By Eric MacKenzie, Whistler Question
Squamish’s Jen Segger wasn’t the first woman across the line in the Whistler 50 Relay and Ultra on Saturday (Nov. 5), but she took top spot among female competitors in the run’s the 80-kilometre solo Ultra distance with a bit of a break partway through the course.
Segger finished with the unofficial fourth-overall time of six hours, 31 minutes, 20 seconds once adjusted for a 22-minute delay at a train crossing that allowed the rest of the women’s field to close the gap on her.
The overall Ultra winner was Burnaby’s Chris Downie, who finished the four 20-km laps in 5:52:07, He was followed by Surrey’s Darin Bentley (5:55:34) and Hassan Lotfi-Pour of North Vancouver (6:24:13).
In the first annual event’s relay, more than 150 teams of eight ran legs of eight and 12 kilometres on the course beginning and ending at the Whistler Golf Club, traveling towards the Nicklaus North area and passing through the Lost Lake trails on the way back.
Richmond-based Team Honey Bucket, comprised of several former university-level men’s runners, led the relay at every handoff and won with a time of 4:31:49. The Beaver Buzz Racing Team from Langford was second (4:44:08) and the VFAC Flight of the Falcons were third (5:15:43).
Ultra results: http://www.raceheadquarters.com/results/2011/run/W50M2011OA_U.html
Relay results: http://www.raceheadquarters.com/results/2011/run/W50M2011OA_R.html
