Sooke River 10km - 2016

The awards ceremony for the 2016 season was held after the Sooke River 10K awards were completed. There were 3,104 runners in 7 races who crossed the line in 2016 compared to 3,626 runners in 8 races. The top team were the Comox Valley Road Runners with 2,335 pts. with 176 runners. After so many years they finally dislodged PIH who had accumulated 2,132 pts with 156 runners. It was an excellent effort for the Comox club. Well done to CVRR.

Not be outshined, STARR finished in 8th place with 634 pts with 55 finishers. In 2015 STARR finished in 10th place with 651 pts with 60 finishers. Well done to everyone. STARR had 8 runners who qualified by finishing the required races. We had 6 runners earning top 10 awards. Leading the STARRs was Jonathan Dvorak (40-44) with 664.8 pts. He was 8th in a field 18 and 65th OA. He also PB’d in every race which is awesome. Next in was our only woman. Stephanie Croft (40-44) finished off with 649.8 pts. She was 3rd (bronze) from a field of 20 and was 76th OA. Well done Stephanie. Our next runner was Claude LaForce (55-59). Claude had 605.3 pts. He finished 6th in a field 15 and was 116th OA. Our next finisher was Mark Ziegler (60-64). Mark finished the series with 578.8 pts and was 5th in a field of 13 and 148th OA. Next was Lemmie Adam ( 30-34) who finished 532.5 and was 12th in a field of 12 and 200th OA. Bruce Hawkes (70-74), our ironman, completed the series with 485.8 and was 9th in a field of 12 and 253rd OA. Following Bruce was Don Brown (65-69) with 448.8 pts and was 10th in a field of 10 and 275th OA. Closing the STARR was Vince Trahan (70-74). He finished with 374 pts and was 11th in a field of 12. Incidentally Vince also won one of the grand prizes, a pair of Saucony shoes.

Congratulations to all the STARR runners who ran or volunteered in the series. The results were all very much deserved regardless of where you all placed. All divisions were very competitive which made it that more interesting. The important part is you were all out there. Without you there would be no series. Hope to see you all out there for the 2017
series.

Bazan Bay 5km - 2016

The 15th Annual Bazan Bay 5K, the 5th race of the 2016 Island Race Series, was held 6 Mar along the Sidney waterfront. From 1996 to 2001 it was the Bazan Bay 8K.

There were 552 finishers, down from 618 in 2015, crossing the line at this year’s event. The weather had a little of everything…a little bit of cloud, a bit of rain and ending in the sunshine…all within 30+ minutes.

The overall winner was Matt Sharpe (25-29) from the Running Room Athletic Club with a time of 15:18. The top woman from NB/Speed River was Hillary Stellingwerff (35-39) in a time of 16:52 and 19th OA. Jim Finlayson (40-44) was the top Male Master with a 15:31 and 4th OA. Top Female Master was Marilyn Arsenault (45-49) from the Island Striders with a 17:28 and 35th OA.

STARR had 10 runners finishing the fast course and capturing 7 top 10 ribbons in various age groups.

• Our top STARR was Jonathan Dvorak (40-44) with a PB of 18:59. He was 10th in a large field of 29 and 74th OA. Well done for sure.
• Next in was Claude LaForce (55-59) with a 21:29 and was 7th in a field of 21 and 148th OA.
• Not far behind was Mark Ziegler (60-64). Mark crossed the line with a 21:50 and was 4th in a field of 25 and 157th OA.
• Our 1st lady in was Stephanie Croft (40-44) wth a 22:29 and was 4th in another large field of 29 and 188th OA.
• Next in was Lemmie Adam (30-34) with a time of 24:43 and was 11th in a field 19 and 287th OA.
• Bruce Hawkes (70-74) was our next STARR to cross. Hawkes had a 26:26 and was 10th in a field 15 and 339th OA.
• One of our youngest STARR’s was Georgia Wark (01-15). She was in with a 32:25 PB. Well done Georgia. She was 7th in a field of 9 and 465th OA.
• Our next finisher was Vince Trahan (70-74) with a 36:13 and was 14th in the field and 500th OA.
• Closing out the STARR field was the father and daughter combo, Robin (40-44) and Lila Wark (01-15) with 44:01’s. Lila was 8th in a field of 9 and 530th OA and Robin was 27th in a field of 29 and 531st OA. Good job to all the STARR’s.

