Virden Run organizer Cindy Branum said, “We had a great morning, we had great weather, we had over 100 runners.”
Despite the good turn-out Branum, a serious distance runner, feels it is important to create a new route for the 2019 Virden 10K Run& 3K Family Fun Run/Walk - one that will eliminate the need for young participants to cross the rail line.
This year Branum attempted to find out when the train was expected to go through Virden, but was told the schedule was impossible to accurately predict. Once again this year, with the finish line in sight, some of the 10K runners had to stop and wait as the train rumbles through Virden, adding minutes to finish times.
“The 3K runners did a little bit of an obstacle course in Goulter School, instead of going over the train track,” Branum explained. Those runners (or walkers) returned to the start/finish line from Goulter School via Fifth Ave.
“We didn’t want the kids to go over the track,” said Branum.
Plans for a new route in 2019 would take the 10K runners through the Virden historic CP Rail underpass to the finish line between Goulter School yard and the Curling Club.
“We are going to take advantage of the underpass. We will clean it up. This will be a great change, it won’t stop anybody from going as fast as they want.”
Date change
“Also, we are going to change the date. We’ll do it two weeks earlier, just so we don’t compete with a couple of runs they have in Brandon. It probably won’t be as hot as well,” said Branum.
Finish line results
The eighth annual run/walk was again a huge success producing local winners out of a field of about 100 participants, while raising funds for Virden Skate Park project.
With no regard to age groups the finish results are as follows:
The top three male 10K runners were Cole Martens (49:06); Joe Frizzley (pushing a child in a stroller) finished second (50:50); and Patrick Martens came third (53:02). Almost all of the 15 runners finished within about 20 seconds of the winning time.
Top three 10K female runners were Lana Hutchison (57:00), Kyla Martens (1:00:07) and Bonnie James (1:01:03).
Out of a field of 84 competitors in the 3K Run, it was also a close field at the finish line with Colten James (12:54), Ryder Martens (13:22) and Adam Edmonds (13:42) finishing as the top three.
Samantha Andrew (15:34), Jenelle Martens (15:35) and Cherilynn Pizzey (16:37) finished as the top three females, with many more just hundredths of a second apart.
