The 2011 Timex BC Road Running Series, that started in January with the Prairie Inn Pioneer 8K, concluded on Sunday at the Kelowna Midsummer 8K. The 15 series races produced some close contests, some excellent performances, and almost 55,000 total finishers.
Points were awarded based on performance, with an athletes’ five best performances counting in the final rankings. Only BC Athletics Junior, Senior, Masters, and Road & Trail members are eligible for series awards. The top four athletes, men and women, receive prize money and an invitation to represent BC at the Timex National Series Finale in Toronto in September, to be held in conjunction with the 2011 Canadian 10K Road Running Championship. The next three athletes receive Timex merchandise.
The men’s competition was extremely close. Jim Finlayson (Victoria), David Jackson (Abbotsford), and Jeremiah Ziak (Vancouver) had demonstrated how closely matched they were all season by finishing within one second of each other at the Vancouver Sun Run. In the end Finlayson came out on top with 4,421 points, with Jackson second with 4,405 points, and Ziak right behind in third with 4,403 points. Kevin Friesen (Burnaby) completed the top four with 4,288 points.
By contrast, Natasha Wodak (Port Moody) was a class apart in the women’s competition, scoring almost identical to Finlayson with 4,420 points. It was much closer for the remaining places. Shauna Skinner (Vancouver) was consistent throughout the series to take second with 4,253 points. Melissa Ross (Errington) showed continued improvement, particularly towards the end of the series, to take third with 4,206 points. And Care Wakely (Victoria) completed the top four with 4,170 points.
Final series standings for all athletes who finished 5 or more races can be found here for the men, and here for the women.
Complete series details: http://www.bcathletics.org/RRSeries/index.htm
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