There were also 27 finishers from the Sooke area.

• Howard Manderson (45-49) 19:11/ 12/26
• Doug Van Ek (20-24) 20:05 / 7/10
• Luke Spycher (01-15) 20:33 / 2/9
• Tim Ayres (35-39) 20:45 /9/26
• Christie Macintyre (30-34) 21:03 / 4/34
• Robyn Van Ek (20-24) 22:07 / 5/18
• Magnus Hanton (40-44) 22:21 / 16/29
• Victoria Van Ek (45-49) 22:37 / 6/39
• Dave Cummings (45-49) 23:12 / 21/26
• Jacklyn Evans (30-34) 24:26 / 16/34
• Shane Morgan (35-39) 24:35 / 23/26
• Laura Barnes (35-39) 24:49 / 15/23
• Bob Butterworth (75-79) 25:33 / 2/10
• Donna Ferguson (65-69) 26:50 / 2/9
• Taylor Cummings (16-19) 26:52 / 8/8
• Maki Pfeiffer (40-44) 28:37 19/29
• Dane Pfeiffer (01-15) 28:37 / 7/9
• Megen Mabberley-Seysener (40-44) 29:22 / 20/29
• Teresa Lennox (45-49) 29:29 / 28/39
• Jessica Murdoch (20-24) 30:45 / 15/18
• Byron Henderson (65-69) 32:34 / 9/13
• Sandra Fawcett (60-64) 32:44 / 18/26
• Elysia Pradine (20-24) 36:04 / 18/18
• Sylvia Jones (65-69) 37:44 / 9/9
• Kelly Dvorak (45-49) 45:28 / 37/39
• Erin Sterling (45-49) 45:28 / 38/39
• Jill Wark (40-44) 48:16 / 28/29.

Well done and congratulations to all the finishers.

The 6th race of the Series, the Comox Valley Half-Marathon will be held 20 Mar. Good course and excellent food and draws for this event. See you there.

Hatley Castle 8km - 2016

The 17th Annual Hatley 8K, 4th race of the 2016 Island Race Series, was held 21 February on the hilly course through the Royal Roads University grounds. Cloudy, cool and calm conditions were the order of the day for the field of runners.

There were a total of 394 finishers compared to 478 in 2015. The men and women were almost even…201 versus 193.

The overall (OA) winner was UVic Vikes Olivier Collin (25-29) in a time of 25:07. On the woman’s side, Chantelle Groenwood (25-29) of Vancouver captured top honours with a 29:20 and 13th OA.

The top Male Master was PIH’s Shane Ruljancich (40-44) with a 27:40 and 4th OA. The top Female Master was Marion Bryan (40-44) from the Comox Valley Road Runners in a time of 36:55 and 83rd OA.

Eight runners, representing STARR, captured 5 top 10 ribbons in various age groups.

• First in was Jonathan Dvorak (40-44) with a PB of 33:11. He was 7th in a field 23 and 44th OA.
• the next STARR in was Claude LaForce (55-59) with a 36:33 PB and was 6th in a field 22 and 79th OA. Claude was also the grand prize winner of the shoes and a 4L jug of chocolate milk.
• Mark Ziegler (60-64) was next over the line with a 38:36 and was 7th in a field 20 and 121st OA.
• Our first and only STARR lady Stephanie Croft (40-44) was in with a 39:17 and was 4th in a field of 21 and 136th OA.
• Lemmie Adam (30-34) was next in with a 42:39 and was 11th in a field 14 and 204th OA.
• Bruce Hawkes (70-74) was in with a 48:35 and 9th in a field of 14 and 231st OA.
• Don Brown (65-69) had a 48:35 and was 13th in the field of 15 and 298th OA.
• Closing out the STARR field was Vince Trahan (70-74) in a 59:10 and was 13th in the field and 374th OA.

There were also 14 Sooke area runners finishing the course.

