Harrier Phil

We have received the following roving report from our roaming Harrier Phil Villeneuve (all such race reports are very welcome and highly encouraged):

"Ran 7 summits trail in Rossland this past Wednesday on my way through to Vancouver – What a fantastic trail…worth going back for sure and running it as a posse. It turned out to be a great warmup run for a last minute entry into the Rubble Creek Classic Trail Run, a 26km jaunt up (1,000m), in and around Black Tusk mountain and back down (1,300m) to Rubble Creek (more info: http://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/pique/index.php?cat=C_Sport&content=Rubble+creek+run+1639 ) just outside Whistler.

No official results yet but it ended being a great battle between Oliver Utting and myself, down to the wire on the final 8km steep descent and I just managed to squeak out the win (and a new course record!) by a few seconds. Now my legs are…fried!"

Good work, Phil! Don't forget there are a number of races this weekend including Ambulance Chasers, River Park Classic, Harvest half - all of which are great warm-ups for the main event - the Alberta XC series race on October 10.

Keep those race reports coming!!

Melissa's

The Harriers had representatives in both the 10k and the 22k races in this weekend's Melissa's Road Race out in Banff. The race is hugely popular and when online entries become available in February every year, they sell out within hours.

Reports from the course tell of hills and wind - neither being conducive to fast times, but the Harriers lucky enough to have scored entries showed what they are made of with some strong performances.

The 10k event was part of the Alberta road race series and so the cream of Alberta's 10k runners were out on display. The race was won by Devon Kershaw in 32:57 and Harrier Scott Manktelow finished a very creditable 16th in 36:47. After the race, Scott commented that whole swathe of xc skiers came past him on the Tunnel Mountain hill - let's hope they are just as fit come February...

Full results of the 10k are here: http://www.raceheadquarters.com/results/2009/run/Melissas200910K.html

In the 22k event, we had Harriers Ryan Schellenberg and Brooke Houston showing what they could do over the longer distance. The race was won by Geoff Hopfner in 1:24:13. Ryan, in great form this year and improving all the time, finished 20th in 1:36:34. Brooke, in her first race as a Harrier, finished 27th woman in 1:49.44.

Full results of the 22k are here: http://www.raceheadquarters.com/results/2009/run/Melissas200922K.html

Well run everybody! If I missed any other Harriers in the results, please email me (duncanmarsden@gmail.com) and let me know...

Weekend Races

Good luck to anyone doing Melissa's, the Waldorf School XC or any other races this weekend. Don't forget to send pictures, race reports etc to duncanmarsden@gmail.com...


On the subject of pictures, I will be posting a few on the facebook page of a last-minute impromptu run up Moose Mountain which 5 brave Harriers took on during the week. Aside from a seriously sprained ankle and some tactical night-time formation running, it was a great success!

Harrier Carl Pryce, Three-Time Reigning Moose Mountain Champion Cuts a lean silhouette near the Peak

Also, anyone wanting to do a 50k or 100k training run out in Canmore on the weekend of October 16, please step forward. Harrier Blaine Penny and a few of his friends are looking to go a full 100k and would welcome anyone willing to pace them for any part of the distance...

Finally, don't forget the XC on October 10. I have Deere, Fewster, Marcotte, Wanford and Marsden as confirmations. Anyone else wanting to sign up, send an email to duncanmarsden@gmail.com. Cost will be $6 (payable on the day). Let's try and get two teams out!!

Strides Running Store

Many of you will know Jeremy Deere by reputation if not in person. Not only is he a very good runner and a jolly decent chap, but he's also a Harrier.

Jeremy owns the Strides Running Store in Marda Loop:

http://www.stridesrunning.com/

They are on Garrison Gate in Marda Loop and have a new store just round the corner from the old store location. Check it out some time.

Jeremy has very kindly agreed to provide a discount in his store for any Bow Valley Harriers members! The discount is 10% on shoes and 15% on clothing (subject to usual terms e.g. doesn't apply to sale items etc) for all Bow Valley Harriers members, which is very generous. We will use the club vest as proof of membership so please make sure you take your vest with you when you shop at Strides to get the discount. I will email a list of members to Jeremy for anyone who will be shopping there prior to the arrival of the vests...

Get spending!

Alberta XC Series Race 2

Results from race #2 held in Goldstick Park in Edmonton are up along with series standings after 2 races.

http://runningsolutions.shawwebspace.ca/pages/view/2009_saucony_run_alberta_xc_seri/

Chantell Widney, the 2008 series champ and national XC team member, won her first race of the series over Tara Struyk of Edmonton. Heather Sim and Jennifer Kemp traded places for 3rd and 4th respectively. The ladies team competition won was won again by Lethbridge with Augustana finishing in 2nd. Mens top 3 were the same again with Kip Kangogo, Willy Kimosop and Andrew Carruthers leading the way. Mens team competition was won by RRAC with just 13 points followed by the Augustana men.

Race #3 is in Calgary on Oct 10th. We already have a good Harriers interest but let's see if we can get a large Harriers presence at this one!

Relays, Relays...

If anyone is doing any races this weekend then make sure you send in a race report to duncanmarsden@gmail.com so we can get you on the blog.

Also, have a look at the facebook page for some new races listed including the Banff Ekiden relay and the Confederation Park relay. Let's see if we can get some teams out for both... Feel free to add details of races you are doing in case anyone else wants to join you.

The preliminary order for the vests has gone in but we can add more vests until Monday so get your last-minute orders in quickly. We have women's vests as well as men's. We can expect to receive them in early November.

Enjoy the weekend everyone! I feel long runs in the mountains calling...

Update from Matt Normington on the Alberta XC Series

CALLING ALL HARRIERS! LET'S GET SOME GOOD MENS, WOMENS AND KIDS TEAMS OUT FOR THE THIRD RACE IN THIS SERIES, ON OCTOBER 10...

The battle for Alberta XC team supremacy began on Saturday at Hawk Ridge Ranch in Calgary. Lethbridge College took the ladies team title with 26 points, lead home by Winnie Cheptogok in 4th place. Running Room AC finished in 2nd place with 52 points. RRAC athletes Tara Struyk and Jennifer Kemp actually took 1st and 2nd place in the ladies race but we were forced to take last place +1 and last place +2 for their next scorers as they weren't able to get out a full team. Augstana college rounded out the top 3 with 54 points lead by Emily Cole in 9th place. Heather Sim of CALTAF rounded out the top 3 individuals.The mens team competition has began where it left off last season, with Lethbridge College taking the top spot with 32 points and Running Room in 2nd with 35 points. As they were in the ladies, the Augustana men, lead by David Ariel in 6th place, rounded out the top 3 teams with 44 points. The individual competition has also started off as the 2008 Saucony Run Alberta XC series ended with Kip Kangogo (RRAC) defeating Willy Kimosop (LCC). Andrew Carruthers (RRAC) continued his strong summer form finishing in 3rd place overall.Full results and information on the series can be found at:
http://runningsolutions.shawwebspace.ca/pages/view/2009_saucony_run_alberta_xc_seri/
Race number 2 goes this Saturday in Edmonton's Goldstick park. Ladies 5km race goes at 12:30, mens 8km goes at 1:30pm. There will be a youth 1km race at 2:30pm and a youth 2km race at 2:45pm.

Please pass this on to any XC fans you know.

Matt