A marathon is much like a triathlon for the fact that you simply don't wake up one morning and decide it's a good idea.
Debbie Meade, left, and Sarah Cook cross the finish line together in the Overlander Sports Yellowknife Marathon women's half-marathon event at Somba K'e Park on Sunday.
More than 20 runners, though, woke up on Sunday morning and put the boots to the ground for the main event of the Overlander Sports Yellowknife Marathon. The men's race featured 17 racers from Yellowknife and around the country SA国际影视传媒� even one from Germany, Roland Kurz SA国际影视传媒� and it was Mark St. Amant from Cochrane, Alta., who crossed the finish line first in a time of three hours, one minute, 23.6 seconds to take the win.
St. Amant said his time was a lot faster than he thought he would have had.
SA国际影视传媒淭he weather was quite nice,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭he wind picked up in the second half of the race and that's something we could have done without but I just pushed through it and it went great.SA国际影视传媒�
The course for the full marathon saw the racers start from Somba K'e Park and head out to all points in the city including Old Town, the airport loop and downtown. It's a figure-8 shape and measures 21.3 km. The full marathoners did two laps of the course.
As mentioned, the weather on race day was cool and breezy, something St. Amant said helped him along the route.
SA国际影视传媒淭his is the weather we love to run in,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭he body isn't overheating and you're able to run comfortably with a good pace.SA国际影视传媒�
The race was a family affair for St. Amant as his brothers, Paul and Robert, were also in the men's marathon event and it was the first time racing for all three in Yellowknife.
The women's marathon featured just five competitors and it was Bryany Denning of Yellowknife who was the fastest of the quintet, winning in a time of four hours, one minute, 9.3 seconds, a few minutes shy of her personal best of three hours, 57 minutes.
SA国际影视传媒淚 was hoping to break that time,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚 wasn't expecting to win but I knew I would finish no worse than fifth so I wanted to finish well. I made a stop at the last aid station on the course and asked where everyone else was and they told me I was the first woman so I knew I was in good shape.SA国际影视传媒�
Like St. Amant, Denning said the weather was good, even if Mother Nature does what she wants to.
SA国际影视传媒淚 was wearing long sleeves and when it warmed up, I took it off,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚t was a bit of a roller coaster because it was warm then windy and rainy but there were no worries.SA国际影视传媒�
The one thing she fought, like everyone else who ran, was the headwind going up the hill along the airport loop.
SA国际影视传媒淭he wind always seems to be in your face, no matter what,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
After she was done, Denning hung around the finish area to cheer on everyone else who came in from the race.
SA国际影视传媒淚 wanted to make sure they had a cheering section because they worked hard to finish,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淓veryone stayed right to the end and it was such a well-organized event.SA国际影视传媒�
The half-marathon races were both won by Yellowknifers as William Buckland took the men's race while Katlyne McCauley won the women's event. It was the same for the 10-km races with Ezekiel Debogorski winning the men's division and Tonya Huck copping the women's event.