• Doug Van Ek (20-24) 35:49 4/6,
• Christie Macintyre (30-34) 36:30 4/27
• Luke Spycher (01-15) 37:07 1/1
• Victoria Van Ek (45-49) 38:00 3/16
• Maki Pfeiffer (40-44) 38:03 3/21
• Robyn Van Ek (20-24) 38:28 3/11
• Magnus Hanton (40-44) 39:50 15/23
• Jess Petersen (35-39)40:33 10/23
• Jacklyn Evans (30-34) 41:08 11/27
• Bob Butterworth (75-79) 42:47 1/7
• Laura Barnes (35-39) 44:54 14/23
• Kathrine Schroeder (50-54) 50:11 17/25
• Sandra Fawcett (60-64) 57:49 10/11
• Sylvia Jones (65-69) 1:09:01 9/9.

Good job by everyone covering this hilly course.

The next series race is the Bazan Bay 5k in Sidney 6 March. See you all at the start line.

Cedar Hill 12km 2016

The Cedar 12K, the 3rd race of the Island Race Series, was held on 7 Feb in overcast and calm conditions. The weather gods were with us again.

There were 373 finishers compared to 382 in 2015.The overall winner was UVic Vikes Forrest Simpson (M20-24) in a blistering time of 37:57.

• Our overall woman was Lauren Babineau (F25-29) in a time of 45:52 and 21st OA.
• The top Male Master was Greg Odermatt (M45-49) with a 40:14 and 6th OA.
• The top Female Master was Susan Gordon (F55-59) from Saltspring with a time of 51:45 and 59th OA.

STARR had 7 runners in the field capturing 6 ribbons:

• First in was Jonathan Dvorak (M40-44) in a PB of 50:35 and was 8th in a field of 20 and 53rd OA.
• Claude LaForce (M55-59) was our next STARR to bring it home with another PB of 54:32. He was 7th in a field of 22 and was 80th OA.
• Next in was Mark Ziegler (M65-69) with a 59:43 and was 5th in a field of 17 and 144th OA.
• Following Mark was Lemmie Adam (M30-34) in a time of 1:01:41 and 14th in a field 17 and 180th OA.
• Our ironman Bruce Hawkes (70-74) was next in with a 1:07:34 and was 6th in a field of 9 and 245th OA.
• Next across was Don Brown (M65-69). Don was 10th in a field of 11 and 303rd OA. This was Don’s 1st Cedar 12K since he ran the Cedar 15K in 1992 in a time of 59:10. Good job Don.
• Closing out our STARR’s was Vince Trahan (M70-74). He crossed the line with a 1:26:22 and was 8th and 353rd OA.

Well done to all the STARR’s running this hilly course.

There were also 13 Sooke runners covering the course: 

• Howard Manderson (M45-49) 48:38
• Christie Macintyre (F30-34) 53:37
• Tory Van Ek (F45-49) 59:40
• Magnus Hanton (M40-44) 59:49
• Maki Pfeiffer (F40-44) 1:00:20
• Jess Petersen (F35-39) 1:00:50
• Robyn Van Ek (F20-24) 1:01:05
• Jacklyn Evans (F30-34) 1:02:57
• Bob Butterworth (M75-79) 1:04:41
• Wendy Johnson (F40-44) 1:04:48
• Laura Barnes (F35-39) 1:08:54
• Kathrine Schroeder (F50-54) 1:11:16
• Sylvia Jones (F65-69) 1:39:49.

Thanks to all the Sooke area runners for supporting the Island Race Series. The next race, the Hatley 8K @ Royal Roads, will be 21 Feb. 

We should all take a moment to remember our fallen STARR Tom Burgess who passed away at the age of 73 on the eve of the Cedar 12K. He ran 44 series races dating back to 2001 in all distances including half-Marathons. Tom ran the 2015 Cedar 12K in a time of 1:16:54. We will miss this white haired gentleman. RIP Tommy and may the running gods be with you..your the best.

Cobble Hill 10km 2016

The 2nd race of the VIRA Island Series, the 9th Annual Cobble Hill 10K, was held 24 January. The conditions were again excellent…sunny, about 4 degrees and calm for the 11 AM start.

There were 487 runners/walkers vs. the 503 runners in 2015 ready to cover the mildly undulating course.

The overall winner was Jim Finlayson (40-44) covering the course in 33:02. This was his 1st running of the Cobble Hill course.

