Report from Rick Jenkner.
Apparently, in all the time since the first Blossom race in 1986, there have only been two years it rained. I remember two years when the rain was heavy enough that the SS Sicamous was opened to the runners for the awards, so I don’t think we should count yesterday’s brief showers as a rain year. The temperature was a mild 17 or so, and there was no wind, making it just about perfect for racing.
At the start line, we all knew it was bravado when Brad Cochrane started talking about leading for 30 seconds, but it didn’t stop him from bolting to the front and then holding on for ninth overall, and third in M45-49. As happened last year, Rory Switzer (M45-49) and Trevor Jordan (M40-44) battled for most of the way, with Rory gaining an edge on the final uphill and holding the advantage to the finish. Both ran faster than last year, with Switzer giving everything but failing to break 57 minutes. The winning time was 57:17, with Jordan 16 seconds back. Sergio Pio (M45-49) ran third most of the way and was the only other runner to break the hour barrier at 59:53. The same three took the first three places in the age graded results.
In the womens race, Kelowna’s Mel Bos (35-39) started slowly but came on strong to win in 1:05:55. Second was Cindy Rhodes (50-54), who followed up a sub-40 clocking in the Sun Run by breaking her own age category record by two minutes in recording 1:06:21 to also take the age graded title. Local runner Stacey Cleveland, running her first race of the year, took third in 1:08:10. Sandra Thomson (55-59) won her division and took second on A-G at 1:15:56, and Diane Leonard (65-69) erased the record of the great Mae Palm by 10 seconds with 1:27:44 and took third A-G.
The brief showers did not dampen the enthusiasm of the participants, who enjoyed a pancake breakfast and hot coffee following the race. Medals were handed out by World Ultraman 65-69 Champion and Penticton Pounders past president Ellis Andrews, who had the pleasure of awarding second in M40-44 to Andrew Ellis. Announcing was handled in his usual enthusiastic and professional manner by the peerless ‘ Voice of IMC ‘ Steve King.
Complete resutls here: http://www.interiorrunning.ca/
The next race in the Canadian Tire Interior Running Series is the Blackwell Dairy 15K in Barnhartvale, Kamloops on May 30.
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