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Virden athletes run Clear Lake

Some rookies and some veterans

The Riding Mountain Half Marathon, 10K, and 5K races took place on the Sept. 18th weekend. Virden had a strong representation, some first-time participants there which excited Andrea Andrew, herself a long-time runner and the initial organizer of Virden’s 10K, 5K and 3K run.


Andrew describes the course, giving a sense of what it was like at the Riding Mountain run. “We started off through the campground, then off to the golf course and back down Wasagaming Drive for the 10K. It was really nice. A 10K is a lot more enjoyable than a Half Marathon, just because it requires less training. You can all-round enjoy it more. The scenery… it was perfect running weather for sure.”


The event was organized by the Dauphin Rotary Club working with Parks Canada.
Competitors from Reston, Melita, Pierson, Birtle, Hamiota, and Oak River, also ran in these races that drew participants from as far away as Saskatchewan, Ontario; and a B.C. name even appeared on the results list.


Half Marathon
Two Virden runners who took on that nearly 22K challenge of the Half Marathon were Shaelyn Langlois (1:52:01 placing 26th) and Michael Fitzgerald finished at 2:11:52. 
Of Reston, Maria Elizabeth De Vos ran a 2:29:54 race to finish 70th out of 81 participants. 
The winner was Winnipegger Daniel Heschuk, who led the pack with a time of 1:06:47.
Andrew noted that Shaelyn Langlois just started competitive running and this Riding Mountain event was her third half marathon this year.


10K run
Virden runners in the 10K race were Andrew Morden who finished in 12th place among the field of 121 runners with a time of 47:38. Andrea Andrew finished 20th with a time of 52:21. Brock Andrew (54:10) finished within the top third and, Lana Hutchison (58:50) within the top half of the field.
Two from Reston, Harold and Jennifer Whyte, also finished the 10K, as did Oak Lake’s Ellen Smith.


5K run/walk
In the 5K event Jennifer Cochrane placed 13th with 28:02 and Courtney Eilers was 32nd with 34:37, both well up in the pack of 81.
For Jennifer Cochrane and Courtney Eilers, it was their first such run. 
“I never ever thought I could ever (accomplish) something like this,” says Eilers. “I actually went there with my coach. Nathan Corrigal from Southwest Strength in Melita.” 
Eilers found the Riding Mountain run inspiring for a couple of reasons. “It was pretty, for sure,” she said of the scenic Clear Lake setting, but there’s more: “My grandma had a cabin there and my mom grew up there as a youngster. So felt like I had grandma Edna with me. I used that as motivation as she never had a license and walked everywhere.”
She’s considering trying for the longer race, the 10K, next year.

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