The top overall woman was Jen Millar (35-39) from the Island Striders in a time of 37:28 and 23rd OA. The top Male Master and also the OA winner was Jim Finlayson.

The top Female Master was Heather Christie (40-44)from Apex Runners with a 43:49 and 100th OA.

STARR had 8 runners running under the STARR banner and garnered 1 medal and 4 ribbons.

• First in was Jonathan Dvorak (40-44) with a PB of 42:24 and finished 15th in a field of 30 and 83rd OA. He improved his 2013 time of 44:38.
• Next in was Claude LaForce (55-59) who also had a PB of 44:04 bettering his 2015 time of 45:49. He was 7th in a field of 28 and 106th OA.
• Mark Ziegler (60-64) was next in and also with a PB of 46:03. He also improved his 2011 time of 46:28. Ziegler was 4th in a field of 16 and 145th OA.
• Next in was our only woman Stephanie Croft (40-44) with a 46:46. She was 3rd in a field of 31 and 145th OA.
• Next to cross was Lemmie Adam (30-34) in a time of 55:48 and was 20th in the field of 22 and 324th OA.
• Next to hit the mat was Bruce Hawkes (70-74) in his 170th Island Series race. Bruce came in with a 55:55 and was 10th in the field of 14 and 333rd OA.
• Next in was Don Brown (65-69) in his 1st Cobble Hill race. Don was in with a 1:00:52 and was 10th in a field of 10 and 407th OA.
• Closing out the STARR field was Vince Trahan (70-74). He was in with a 1:12:09 and was 13th in the field and 471st OA.

Thanks to all the STARR’s who came out and supported the Series. There were also 15 other Sooke finishers: 

• Jonathan Toombs (20-24) 33:14
• Howard Manderson (45-49) 39:33
• Jennifer Smith (35-39) 43:43
• Tim Ayres (35-39) 44:15
• Victoria Van Ek (45-49) 46:56
• Robyn Van Ek (20-24) 49:55
• Pauline Nielson (45-49) 50:08
• Magnus Hanton (40-44) 50:09
• Donna Ferguson (65-69) 51:27
• Jacklyn Evans (30-34) 52:25
• Wendy Johnson (40-44) 53:18
• Bob Butterworth (75-79) 55:10
• Laura Barnes (35-39) 58:09
• Sandra Fawcett (60-64) 1:10:51
• Sylvia Jones (65-69) 1:21:58.

Well done all you Sooke runners!

For full results go to: http://vira.bc.ca/

The next series race will be the Cedar 12K on 7 Feb @ 11 AM.

See you all there.

Pioneer 8km 2016

The 35th running of the 2016 Frontrunners Island Race Series was off and running on Sunday 10 Jan. The conditions were perfect…partly cloudy and calm with temperature hovering around 5 degrees which made for some fast running times.

There were 524 finishers completing the undulating course compared to 2015 when there were 606 finishers.

The overall winner was Rob Watson (30-34) from Vancouver in a time of 23:47. From the Harriers the top woman was 2015 Island Series winner Natasha Wodak (35-39) with a 26:31 and 12th OA. The top Male Master finisher, also from Vancouver, was Kevin O’Connor (45-49) in a time of 25:43 and 7th OA. The top Female Master was Lucy Smith (45-49)from PIH in a time of 28:27 and 28th OA.

Seven runners were entered in six age categories running for STARR which captured 4 ribbons. Well done guys and gals.

• Our 1st runner back to the line was Jonathan Dvorak (40-44) in an excellent PB time of 33:55. He finished 16th in a large field 31 and 112th OA.
• Next in was Claude LaForce (55-59) in a PB of 35:35. In his 1st year in this age category, Claude had a 10th in field of 30 and was 145th OA.  
• Next in was Mark Ziegler (60-64) with a 36:32 and 4th in a field 24 and 166th OA.
• Next in was Lemmie Adam (M30-34) with a 38:05 and was 18th in a field of 22 and 215th OA.
• Next in was Stephanie Croft (40-44). Stephanie hit the mat with a 38:29 and was 5th in a field of 25 and 216th OA.
• Following her was series ironman Bruce Hawkes (70-74). Bruce came in with a 43:44. He was 9th in a field of 20 and 340th OA.
• Closing out the STARR’s was Vince Trahan (70-74). He lumbered in with a 56:45 and 19th in the field and 494th OA.

