Nanaimo runners in contention at Cedar 12K
Nanaimo runners were among the fastest to the finish line at the Cedar 12K cross-country race.
The second race in the Frontrunners Island Race Series took place Sunday south of Nanaimo, with Simon Whitfield winning in 37 minutes, 36 seconds, just two seconds ahead of runner-up James Lander. The race, which saw 449 finishers, was hosted by Nanaimo's Bastion Running Club.
Whitfield and Esquimalt-based Lander were neck and neck for the entire race, and spectators saw a thrilling finish with Lander just being pipped to the post, finishing in 37:38.
“The race was very hard. James knows how to hurt and pushed me the whole way,” said Whitfield in a press release. “I could tell right away he was going to be very hard to shake, and he kept coming back every time I surged to test him.”
Top local was Stephen Struthers, who finished ninth in 41:06. Top local female was Cheryl Davies, 68th overall in 51:13.
“The conditions were just ideal with hardly any wind to speak of and lots of beautiful Nanaimo sunshine,” said John Durkin, race director. “Everything went smoothly from the race set-up to the post-run food, which was all prepared by club volunteers.”
The green jersey for the fastest male sprinter over the last 100 metres was won by Byron Trajan, who clocked 12.64 seconds.
Local results include:
Men - Stephen Struthers, ninth, 41:06; Travis Pirozzini, 14th, 42:59; Byron Trajan, 19th, 44:48; David Depasquale, 20th, 44:54; Holden Gill, 32nd, 47:29; Arjan Gelling, 33rd, 47:43; Sean Reilly, 34th, 47:45; Jason Wright, 41st, 48:21; Simon Weber, 46th, 48:51.
Women - Cheryl Davies, 68th, 51:13; Andrea Galloway, 69th, 51:23; Deborah Epps, 109th, 53:43.
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