an annual economic impact of $7 million, according to SportHost Victoria, and a charitable component that has raised more than $1 million for several causes since 2006.
There are 9,953 Canadians registered, with 8,963 from B.C. and most of the rest from Alberta, with 736 runners from Washington state and more than 200 from Oregon. There are 23 nations represented, including Israel and Pakistan.
Last year, 347 runners from the Goodlife Fitness Victoria race qualified for the Boston Marathon, third-best among Canadian marathons.
The marathon route begins on Menzies Street through the downtown core into James Bay and Beacon Hill Park and then along Dallas Road to Gonzales Bay. It proceeds into Fairfield, Oak Bay and Uplands before the turnaround to the finish line on Belleville in front of the Legislative Buildings.
The half marathon starts at 7:30 a.m. and the marathon at 8:45 a.m. The Thrifty Foods Kids Fun Run gets underway at 10:15 a.m.
FOOTSTEPS: Patti Hunter, general manager of KidSport Victoria that annually helps more than 700 children whose families otherwise couldnt afford it to pay for sports registration fees and equipment, was this years inductee into the Frontrunners Walk of Fame. Her name joined the likes of Olympians Whitfield, Bruce Deacon, Zach Whitmarsh, Diane Cummins, Ironman Hawaii world champions Lori Bowden, Peter Reid and announcer King on the sidewalk outside the store.
KidSport Victoria has raised $776,265 since 2000 for 4,689 children and this honour belongs not to me but to anyone who has donated a dollar to help put local children on the fields, courts and rinks of play, said Hunter.