Well done to all the runners and see you all in Cobble Hill - 24 Jan.

Kusam Klimb 2015

The 11th Annual 2015 Kusam Klimb was held 20 Jun. The weather was perfect for the "Grussam Kusam". The skies were overcast at the start but cleared up as the day went on.

There were 529 finishers from 600+ registered which was up from the 2014 458 finishers. There were 316 ladies and 213 men completing the endurance event which climbed up Mt. H'Kusam and down through the Stowe Creek watershed. This was one of the few years that there was no snow to slide down on which really made the downhill feel different.

The overall winner was 2013 and 2014 winner Nick Elson (30-39) from Squamish in a CR time of 2:07:10. Incidentally his father John Elson (60-99) finished 1st in the division with a 3:17:11 and 33rd OA. The top woman was Wendy Simms (40-49) from Nanaimo. She was in with a 2:52:06 and 7th OA.

STARR had 5 runners registered in the event and all finished relatively unscathed after some wipeouts on the technical descent.

• Running In his 5th Klimb, our first STARR to cross the finish line was Mark Ziegler (60-99) in a time of 3:34:30. He was 2nd in the field of 27 and 49th OA.
• Next under the finish banner was Claude Laforce (50-59) completing his 2nd go at the Klimb. He was in with a 4:05:38 and was 14th in a large field of 45 and 101st OA.
• Our next finisher and our only lady was Jackie Eddy (60-99) In her 9th year in the event, she was in a with a 5:01:22 and was 4th in a field of 16 and 226th OA.
• Also in his 9th running of the event was Dan Eddy (60-99). Danny finished with a time of 5:35:16 and was 11th in the field and 275th OA. 
• Closing out the STARR field was Vince Trahan (60-99). In his 10th Klimb, he came in with a 6: 39:09 and was 16th in the field and 375th OA.

On completion we all returned to our home for the weekend, the Elk Haven Cottages and enjoyed much camaraderie with the other climbers staying in other cottages.  Later in the evening, the Klimb banquet was held in the Sayward hall. It is a must attend as the food is excellent and abundant... no one goes home hungry. It was another tough Kussam Klimb but we were definitely "TOUGH ENOUGH" to finish. See you all in 2016…maybe.

TC 10km 2015

The 26th Annual TC 10K (run, walk, visually impaired, wheelchair)/ Half Marathon race was held 26 Apr. The weather was perfect…overcast, cool with a light breeze.

The 10K winner was Kelly Wiebe (25-29) in a time of 29:08. The CR time was 28:47 set in 1995. The female winner was also 2013 and 2014 winner Kenyan Jane Murage (25-29) in a time of 33:07 and 17th OA. She missed the CR time of 32:56 set in 2011 by 11 seconds.

In the Half-Marathon and with a course record was mountain running champion Kris Swanson (25-29) in a time of 1:12:11. Top Female in the Half was triathlete Karen Thibodeau (35-39) with a time of 1:23:35 and 8th OA.  

Of the 10,527 registered, 8,973 were for the 10K, 538 for the Half and 1,016 for the kids run. There were 111 finishers in the 10km walk, 7,724 in the 10km run, 2 in the Visually Impaired 10km, 3 in the Wheelchair 10km, 455 in the Half-Marathon.

Sooke was well represented in all three disciplines… Five in the walk, one in the Half_Marathon and ninety plus in the 10K. Starr had some runners and their families entered in the 10K, 1/2 Marathon and Walk.

In the 10K, our first STARR in was:

• Sara-Mae Adam (25-29) in a time of 41:20. She was 7th in large field of 608 and 206th OA.
• Tom Burgess. Tom was in with 1:01:42 and was 15th in a field of 70 and 3,348th OA.
• Vince Trahan (65-69) in a time of 1:11:05. He was 58th in a field of 113 and 4,711 OA.
• Sharon Cormier (55-59) in a time of 2:07:27 and 338th in a field of 343 and 7,597th OA.

In the 10km Competitive Walk was the LaForce family!

