Multiple records were broken at 2024 Cobble Hill 10K and BC 10K Championships
Twenty-three-year-old Andrew Davies, a law student at the University of British Columbia, clocked a 29:32 performance for the win at the BC 10K Championships. Meanwhile, Glynis Sim with the Vancouver Thunderbirds recorded a 33:23 time to take the women’s race. Both are personal best and new course and event record performances.
The men’s race
The men’s race finish order sorted itself out very quickly. Davies ran to the front and kept and grew the lead throughout.
“My previous best was from Ottawa in May at 29:37. I know I am in good shape gearing up for the World Cross Country Championships in March and I felt it was a good effort today,” shared Davies. “It was a good course.”
Finishing in second place in the men’s race was Ocean Athletics Track and Field Club’s Yemane Mulugeta from Surrey. He also won the junior U20 title clocking a 30:54 finish time. Taking third was Aidan Anderson of Courtenay in the time of 31:09.
The first 35-plus master was the Cowichan Valley’s Dusty Spiller who finished in 31:30.
Women’s race
The same race tactic could be said for Sim, however, she did have a chance to work with some male runners in a pack, but soon dropped them and finished the final few kilometres running alone.
For Sim, she improved her own personal best by over a minute having run 34:19 in Sept. As a post-grad athlete, she is still undecided if she will focus on the 1500m or 5000m event. She will be competing in the World Cross Country Championships on March 30 in Belgrade, Serbia.
“I am happy with the performance. I was hoping to run around the time that I did,” shared Sim. “Coming up I will be race an indoor meet in Boston, then the World Cross Country Championships in March.”
Taking second was Anja Krueger, who was coming off a win during the Harriers Pioneer 8K two weeks prior. Both the Pioneer 8K and Cobble Hill 10K are part of the Vancouver Island Race Series. Krueger finished in 35:16. Katie Newlove took third in 35:30.
Victoria’s Care Nelson with the Prairie Inn Harriers Running Club won the women’s master 35-plus race. She finished in the time of 36:25. Comox Valley Road Runner member, Roslyn Smith, who broke the 75-79 age group record at the Pioneer 8K, did it again. At the Pioneer 8K she recorded a 39:02 finish time, at Cobble Hill she finished the 10K in 49:04. She is two-for-two with world records in 2024. Smith will have the opportunity to break more world records at the Cedar 12K in Nanaimo on Feb. 11 as well as the Comox Valley RV Half Marathon in March.
There was a total of 596 finishers, the most in the event’s history.
The next race in the series is the Cedar 12K on Superbowl Sunday, Feb. 11. Start time is 11:00 AM, which leaves plenty of time to race, then prepare for kickoff.
