Royal Victoria Marathon.

Oct 12, 2009 by Christopher Kelsall

Royal Victoria Marathon

Course Record set in the Half Marathon

(Victoria, BC – Sunday October 11, 2009) Brilliant sunny skies and a windless morning greeted athletes taking in today’s 30^th Annual Royal Victoria Marathon – a record for the event in its anniversary year.

A new course record of 1:15:39 was set in the Women’s Half Marathon by 41-year-old master, Marilyn Arsenault. Marilyn from Victoria, British Columbia is coached by 3 time Olympian Jon Brown – who also won the Men's Half Marathon in a time of 64:57.

Consecutive three-time Marathon winner Steve Osaduik finished second overall. Langley-based Osaduik – the course record holder from 2006 with a 2:16:49 had competition this year from Kenyan, Hillary Cheruiyot. Osaduik ran a strong second half, but wasn’t able to catch the eventual winner Cheruiyot, after running patiently and as far back as 5th position past the half-way point of the race. Cheruiyot won in 2:19:26. Osaduik’s time was 2:22:42, and third place went to Kenyan, Lameth Mosoti in 2:24:43.

*See the video.

From the early stages of the marathon four Kenyans, strung out the field, running their individual races with 3rd place finisher Lameth Mosoti in the lead for most of the race. It was at the 20 mile mark where Cheruiyot, previously out of the picture, appeared and hunted Mosoti down within the following kilometre - coming from 30 seconds back to pass Mosoti over a 5-block-stretch. Cheruiyot then took the lead for good. The half-way splt for Lameth was 66:42 and 68:01 for Cheruiyot, Osaduik ran the first half in 70:43.

The much anticipated women’s marathon race was won by the 2008 winner Victoria’s Cheryl Murphy in 2:44:01. She put in a strong performance but couldn’t catch the 20-year course record of 2:42:32. Katherine Moore of Vancouver, also coached by Jon Brown took second, bettering her third place finish last year, in 2:47:29. Three-time Royal Victoria Marathon winner Suzanne Evans from New Westminster, British Columbia finished third in 2:48:20. Murphy also captured the Master's title, while Danny Gonzalez from Lake Oswego, Oregon, won the men’s Masters title in 2:33:45.

The Half Marathon saw Lucy Smith’s 2007 women’s course record broken by Victoria’s Marilyn Arsenault in a time of 1:15:39. The 41-year-old opera singer, who also won the Masters title, dominated the race coming in six minutes ahead of last year’s winner Lindsay McLaren from Calgary. McLaren finished in 1:21:59, and Vancouver’s Stephanie Hamilton came third in 1:22:06. For being the top Canadian and breaking the course record Arsenault was awarded a $1,000 bonus in addition to her first place award of $1,000.

It was a one-two-three win for Victoria’s athletes in the men’s race , after Brown, second was Jim Finlayson in 1:07:57, and third was Kristopher Swanson, yet another Brown-coached athlete in 1:09:11. Master men’s winner was Norm Tinkham in 1:11:53. Brown owns the current half marathon course record with his 62:32.

In the 8K Road Race, Matt Clout, from Victoria came first in 24:52. Coached by Jon Brown, this was an excellent result for Clout who came third in the British Columbia, 5k Road Race Championships in June this year. University of Victoria varsity athlete Logan Burke finished second in 25:28, and Michael MacDiarmada from Dublin came third in 25:58.

The top Masters winner was Kevin McGinnis from Ravensdale, WA who finished in 27:04. Rachel Ruus from Richmond won the women’s race in 28:32, Amy Schneeberg from Vancouver was second in 28:55 and Meghan McCollum, also from Vancouver was third in 29:24. The women’s Masters was won by Nancy Tinari from Coquitlam, BC in 31:23.

For full results from the 30^th Royal Victoria Marathon go to: http://www.raceheadquarters.com

Photo Credit: Tony Awesome