• Claude was in with a 1:51:36
• Joanne: 1:43:20
• Alyssa: 1:43:18 
• Matthew: 1:43:20

In the Half-Marathon:

• Ken Pungente (70-74) finished with a 2:15:02 and was 2nd in a field of 2 and 393rd OA.

Well done to all who competed in this annual event. Hope to see you all next year!

Merville 15km 2015

The 7th race of the FR Island Race Series, the Merville 15K, was held 12 Apr under cool and calm conditions…ideal weather again. The weather gods stayed with us after some dire predictions the night before.

There were 275 runners crossing the line with an average time of 1:21:30. The overall winner and with his 2nd win of the Series was Derek Vinge (30-34) from the Comox Valley Road Runners in a time of 50:07. The top Female was Sonja Futehally (25-29) from the Mercury Rising Tri Club in a time of 58:53 and 12th OA. The top Male Master was Mark Cryderman (40-44) in a time of 50:30 and 3rd OA. The top Female Master was Sandra Jensen (40-44) coming in with a 1:02:59 and 34th OA. The top 100M sprinter was Jerry Loeb (40-44) in a time of 13:40 and finished 5th OA in the race.

STARR had 5 runners in the mix covering five age groups who captured 1 medal and 3 ribbons. Well done to all.

• Our 1st STARR to cross the line was Sarah-Mae Adam (25-29) with an impressive 1:01:26. She was 2nd in her field of 9 and 27th OA. She was also our top 100M sprinter with a time of 22:07 and finished 70th OA in the 100M sprint. Well done Sarah-Mae.
• Our next runner in was Claude Laforce (50-54) with a PB of 1:09:14. He was 10th in a field of 25 and 62nd OA. Way to go Claude.
• Next to cross was Mark Ziegler (60-64). Mark had a 1:15:41 and was 9th in a field of 16 and 102nd OA.
• Next in was the Series Ironman, Bruce Hawkes. Running his 167th consecutive Island Series race, he came in with a 1:25:48 and finished 6th in a field of 6 and 178th OA.
• Closing out the STARR field was Vince Trahan in the 65-69 age group. Vince was in with a 1:44:31 and was 11th in a field of 12 and 254th OA.

Congratulations to all the STARR's who competed last weekend.

The next and last Series race will be the Sooke River 10K on 19 Apr. The Series Awards will also be handed out on the conclusion of the race.  

Comox Valley Half Marathon 2015

The 6th race of the 2015 FR Island Race Series, the Comox Valley RV Half Marathon was away on 22 Mar.

Under cloudy and cool conditions in the Comox valley, 459 runners/walkers crossed the line in an ave time of 1:55:15. The overall winner was Craig Odermatt (45-49) with his 1st series win in a time of 1:12:04. This was also his 4th win in the Master division. The overall woman's winner was Claire Morgan (40-44) also with her 1st win of the series. She hit the mat with a 1:22:53 and was 18th OA. This was also her 4th win in the Masters Division.

STARR had 5 finishers in 5 age groups and captured 1 medal and 3 ribbons in the event.

• First in was Sarah-Mae Adam (25-29) in an excellent time of 1:33:58 and was 3rd in her age group (out of 27) and 80th OA.

• Claude LaForce (50-54) clocked in at 1:41:37 and was 15th in the field of 30 and 132nd OA.

• Stephanie Croft (40-44)  hit the mat with a 1:49:34. She was 12th in another large field of 45 and finished 206th OA.
• Bruce Hawkes (70-74) was in with a 2:11:32. He was 5th in a field of 5 and 367th OA.
• Closing out the STARR field was Vince Trahan (65-69). He crossed the line with a 2:30:46 and was 9th in a field of 11 and 426th OA.

Click Here to view the full race results.

Our congratulations go out to the Comox Valley Road Runners (CVRR) who hosted the race. The door prizes were outstanding along with the food. You can always count on that. This years top prize was unique... a posterpedic mattress. No word on how they got it home. There was also a marriage proposal and she did say yes which drew a loud cheer and hand clapping. Congratulations to the STARR's who competed this weekend. A good time was had by all.

The next race is the Merville 15K on 12 Apr.

