Hatley Castle 8K a success, record potential at Comox Valley RV Half Marathon
Hatley Castle 8K
The Hatley Castle 8K, the fourth race of the 2023 Vancouver Island Race Series, had a big turnout. Organized by Frontrunners Athletic Club (FAC), they saw the most finishers in seven years and the eighth most in the event’s 24-year history at 445.
The winners were Brennen Smith (Speedfarm) in 25:55 and Emily Bugoy (Mettle Heart Endurance) in 30:40. The top masters were Nick Walker (40-44, FAC) and Catrin Jones (40-44, Prairie Inn Harriers). They finished in the times of 27:43 and 30:51, respectively.
Smith, one of Canada’s top triathletes said, “The race was good training for triathlon season coming up. I am happy with how the race went and am looking forward to next Sunday’s half-marathon.”
He won by nearly a minute with teammate Martin Odendaal finishing second in 26:49. Owen Torres took third just six seconds back. For the women, it was Bugoy, Jones, followed by Mikaela Barnes in 32:10.
Comox Valley RV Half Marathon
Sunday, March 19 will see the 37th running of the Comox Valley RV Half Marathon and perhaps the all-time largest field assembled for this flagship Island Series event.
The top-seeds are Jackson Bocksnick of Victoria (Frontrunners Athletic Club). He is a former UVic Vike athlete who suffered from injuries for a few years. He is back and is training for the Boston Marathon. Bocksnick finished third during the Cobble Hill 10K clocking a time of 31:48 and will be seeking a sub-70-minute finish on Sunday and 2:20 or so in Boston.
“I will be happy with marathon pace while feeling comfortable,” share Bocksnick.
Fellow former Vike Matt Noseworthy and Smith will be toeing the line, making for a competitive lead pack in the sub-70-minute range.
Currently, the top three female athletes are Meg Lewis-Schneider (Esprit RC), Jones and Yume Kobayashi of Edmonton, who is a former national-level triathlete. Lewis-Schneider won the 2022 Cobble Hill 10K.
The Comox Valley RV Half Marathon is the fifth of eight events in the 2023 series. It is followed by the McLean Mill 10K, Westcoast Sooke 10K and the Synergy Health Centre Bazan Bay 5K All series information is available at www.islandseries.org.
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