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by Bob Dolphin
Perhaps the marathoners don't have to run the course under the same hot conditions as the ironmen, but we got a taste of the grueling conditions. In our race the skies were clear and cloudless, and the temperature rose to the low 80's by the end of the race. Luckily, in the last five miles we ran alongside Skaha Lake into a cooling 15 mph wind. The race course was very attractive as we ran through downtown Penticton and its suburbs and along the lakeshore adjacent to cliffs and steep hillsides. Then came seven major hills in woodlands and farmland. Between miles 9 and 17 it was rolling-to-hilly, but scenic. After a pleasant four mile downgrade, the lake was, reached for an easy five mile run to the finish in a lakeshore park. At the finish line there were classy jackets, medals, food and drinks awaiting the runners. A few hours later the awards ceremony was held at a convention center in conjunction with a complimentary buffet dinner. It was a well-organized race administered by a helpful and friendly group of directors and volunteers. The race was won by Darren Mealing, 25-59, of Surrey, B.C., with a time of 2:52:14. The first woman to finish was Gillian Wilson, 30-34, Vancouver, B.C., in 3:14:48 (13th overall.) Our longtime friend, Steve Pierce, 36, of Coeur d' Alene, ID, ran a 3:48:03---in training for the upcoming Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run next month. Our friend, Mae Palm, 59, of Whistler, B.C., took first in her age division with a time of 3:56:05. Mel Preedy, 66, from Ravensdale, WA, overcame a pulled leg muscle on the course and finished with a 4:00:02 for second place in the 65-69M division. Also in this division and placing third was another Canadian acquaintance, Harvey Nelsen, 65, of Langley with a time of 4:08:20. (The winner of the 65-69M group was Lorne Smith, 65, running the marathon in 3:39:06.) I met Gene Defronzo, 60-64, of Waterbury, CN, a 50 States & DC finisher who is adding Canadian provinces to his accomplishments. Re ran a 5:19:54 and was first in his division. My race went reasonably well. I predicted that I would finish in the 4:30-5:00 range since I don't run well in heat and uphill. I drank a lot of liquid and kept my head wet, and that helped. Alternating walking and running up the steepest grades helped me conserve my strength, and I passed about fifteen runners in the last nine miles while being passed by only one. I finished in 4:15:44 (9:45), 120 of 191, and 4th of 5 in the 65-69 division. In the finish area, we met Randy Nelson, 40+, of Kamloops, B.C., who won the concurrent half marathon in a fine time of 1:16:39. We also met Willis Greenway, 76, of Summerland, B.C. He won his 70+M division with an impressive 1:54:05. Lenore and I hope that we can return to this marathon next year, but we are concerned that we will have a scheduling conflict with the Capital City Marathon or the Coeur d' Alene Marathon. Look here for complete 1999 results Thanks Bob Dolphin for sharing your report with us ! Look here for complete 1999 Capital City Marathon Race Results
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Every year I run a marathon circuit in the Pacific Northwest with some streaks dating back to 1984 and 1985. However, Lenore and I like to go to one or two new marathons for the novelty of new adventures. On May 23, 1999, I ran the 3rd Annual Peach City Marathon at Pentiction, B.C., for the first time, and we really enjoyed the experience! Penticton is a small, resort city in south central British Columbia. It is prosperous from a thriving tourism business that supplements a long term fruit growing industry. It is also the site of the Canadian Ironman Triathlon which is conducted in August each year. The Peach City Marathon follows the Ironman marathon course for about 75% of the time. 