Bazan Bay 5km 2015

The 5th race of the 2015 Island Race Series, the Bazan Bay 5K, was held along the Sidney waterfront on 8 March. There were 618 runners crossing the line under ideal running conditions...sunny with a light breeze. This was awesome March weather to say the least.

The overall winner was Stefan Daniel (16-19) from the University of Calgary in a fast time of 15:11. The top woman was Hillary Stellingwerff (30-34) in a time of 16:26 and 21st OA. The top Male Master and with his 3rd series win was Craig Oddermat (45-49) with a 15:43 and 7th OA. The top Female Master and with her 2nd series victory was Marilyn Arsenault (45-49) in a 17:19 and 40th OA.

There were 19 runners from the Sooke area competing in the race. STARR had 7 runners in 6 age groups and captured 3 ribbons in this highly competitive field. There were 137 sub 20 finishes so it shows how competitive the field was.

• Our 1st STARR in was Sarah-Mae Adam (25-29) with a sub 20…19:22. She was 5th in a field 24 and 114th OA.
• Our first man to cross the mat was Claude LaForce  (50-54) with a PB of 21:14. He was 12th in a large field of 36 and 167th OA.
• Mark Ziegler (60-64). Mark with a 21:58 and was 8th in a field of 20 and 202nd OA. Mark was also our top 100M finisher with a 21:07 edging out Sarah-Mae's 21:20.
• Stephanie Croft (40-44). Stephanie was in with a 22:25 and was 233rd OA.
• Next came the seniors led by Bruce Hawkes (70-74). Bruce came in with a 26:54 and 14th in a field of 20 and 419th OA.
• Tom Burgess, also in the 70-74 age division. Tom hit the mat with a 29:50 and was 15th in the field and 491st OA.
• Vince Trahan (65-69). He finished 13th in a field 17 and 528th OA.

Go to racedaytiming.ca for full results. 

Job well done by all the STARRS's! The next race will be the Comox Valley Half-Marathon on 22 Mar.

Hatley Castle 8km 2015

The 4th race of the 2015 Island Race Series, the Hatley Park 8K, was held 22 Feb under calm and cool sunny conditions. Another perfect weather day. There were 478 runners, up from 312 in 2014, covering the hilly Royal Roads course.

The overall winner was Andrew McCartenay (25-29) in a fast time of 26:39. The top woman was Alison Hooper in a CR time of 29:43 and 11th OA. The top Male Master was Hugh Trenchard (45-49) in a time of 29:11 and 7th OA. He edged out Jerry Loeb (40-44) by 1 sec. Claire Morgan (40-44) was top Female Master in a time of 30:52 and 22nd OA. A course record was also set in the F65-69 by Roslyn Smith from CVRR with a time of 38:54.

STARR had 9 runners in 6 age divisions on the course. Our band of merry men and women picked up 1 medal and 5 ribbons. Well done everyone.

• Our 1st STARR in was Sarah-Mae Adam (25-29) in a super time of 33:22. Sarah-Mae was 3rd in a field 23 and 60th OA.
• Our 1st man in was Claude Laforce (50-54). He crossed the mat with a 36:34 bettering his 2013 time of 37:56. Claude was 10th in a field of 28 and 110th OA. He was also our top STARR in the 100M dash with a 20:89. He was also 10th in the sprint in his age division. 
• Mark Ziegler (60-64) with a time of 38:18. He was 8th in a field 19 and 144th OA.
• Stephanie Croft (40-44). She hit the mat in 40:05 which bettered her 2002 Hatley 8K time of 40:32. She was 9th in a field of 30 and 198th OA. 
• Bruce Hawkes was in with a 44:57 and was 6th and 353rd OA.
• Maggie Curtis (40-44) in a time of 46:26. She finished 16th in a large field of 30 and 314th OA.
• Ken Pungente with a 48:26 bettering his 2014 time of 49 flat. He was 9th and 353rd OA. 
• Tom Burgess was in with a 49:57 bettering his 2014 time of 52:03. He was 12th and 378th OA. 
• Vince Trahan (65-69) with a 54:07 and was 12th in a field of 14 and 427th OA.

Go to racedaytiming.ca for full results. 

Congratulations to all our STARR's in todays race. The next Island series race will be the Bazan Bay 5K on 8 Mar.